DJYSRV

Contrary to the rabid rumor mill, fed by CBS Marketwatch Columnnist John Dvorak, Opera was not bought out this month by Microsoft, Google, or anyone else. However, the firm did ink a search revenue deal with Google, which is a continuation of an existing business relationship.

It was strange and almost humorous to read the breathless prose of some Internet analysts about Opera's pending sale to one computer giant or another. Opera's CEO denied repeatedly that the firm was for sale to anyone who would listen. Both buyout rumor episodes seemed like a bad Halloween "Treat or Treat" joke gone wrong. Anyway, Opera continues to chart its own destiny, and that seems like a good way to start the new year.

Opera Software chooses Google for Search Revenue Deal

By Reuters
Story last modified Thu Dec 29 19:53:00 PST 2005

Norwegian Opera Software has agreed that Google will be the default partner for its mobile Internet browsers, Opera said on Thursday. "Google will be the default search partner for the mobile browsers: Opera Mobile and Opera Mini," Opera said in a statement. "Under the one-year contract, Opera will make Google Search a major part of the browsers home screen." Oslo-based Opera Software is a tiny competitor of Microsoft in the Internet browser market, but the fast-growing part of its business is in browsers for mobile phones and other mobile electronic devices.