"Opera is evolving from being a browser company into a fully integrated mobile services company and this acquisition is an important step in that direction," Opera CEO Lars Boilesen explains in a statement. "Handster will enable us to strengthen our mobile store offerings to consumers, mobile operators and handset manufacturers."
Handster's platform supports Android, Java, Symbian, Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, web and tablet applications. The company also offers white-label solutions and has relationships with device manufacturers, including LG and Ericsson.
Opera, primarily known as a maker of browsers for web and mobile, has its own app store. The Opera Mobile Store for iOS, Android, BlackBery, Java, Symbian and web applications was released in March of this year.
The acquisition will immediately boost Opera's mobile content offerings. The long-term effects could be more significant. Here's why: Opera owns a tiny fraction of the web browser market. It has fared better on mobile -- Opera currently commands 21.61% percent of the mobile browser market globally, according to StatCounter. Now tack on the most populous Android app market, which it gets by way of Handster, and a once flagging web company is poised to become a mobile powerhouse.