Otello Corporation ASA (formerly Opera Software ASA) is a Norwegian internet company which develops advertising and mobile software for operators, publishers and advertisers. It operates through its subsidiaries which include AdColony (formerly ''Opera Mediaworks''), a mobile advertising platform and network, Bemobi, a subscription-based mobile application and game discovery service, and Skyfire Labs, which provides

mobile operators A mobile network operator (MNO), also known as a wireless service provider, wireless carrier, cellular company, or mobile network carrier, is a provider of wireless communications services that owns or controls all the elements necessary to sell ...

cloud In meteorology, a cloud is an aerosol consisting of a visible mass of miniature liquid droplets, frozen crystals, or other particles suspended in the atmosphere of a planetary body or similar space. Water or various other chemicals may co ...

based access for network management and video optimization, and advertising facilitation. Opera Software ASA was founded as a holding company for

Opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

products and businesses. It changed its name to Otello Corporation after it sold off its web browser and consumer business along with the ''Opera'' brand (

Opera Software AS Opera is a Norwegian multinational technology company and subsidiary of Kunlun that specializes in web browser development, fintech, as well as services such as Opera News and YoYo Games. The company's total user base, including users of its d ...

) to a Chinese consortium of investors. While initially it planned to wholly sell itself off to the consortium the deal did not go through due to regulatory approvals, it settled by selling its consumer-facing web browser business instead.

Acquisitions

On 11 March 2004, the company was listed on the

Oslo Stock Exchange Oslo Stock Exchange ( no, Oslo Børs) (OSE: OSLO) is a stock exchange within the Nordic countries and offers Norway’s only regulated markets for securities trading today. The stock exchange offers a full product range including equities, deriv ...

with the ticker OPERA. On September 20, 2005, Opera announced that they would remove the ad from the browser and make it free. On 20 January 2010, Opera Software announced that it had acquired AdMarvel, Inc. On 30 April 2010, Opera Software acquired Australian web email provider FastMail. In September 2013, the staff of FastMail bought the company back from Opera Software. On 19 September 2011, Opera Software announced that it had acquired mobile application platform Handster, the leading independent app store for Android apps at that time, in order to strengthen the

Opera Mobile Store Opera Mobile Store was a platform-independent browser-based app store for mobile-phone owners and a digital application software, application digital distribution, distribution platform used by more than 40,000 developers around the world, owne ...

's offerings to consumers, mobile operators and handset manufacturers. On 15 February 2013, Opera Software announced that it had acquired Skyfire for $155 million. Opera primarily targeted the company for its video optimization technologies, such as its Rocket Optimizer platform, which would complement its own content optimization technologies. On 4 June 2014, Opera Software announced that it is acquiring AdColony to bolster its mobile video ad capabilities. Opera paid $75 million in cash for AdColony, plus potential earn-out payments of up to $275 million. In March 2015, Opera Software acquired the Canadian VPN company,

SurfEasy Gen Digital, formerly known as Symantec and NortonLifeLock, is a multinational computer software company founded on March 1, 1982. It is an international corporation that specializes in selling security and information management software. Gary ...

and later integrated the SurfEasy VPN into Opera as a free and unlimited service for its users. On September 22, 2015, Opera announced that they would remove "Software" from its logo. In December 2017, AdColony CEO, Will Kassoy stepped down from his position and was replaced by Otello CEO, Lars Boilesen. In 2021, Digital Turbine Inc. is acquiring AdColony from Otello for $400 million.

Divestitures

On 20 December 2016, control of Opera TV AS was sold to Moore Frères & Company. On 15 September 2017, Opera TV AS changed its name to Vewd Software AS. On 6 November 2017, Opera Software divested its

subsidiary by selling it to

Symantec Symantec may refer to: *An American consumer software company now known as Gen Digital Inc. *A brand of enterprise security software purchased by Broadcom Inc. Broadcom Inc. is an American designer, developer, manufacturer and global supplier ...

for $38.5 million all in cash. 85% of the payment was released on November 6, 2017 by

with the remaining 15% remaining in escrow for up to 15 months. Specific earn-out targets were not publicly mentioned.

Notes

References

External links

*
Otello Corp. at Hoovers
{{Finance links , name = Otello Corporation ASA , symbol = OTELLO , yahoo = OTELLO.OL , bloomberg = OTELLO:NO Software companies established in 1995 1995 establishments in Norway Companies based in Oslo Companies listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange Opera Software Software companies of Norway