Norway’s Opera Software, a veteran in the online browser space and considerable mover of mobile advertising revenue, has acquired Toronto-based VPN provider, SurfEasy Inc.
The companies announced the acquisition today, with Opera promising to integrate SurfEasy’s multi-platform anonymous browsing and ad-blocking security software into its product lineup. A VPN, or virtual private network, allows users to encrypt and route their internet traffic through one or several nodes around the world, anonymizing their traffic and gaining access to geo-restricted content.
“Hundreds of millions of internet consumers are coming online and actively looking for secure solutions for their mobile devices,” said Lars Boilesen, CEO of Opera Software. “Consumers don’t want to worry about who might be watching them while they access the internet or use mobile apps. With SurfEasy, consumers can control when they share their information and when they choose to keep their information private. Opera has evolved beyond our browser roots and this step will add a critical building block towards a broader portfolio of mobile applications with an emphasis on privacy and security.”
That evolution is key to Opera’s success as it moves away from its desktop browser lineage. It operates one of the most successful bandwidth-friendly mobile browsers on Android, and has turned into a massive advertising company, working with mobile operators and brands on delivering bespoke digital experiences within native apps and browsers.
SurfEasy’s CEO, Chris Houston, said of the need for security and privacy tools, “Over the past few years the dialogue and awareness around online privacy issues has increased dramatically. We are all now very aware just how vulnerable our data is to hacking, monitoring and censorship, regardless of the network or device you’re using to access the web.”
Pricing details weren’t disclosed, but Opera says that it “envisions a powerful collaboration and venture into joint products.” SurfEasy will continue to operate independently for the foreseeable future, offering private browsing packages for Mac, Windows, Android and iOS.
