Nokia acquires mobile browser firm

 

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By Reuters

Posted on 26 Mar 2010 at 16:37

Nokia has acquired mobile browser firm Novarra for an undisclosed amount, to improve web surfing on its low-end and mid-range phones.

It represents an important move as “connecting the next billion consumers to the internet will happen primarily on mobile devices," said Niklas Savander, executive vice president of services at Nokia.

Nokia is expecting to release new services incorporating the Novarra platform later this year.

Wireless internet usage is set to surge in 2010 and beyond as operators and phone makers continue to play catch-up with Apple's iPhone, with many handset vendors pinning their faith on their own browsers.

Novarra's rivals, which include Opera and Myriad, are increasingly refocusing their efforts to sell browsers to telecoms operators, who have a key role in phone distribution on many large markets.