How Opera Hopes To Monetize The Mobile Web

Opera Mini 5

Norway-based Opera Software (OSL: OPERA) has come up with a plan to monetize the mobile web more easily and make browsers more attractive compared to the rapidly growing interest in applications. A key component of that plan is using AdMarvel (NYSE: DIS), the mobile ad network it purchased back in January.

If this week’s CTIA is any indication, Opera is facing an uphill battle. For instance, the fall show has been renamed CTIA Enterprise and Applications and Apple (NSDQ: AAPL), Android and others have done a good job teaching consumers to download little pieces of software to their phones instead of surfing the web.

To make the mobile web more attractive, Opera Software has announced an Open Mobile Ad Exchange, which allows publishers and advertisers to expand advertising to emerging markets and feature phones, where Opera Mini is the dominant browser. Opera reasons that most of the advertising in data in mobile has been focused on smartphones, and that by building the ad exchange, publishers and advertisers will be able to reach a wider group of individuals. The ad exchange connects to dozens of mobile ad networks worldwide and provides additional information about consumers when they are using the Opera browser.

Opera’s interest in advertising is directly correlated to the app vs. mobile web debate. To date, applications have been relatively easier to monetize because they are distributed through apps stores that have billing systems and advertising platforms in place. Opera’s Co-Founder Jon von Tetzchner told mocoNews “We think the combination of the browser and advertising is very exciting.”

loading

Comments have been disabled for this post