Finnish phone maker Nokia said that it has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the outstanding shares of Chicago-based privately-held mobile web browser firm Novarra, in a move to enhance its mobile internet offerings.
Novarra provides mobile internet browsers and platforms for operators, handset manufacturers and internet brands to create new services and revenue streams for smartphones, features phones and mobile broadband devices. Following the acquisition, Novarra, which has more than 100 employees will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nokia.
Nokia said that it will use the Novarra’s mobile browser and services platform to deliver enhanced internet experiences on its mobile devices. The company also plans to launch a new service offering utilising the Novarra technology platform later this year.
Niklas Savander, executive vice president of services at Nokia, said: Connecting the next billion consumers to the internet will happen primarily on mobile devices and delivering an optimised internet experience on our devices is core to our mission.
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“By driving innovation in all segments of our portfolio, we are building one of the largest consumer audiences for web services and content. Novarra’s internet services technology delivered on the world’s most widely-used mobile platform, Nokia’s Series 40, will help us achieve this.
The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of 2010 and is subject to the customary closing conditions, including regulatory reviews.
