Opera picks up mobile ad player AdMarvel: Race for mobile advertising position continues

The mobile advertising war brewing between Apple Inc. and Google Inc. took on a smaller rival today as Opera Software said it had acquired AdMarvel Inc. for an undisclosed amount.
Oslo, Norway-based Opera said the deal will enable the company to “expand its portfolio of products and services to include highly scalable ad monetization services for Opera branded mobile products and services offered by mobile operators and content partners.”
Opera provides Web browser platforms for personal computers, mobile phones and other Internet-enabled devices.
“In our fast-growing industry, mobile advertising represents an interesting long-term revenue opportunity. Every month, nearly 50 million people access the Web using Opera on their mobile phones and together with AdMarvel, we think we can play an important role in the evolution of mobile advertising,” says Lars Boilesen, CEO at Opera.
The deal follows the recent acquisition of Quattro Wireless by Apple for a reported $275 million as well as Google’s reported $750 million acquisition of AdMob late last year.
The deals highlight an increased emphasis being placed on driving and controlling advertising in the mobile space. This has become more important as consumers have flocked to advanced mobile devices capable of nearly mimicking the Web browsing experience on traditional personal computers. Advertisers see greater potential in the mobile space as the added dynamic of location-based services allows for more focused targeting of consumers.