Oh, Opera. You've been around for a long time (considerably longer than Android or Google, in fact) but aside from a great showing back in the J2ME days, you've never managed to break into those competitive browser markets. The latest financial figures and projections, as reported by Reuters, don't look particularly good for the Norwegian software company. Though Opera Software's revenues grew in the second quarter, they didn't meet analyst expectations, and adjusted earnings missed the target by a factor of $1.6 million. The projection for total 2015 revenue has been cut from $630-650 million down to $600-618 million.

If all those numbers make your head spin, just know that they're not good. They're dire enough that Opera is considering selling the company. Board representatives said that they would begin a strategic review in the latter half of this year (so, now) that may result in searching for a corporate buyer or "other forms of partnership." Morgan Stanley International and ABG Sundal Collier will be assisting in the review.

The fat lady isn't singing just yet. With hundreds of millions in revenue and over 1000 employees, Opera could go through a painful restructuring period and emerge as a leaner, more agile company... and one that probably couldn't continue to support its current wide array of mobile and desktop products. Of course even if Opera was sold, it's not as if the browsers and syncing tools would be discontinued overnight. Have faith, Opera fans, the company isn't going anywhere for the time being.

Source: Reuters