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Opera buys mobe friendly VPN app bods SurfEasy

'No interruption in the service' promises mouthpiece

Norway-based Opera Software has set sail across the North Atlantic to acquire Toronto-based VPN-men SurfEasy, for an undisclosed sum.

Opera is now producing a suite of applications through which you can "securely" read The Reg on desktop and mobile, and is set to expand its product line to include privacy-management services following its buyout of SurfEasy.

All SurfEasy employees have joined Opera following the deal.

"The current SurfEasy team will continue to operate from their office in Toronto, Canada, and be supported by Opera team members across our global offices," said Caroline Gennaro, speaking on behalf of SurfEasy.

Gennaro told The Register: "In terms of changing day-to-day commercial activities for SurfEasy we really see no interruption in the service of the products. SurfEasy is a recognized consumer brand and is one of the best customer reviewed services for online privacy protection."

Opera's comms veep, Karin Greve-Isdahl, told The Register that the acquisition was a product of Opera's "new strategy" of moving into producing "a suite of applications, not just browsers" which utilise privacy-enhancing technology, adding that consumers can expect Opera to launch a suite of freemium applications shortly.

Lars Boilesen, Opera Software's CEO, said: “Opera has evolved beyond our browser roots and this step will add a critical building block towards a broader portfolio of applications.”

Privacy management has become an increasingly marketable service in recent years, partly due to Edward Snowden's whistleblowing regarding governments' mass surveillance antics.

“We are all now very aware just how vulnerable our data is to hacking, monitoring and censorship, regardless of the network or device you’re using to access the web,” said Chris Houston, founder and CEO of SurfEasy.

“By teaming up with Opera, a global internet company with over 350 million users, we are able to accelerate our vision to give users access to simple applications that let them take back control of their online privacy and freedom." ®

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