AfterDawn: Tech news

Baidu buys app distributor for $1.9 billion in largest Chinese Internet takeover, ever

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 18 Jul 2013 9:40 User comments (1)

Baidu buys app distributor for $1.9 billion in largest Chinese Internet takeover, ever Chinese search giant Baidu has announced the biggest Internet company takeover in the nation's history, purchasing Android app distributor 91 Wireless.
The company will pay $1.9 billion for the company, which should help them keep market share against rivals like Tencent, Alibaba and Qihoo.

91 Wireless is majority owned by gaming firm NetDragon, and NetDragon has been actively exploring spinning off the subsidiary. 91 owns community websites, is the largest third-party app distribution platform in China and also offers e-reader software and customized launch screens for handsets.

The company was able to get so big in China due to Google's limitations in the nation. The official Google Play store is open for business in China, but does not carry paid apps.

There are an estimated 750 million smartphone users in China, with Android making up a majority.

Previous Next  

1 user comment

119.7.2013 15:22

We'll have your OS for free thanks though Google.

Comments have been disabled for this article.

Latest news

Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets Roomba Combo j7+ review - Clever trick allows robot vacuum finally to tackle home with rugs and carpets (06 Jun 2023 9:19)
Roomba Combo j7+ is the very first Roomba model to combine robot vacuum with mopping features. And Roomba Combo j7+ does all that with a very clever trick, which tackles the problem with mopping and carpets. But is it any good? We found out.
Neato, the robot vacuum company, ends its operations Neato, the robot vacuum company, ends its operations (02 May 2023 3:38)
Neato Robotics has ceased its operations. American robot vacuum pioneer founded in 2005 has finally called it quits and company will cease its operations and sales. Only a skeleton crew will remain who will keep the servers running until 2028.
5 user comments
How to Send Messages to Yourself on WhatsApp How to Send Messages to Yourself on WhatsApp (20 Mar 2023 1:25)
The world's most popular messaging platform, Meta-owned WhatsApp has enabled sending messages to yourself. While at first, this might seem like an odd feature, it can be very useful in a lot of situations. ....
18 user comments
How to Enable Bluetooth on Stadia Controller How to Enable Bluetooth on Stadia Controller (11 Feb 2023 1:04)
Google shut down its streaming game service Stadia late last month and this means that some people have Stadia controllers lying around that seem to be of no use. That is fortunately not the ....
2 user comments
Guide: How to Kick Unwanted Guests from Your Netflix Account Guide: How to Kick Unwanted Guests from Your Netflix Account (26 Jan 2023 2:14)
Sharing a Netflix account with a person in a different location is possible and indeed very common, although the company doesn't necessarily enjoy this behavior from their customers. However, ....

News archive