This article contains content that is written like an advertisement .(July 2014) |
Industry | Internet |
---|---|
Founded | 2004 |
Founder | He Xiaopeng Liang Jie |
Headquarters | , China |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Yu Yongfu (President) |
Products | mobile web browser, mobile search engine, etc. |
Parent | Alibaba Group [1] |
Website | www.ucweb.com |
UCWeb Inc. (also known as UC Mobile [1] ) is a Chinese mobile Internet company that offers products and services that include mobile browser, UC News, and search engine services. Its flagship product, UC Browser, topped the Chinese, Indonesian and Indian markets in 2013. [2] [3]
UCWeb was founded in 2004 as a mobile browser maker. Over the past decade, it diversified to areas such as mobile search, mobile gaming, mobile reading, etc. [4] [5] According to iResearch, in 2014, the company's UC Browser was the most popular browser of its kind in China, with more than 66% market share. [6] It's available in 11 languages (English, Hindi, Russian, Indonesian, Vietnamese, etc.) and on all major mobile OS platform (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Java ME, Blackberry, etc.). As of March 2014, UC Browser had over 500 million users around the globe. [7]
In April 2014, UCWeb and Alibaba Group jointly announced the formation of a JV named Shenma Inc. (Chinese :神马搜索; pinyin :Shénmǎ Sōusuǒ) that offers a mobile-only search engine in China. [8] [9]
In June 2014, UCWeb was acquired by Alibaba Group in the largest Chinese Internet merger deal. This will see UCWeb form the Alibaba UC mobile business group by assimilating and consolidating part of mobile-related businesses within the Alibaba Group. [10] [11] After the merger, under the leadership of Yu Yongfu, chief executive of UCWeb since 2006, the Alibaba UC mobile business group will oversee the browser, search, location-based service, app store, mobile gaming, and mobile reader operations. [12] [13] [14]
In 2015 it was revealed as part of the Snowden leaks that UCBrowser leaks sensitive IMSI, IMEI and MSISDN data, which was used by intelligence agencies to track users. [15] [16]
Opera is a multinational technology conglomerate holding company headquartered in Oslo, Norway with additional offices in Europe, China, and Africa. Opera offers a range of products and services that include a variety of PC and mobile web browsers, GameMaker and gaming portals, the Opera News content recommendation products, the Opera Ads platform, and a number of Web3 and e-commerce products and services. The company's total user base is 311 million monthly active users.
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He Xiaopeng is a Chinese entrepreneur, best known for co-founding companies including XPeng Motors, an intelligent electric vehicle manufacturer, and UCWeb, the Chinese mobile Internet software and service provider he co-founded in 2004. UCWeb was acquired by Alibaba Group in June 2014 in the largest M&A deal ever in Chinese Internet industry. After acquisition, he was named as president of UCWeb and president of the Alibaba Mobile Business Group, and later served as the president of Tudou & Ali Games.
Liang Jie is a Chinese technology executive and entrepreneur. He is currently the Chief Technology Officer of UCWeb Inc., a Chinese mobile Internet and software company he co-founded in 2004. UCWeb was acquired by Alibaba Group in June 2014 in the largest Chinese Internet merger deal ever. He is also the president of Shenma Inc., a joint venture formed by UCWeb and Alibaba that offers a mobile-centric search service.
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