Browser maker Opera Software, not to be confused with big data firm Opera Solutions that raised $84 million last week, is venturing deeper into mobile. It’s been doing that by not only offering mobile versions of its web browser (as well as mobile ad services now that it has acquired AdMarvel), but also by recently rolling out the Opera Mobile Store. Recently they rolled out version 111 Opera Mobile  not too long ago. It features Honeycomb support, major bug fixes and a security fix.

Today we’ve learned that the company decided to take a different route than investing in its app store, in hopes that it will slowly gain traction in an already crowded market: it bought out a competitor in Handster, which Opera has acquired.  Handster names itself as the largest independent Android app store around.

It seems everyone has an app store these days.  It’s become a useful strategy for the enterprise especially–this demographic is keen on premium apps and would rather cut to the chase finding apps specific for their device.  Other industries are seeking their own piece of the app pie, setting up shops as gateways for consumers, collecting micro-transactions on every app collected.

But the browser has a special case for app stores, as mobile browsing is likely to be the ultimate form of web interaction on a given device.  Apps are a necessary step in the mobile revolution, but this form of software distribution will merge increasingly with mobile browsing as the latter improves.  We’ve seen that mobile browsers have a unique opportunity to add value to the mobile experience through app integration and other personalized features.  The mobile device itself is inherently personal, and its browser will have to take on more capabilities in order to remain at the center of a user’s actions.

The Norway-based browser maker’s CEO, Lars Boilesen, said this: “Opera is evolving from being a browser company into a fully integrated mobile services company and this acquisition is an important step in that direction. We are delighted to welcome the Handster team into the Opera family.”

This is true in more than one regard. First of all, Handster’s platform supports a broader line-up of platforms than the Opera Mobile Store, and secondly, it already established itself a sizable userbase based on what the company’s been saying so far.

The financial details of the acquisition of not disclosed.

Last week, Verizon also had an app store update.  The no. 1 carrier in the U.S teamed-up with Chop to improve the search function in its app store, and is too looking to get its emerging offering growing. This is in spite of the App Store and Android Market already have the biggest share, and a number of other smaller players are competing for the remaining space.  Verizon and others like it are taking a curated approach to mobile apps, making an appeal as a specialized alternative to digging through the dog pile of apps in the official markets.