Chinese search engine Baidu purchases mobile app distributor for $1.09 billion

China’s most popular search engine, Baidu, has purchased mobile app distributor 91 Wireless for $1.09 billion as reported by CIO Today. Baidu has said it would purchase 57 percent of 91 Wireless Websoft Ltd. The companies have until August 13 to agree to terms on the transaction.

91 Wireless operates 91 Assistant and HiMarket, two smartphone app distribution platforms in China. It has said that these markets have been used to download more than 10 billion apps making it China’s biggest third-party app distributor by both active users and downloads.

The purchase of 91 Wireless shows its efforts at better establishing itself  in mobile search, where it has lost traction to other competitors.