Conduit toolbar

The Conduit toolbar was an online platform that allowed web publishers to create custom toolbars, web apps, and mobile apps at no cost.[1][2] It was developed by Conduit Inc. but demerged to Perion Network. Conduit had approximately 260,000 registered publishers who have collectively created content downloaded by more than 250 million end users.[3][4][5] Web apps and pieces of content developed through Conduit's platform can be distributed and exchanged online via the Conduit App Marketplace.[6][7] As of 2010, 60 million users consumed apps from the marketplace on a daily basis.[8]

Conduit's toolbars have been described in online forums and news outlets as malware[9][10] and are difficult to remove.[11][12] It has both browser hijacking and rootkit capabilities. Conduit began to shift away from this part of its business in late 2013 when it spun off its toolbar division into Perion Network through a reverse merger.[13] After the deal, Conduit shareholders still owned 81% of Perion's existing shares, though both Perion and Conduit remain independent companies.[14]

  1. ^ Wonham, Linc (23 February 2011). "Conduit's Web App Network Goes Mobile". Website Magazine. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
  2. ^ Fried, Ina (7 February 2011). "Exclusive: Web App Publisher Conduit Expands Into Mobile". All Things Digital. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  3. ^ "Conduit Mobile Enters The Music App Creation Wars". Music Ally. 14 November 2011. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  4. ^ Nakano, Chelsi (16 July 2010). "Conduit Network Boosts Browser-Based Apps in a Big Way". CMSWire. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  5. ^ Dunaway, Gavin (13 May 2011). "Big Names Grace Conduit's App Platform". ADOTAS. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  6. ^ Knight, Kristina (4 May 2010). "Conduit's App Marketplace pushes past 100 million users". BizReport. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  7. ^ Hardawar, Devindra (4 June 2010). "Conduit announces Google Chrome support for its massive app platform". VentureBeat. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  8. ^ Wauters, Robin (13 July 2010). "Conduit Reports Big Numbers: 250,000 App Publishers, 170 Million Users". TechCrunch. Retrieved 16 May 2011.
  9. ^ "How do I uninstall Search Protect by Conduit from my computer?". Norton. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  10. ^ "PUP.Optional.Conduit removal instructions". Malware Removal Guides. 7 August 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2013.
  11. ^ Griffith, Erin (14 September 2012). "Conduit Turns Toolbar Riches Into Massive Dividend". PandoDaily. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  12. ^ Kaspersky Labs support pages, 19 December 2013.
  13. ^ Feldman, Yaniv (10 July 2013). "Israeli toolbar giant Conduit expected to split and acquire Perion". Geektime. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
  14. ^ Matthew Kanterman and Elliott Gotkine (17 September 2013). "Perion With Conduit Seen Besting AOL in U.S. Searches". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 16 December 2013.