J2 Global

Last updated
J2 Global, Inc.
Company type Public
Nasdaq: JCOM
Industry Digital Media
Cloud Computing
FoundedDecember 1995;28 years ago (1995-12) (as JFax)
Founder Jaye Muller
Jack Rieley
Successor
Headquarters Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Area served
United States (holding)[ citation needed ]
Worldwide (subsidiaries)[ citation needed ]
Key people
Richard Ressler
(Chairman)
Vivek Shah
(CEO)
Scott Turicchi
(President & CFO)
Nate Simmons
(President, Cloud Services)
Steve Horowitz
(President, Ziff Davis)
Dan Stone
(President, Everyday Health Group)
ServiceseFax
eVoice
Onebox
KeepItSafe
FuseMail
Campaigner
VIPRE
Livedrive
SMTP
SugarSync
Speedtest
RevenueIncrease2.svg US$1.372 billion (2019) [1]
Increase2.svg US$277.08 million (2019) [1]
Increase2.svg US$218.81 million (2019) [1]
Total assets Increase2.svg US$3.505 billion (2019) [1]
Total equity Increase2.svg US$1.311 billion (2019) [1]
Number of employees
over 4,000 (2020) [2]
Divisions Business Cloud Services
Subsidiaries Excel Micro
Salesify
SMTP
VIPRE
IPVanish
StrongVPN
Website j2global.com

J2 Global, Inc. was an American technology holding company based in Los Angeles, California. The company provided Internet services through two divisions: Business Cloud Services and Digital Media. [3]

Contents

History

J2 Global was founded in December 1995 as JFax.com by Jaye Muller and Jack Rieley. [4] The company changed its registered name to J2 Global Communications, Inc. in August 2000, [5] and again to J2 Global on December 7, 2011, dropping "Communications" from its official name to reflect "…expansion from phone-number-centric services…into complementary lines of non-phone-number-centric services." [6]

The founders of JFAX, Jaye Muller (l) and Jack Rieley (r) with Muller's brother Kai in the middle in their first office on Lafayette Street in New York in 1996. Jfax founders 1996 nyc.jpg
The founders of JFAX, Jaye Muller (l) and Jack Rieley (r) with Muller's brother Kai in the middle in their first office on Lafayette Street in New York in 1996.

On November 12, 2012, J2 Global launched its digital media division with the acquisition of digital publisher Ziff Davis for $167 million in cash. [7] On February 4, 2013, J2 Global acquired IGN Entertainment from News Corporation. [8] Terms of the IGN acquisition were not publicized.

On March 18, 2013, the company announced it had acquired MetroFax, a Bellevue, Washington, provider of Internet faxing services. [9] On April 17, 2013, the company acquired Backup Connect BV, a Dutch provider of online backup services. [10] On 19 November 2013, its media division Ziff Davis announced it acquired electronics aggregating website TechBargain.com.

In February 2014, J2 Global announced the acquisition of several companies: City Numbers, a UK-based worldwide provider of inbound toll-free numbers in over 80 countries; [11] Livedrive, a UK-based provider of online backup; [12] and Australian companies OzeFax and Faxmate. [13] On 3 April [14] 2014 J2 Global announced that it acquired Business Critical Software (also known as iCritical), a UK-based email security and management company. [15] In July 2019, J2 Global acquired the SaferVPN brand, bringing its total number of consumer VPN services to five. [16]

In April 2021, J2 Global announced its intent to spin off part of its cloud services business as a new publicly traded company known as Consensus, with the remainder of the company (consisting primarily of its media assets) being retained under the J2 Global name. [17] It was later announced that J2 Global would be renamed Ziff Davis Inc. upon its completion of the spin-off: the transaction was approved by J2 Global's board in September 2021. [18]

Brands and subsidiaries

The company operates two divisions; the "Business Cloud Services" division includes firms such as eFax, Onebox, eVoice, VIPRE, FuseMail, Campaigner, KeepItSafe, VaultLogix, Callstream, Yotta280, Mailout Interactive, GDV, BackUp Solutions, SugarSync, Nuvotera, UnityFax, Firstway Digital, Excel Micro, Web24 Group, MXSweep, City Numbers, IPVanish, Livedrive, Moz, MetroFax, FoneBox, TrustFax, RapidFax, Send2Fax, SFax, SRFax, and Fax.com. The company's digital media division, Ziff Davis, includes brands such as Mashable, PCMag , IGN and Everyday Health.

MyFax

MyFax is an Internet business communication tool which had been provided by the Ottawa-based software company Protus IP Solutions. [19] On December 6, 2010, MyFax announced that it had been acquired by J2 Global Communications, Inc.

History

MyFax was launched by Protus IP Solutions in 2009 as an alternative to fax machines, as it enables users to send and receive faxes from any location. [20] MyFax has grown to over 400,000 subscribers, [21] with approximately 20,000 new customers subscribing to the service each month. [19]

On December 6, 2010, MyFax announced that it had been acquired by J2 Global Communications, Inc, owners of eFax. [22]

Features

MyFax includes the ability to send and receive faxes by email and through the internet, as well as send faxes directly from Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook, and Microsoft Windows-based applications including Google Docs, OpenOffice.org, and Intuit QuickBooks. [23] A program has been released that allows for iPhone and BlackBerry applications to be fully compatible with smartphones. [24]

MyFax is now owned by J2 Global, which has imposed very restrictive terms and conditions restricting the client's right to local number portability. Among the restrictions is a $40 US charge per number if J2 permits the number to be ported out; the company imposes many arbitrary restrictions on portability and has attempted to claim the numbers as its own property, in some cases imposing inflated penalties and unilaterally taking numbers back after they've been ported to another provider by clients. [25]

Reviews

Before its acquisition by J2 Global, MyFax had received a few favorable reviews [26] including an Internet Telephony magazine product of the year for 2009. [27]

StrongVPN

StrongVPN is a commercial VPN service owned by J2 Global and was founded in 2005. [28]

History

It was founded in 2005 and is one of the oldest VPN services. [29] It was acquired by J2 Global in 2019 from its former owner StackPath. [30]

Features

It supports various protocols, including IPsec, OpenVPN and WireGuard. [31]

Reception

ZDNet considered StrongVPN "A clear and easy-to-use VPN ideal for coffee shop use". [31] Meanwhile, Tom's Hardware considered it strong and simple but noted the lack of information on its no-log policy. [32] PC World considered it "a good VPN for most people". [33]

Logging policy

StrongVPN has not directly answered questions about logging, but they are able to match an IP address to a customer. [34]

Awards

Litigation

J2 Global has filed patent litigation cases against several companies, including CallWave, [37] Comodo, EasyLink Services International Corporation, [38] OpenText, Packetel, Protus, Venali and Zayo Group. Some of the companies filed counterclaims, some of which alleged antitrust violations of Section 2 of the Sherman Act and California's Business and Professions Code §§ 16720 and 17200. [39]

Related Research Articles

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), also called IP telephony, is a method and group of technologies for voice calls for the delivery of voice communication sessions over Internet Protocol (IP) networks, such as the Internet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ziff Davis</span> American publisher and Internet company

Ziff Davis, Inc. is an American digital media and internet company. Founded in 1927 by William Bernard Ziff Sr. and Bernard George Davis, the company primarily owns technology- and health-oriented media websites, online shopping-related services, internet connectivity services, gaming and entertainment brands, and cybersecurity and martech tools. Previously, the company was predominantly a publisher of hobbyist magazines.

Vonage Holdings Corp. is an American cloud communications provider operating as a subsidiary of Ericsson. Headquartered in Holmdel Township, New Jersey, the organization was founded in 1998 as Min-X as a provider of residential telecommunications services based on voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). In 2001, the organization changed its name to Vonage.

Broadvoice is a privately owned company headquartered in Northridge, California. They provide Voice over IP (VOIP) cloud-based telecommunications services to small, medium, and enterprise businesses in the United States. Broadvoice offers telephone services, unified communications as a service (UCaaS), SIP Trunking, telecommunications network and security, along with virtual call centers, so business customers can use voice and video communications via a broadband Internet connection or cellular phone.

United Online, Inc. was an independent public company formed by the 2001 merger of NetZero and Juno Online Services. It is currently a subsidiary of investment bank B. Riley Financial. The company's range of products and services has evolved significantly since its inception as a provider of dial-up Internet access. This has been aided by a series of acquisitions that have included Classmates Online (2004), MyPoints (2006), and FTD Group, Inc. (2008), the latter of which was spun off as its own company in 2013. United Online is headquartered in Woodland Hills, California, United States.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Rieley</span> American DJ, record producer, and songwriter (1942–2015)

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eVoice is a telecommunications service owned by j2 Global, Inc. (NASDAQ:JCOM). The company manages incoming and outgoing calls using virtual phone numbers. The service was initially founded by Wendell Brown, Mark Klein, and Craig Taro Gold in 2000 and re-launched in March 2010 with an expansion of services that include both individual, personal uses as well as services for businesses.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "J2 Global Inc. 2019 Form 10K". United States Securities and Exchange Commission. 2020-03-02. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  2. ↑ "About Ziff Davis" . Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  3. ↑ "j2 Global Communications, Inc". Hoovers www.hoovers.com. 2011-12-13. Archived from the original on 2012-01-15. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  4. ↑ "The Fax Of Business Life". Forbes. 2004-02-04. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  5. ↑ "JFAX.COM Evolves to Become j2 Global Communications; Company is Launching New Business Services, New Website, and New Name". 2000-08-10. Archived from the original on 2013-12-02. J2 Press Release: JFAX.COM Evolves to Become J2 Global Communications; Company is Launching New Business Services, New Website, and New Name. August 10, 2000, Retrieved on May 23, 2012.
  6. ↑ "j2 Global Communications, Inc. Becomes J2 Global, Inc". Ziff-Davis. 2011-12-07. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  7. ↑ "j2 Global Acquires Ziff Davis, Inc". 2012-11-12. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  8. ↑ Kain, Erik (2013-02-04). "IGN Entertainment Sold to J2 Global" . Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  9. ↑ "j2 Global Acquires MetroFax". 2013-03-18. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  10. ↑ "j2 Acquires Dutch Online Backup Business Backup Connect BV". 2013-04-17. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  11. ↑ "j2 Global Acquires UK-Based Phone Number Provider City Numbers". Yahoo! Finance. 6 February 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  12. ↑ "j2 Global Acquires Livedrive; j2's Online Backup Annualized Monthly Run-Rate Exceeds $40M". Yahoo! Finance. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  13. ↑ "j2 Global Acquires Australian Companies OzeFax and Faxmate". Yahoo! Finance. 11 February 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  14. ↑ VCPost Staff Reporter (21 November 2013). "Ziff Davis acquires TechBargains.com". Venture Capital Post. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  15. ↑ "j2 Global Acquires UK Email Security and Management Business Critical Software Ltd". Yahoo! Finance. 3 April 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  16. ↑ "Tech Giant J2 Global's NetProtect Acquires SaferVPN". www.top10vpn.com. 25 July 2019. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
  17. ↑ Sumagaysay, Levi. "J2 Global to split into two publicly traded companies". MarketWatch. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  18. ↑ "J2 Global board approves spin-off, announces record date (NASDAQ:ZD) | Seeking Alpha". seekingalpha.com. 22 September 2021. Retrieved 2022-02-24.
  19. 1 2 2009 INTERNET TELEPHONY Product of the Year Awards - Tmcnet.com,http://www.tmcnet.com/voip/0210/2009-internet-telephony-product-of-the-year-awards.htm
  20. ↑ "Protus Launches MyFax, an Internet-based Fax Service for SOHO Market". protus.com. May 20, 2004. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
  21. ↑ Putting 400,000 Subscribers into Perspective - Inside MyFax blog, http://blog.myfax.com/2009/11/putting-400000-subscribers-into.html
  22. ↑ "j2 Global Acquires Protus IP Solutions, Inc.". December 6, 2010. Archived from the original on December 28, 2010. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Online Fax Service Award Winning Features". MyFax.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
  24. ↑ "Best Free Fax App for iPhone". gmail to fax. 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  25. ↑ "MyFax - Customer Agreement". Archived from the original on June 10, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  26. ↑ "MyFax Review 2016 | Good & Bad of MyFax". 2016-07-09. Archived from the original on 2016-07-09. Retrieved 2023-07-10.
  27. ↑ "MyFax and my1voice Receive INTERNET TELEPHONY® Magazine's Product of the Year Award". MyFax.com. February 22, 2010. Archived from the original on August 17, 2010. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  28. ↑ Malygin, Vladimir (2022-09-02). "How We Started". StrongVPN.com. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  29. ↑ Khan, Mohammad Taha; DeBlasio, Joe; Voelker, Geoffrey M.; Snoeren, Alex C.; Kanich, Chris; Vallina-Rodriguez, Narseo (2018-10-31). "An Empirical Analysis of the Commercial VPN Ecosystem". Proceedings of the Internet Measurement Conference 2018. New York, NY, USA: ACM. pp. 443–456. doi: 10.1145/3278532.3278570 . ISBN   978-1-4503-5619-0.
  30. ↑ Athow, Desire (7 May 2019). "IGN owner J2 Global snaps up major VPN brands". TechRadar.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  31. 1 2 Gewirtz, David (September 16, 2019). "StrongVPN review: A clear and easy-to-use VPN ideal for coffee shop use". ZDNet.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  32. ↑ Fadilpašić, Sead (July 24, 2019). "StrongVPN Review: Strong and Simple". Tom's Hardware . Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  33. ↑ Paul, Ian (June 11, 2018). "StrongVPN review: A good VPN service for rookies". PC World . Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
  34. ↑ Ziccardi, Giovanni (2013). Resistance, liberation technology and human rights in the digital age. Dordrecht: Springer. p. 184. ISBN   978-94-007-5276-4. OCLC   812452659.
  35. ↑ "j2 Global, Inc. Once Again Ranked Among Top Technology Innovators by InformationWeek". finance.yahoo.com. 12 September 2012. Retrieved 2021-09-05.
  36. ↑ Robehmed, Natalie (2013-10-09). "Darwin's Digital Darlings: How These Web 1.0 Companies Survived And Thrived". Forbes . Retrieved 2022-03-11.
  37. ↑ "j2 Global Files Patent Infringement Suit Against CallWave, Inc".
  38. ↑ "j2 Global Files Patent Infringement Suits Against Protus IP Solutions, Inc, Captaris, Inc. and EasyLink Services International Corporation".
  39. ↑ "J2 GLOBAL, INC. - FORM 10-K - February 23, 2010".
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