j2 Global

j2 Global, Inc.
Public
Traded as NASDAQ: JCOM
Industry Digital media
Founded 1995 (1995)
Headquarters Hollywood, California, United States
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
 Richard Ressler
(Chairman)
Hemi Zucker
(CEO)
Scott Turicchi
(President & CFO)
Harmeet Singh
(President, Cloud Connect)
Jeremy Rossen
(General Counsel)
Services eFax
eVoice
Onebox
KeepItSafe
FuseMail
Campaigner
IGN
Zintel
Number of employees
 over 1600 (2015)[1]
Website j2global.com

j2 Global, Inc. is an American publicly traded technology company based in Los Angeles, California. The company provides Internet services through two divisions: Business Cloud Services and Digital Media.[2]

History

j2 Global was founded in December 1995 as JFax.[3] The company changed its registered name to j2 Global Communications, Inc. on August 2000,[4] 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."[5]

On November 12, 2012, j2 Global launched its digital media division with the acquisition of digital publisher Ziff Davis Inc. for $167 million in cash.[6] On February 4, 2013, j2 Global announced that it had more than doubled the size of its digital media division's business with the acquisition of IGN Entertainment from News Corp.[7] Terms of the IGN acquisition were not announced.

On March 18, 2013, the company announced it had acquired MetroFax, a Bellevue, Washington provider of Internet faxing services.[8] On April 17, 2013, the company acquired Backup Connect BV, a Dutch provider of online backup services.[9] On 19 November 2013, its media division Ziff Davis announced it acquired electronics aggregating website TechBargain.com.

In February, j2 Global announced the acquisition of several companies: City Numbers, a UK-based worldwide provider of inbound toll-free numbers in over 80 countries;[10] LiveDrive, a UK-based provider of online backup;[11] and Australian companies OzeFax and Faxmate.[12] On 3 April[13] 2014 j2 Global announced that it acquired Business Critical Software (also known as iCritical), a UK-based email security and management company.[14]

As of 2014, j2 Global has a network that covers 49 countries on six continents. As of December 31, 2013, j2 Global reported 18 consecutive fiscal years of revenue growth.[15]

Brands and subsidiaries

j2 Global, Inc. provides Internet services through its two divisions: Business Cloud Services and Digital Media. Business Cloud Services brands include eFax, MyFax, Onebox, eVoice, Fusemail, Campaigner and KeepITsafe. The Digital Media division delivers various content through its digital properties, including Ziff Davis, IGN, PC Magazine, AskMen, etc.

Awards

In September 2012, j2 Global was recognized on the InformationWeek 500 list of technology companies.[16]

In 2013, j2 Global was ranked number 40 in Forbes's list of "America's Best Small Companies".[17]

Criticism

Some j2 Global companies have been the target of complaints ranging from number portability to issues with its contract providing no refunds on early termination.

It has targeted various competing providers with patent litigation, including CallWave,[18] Comodo, EasyLink,[19] Open Text, Packetel, Protus, Venali and Vitelity. Many of these companies have filed counter-claims, some of which allege antitrust violations of Section 2 of the Sherman Act and California’s Business and Professions Code §§ 16720 and 17200.[20] j2 Global has also received complaints for making it difficult for subscribers to leave the service through high cancellation fees and lack of toll-free number portability in certain cases.[21] Clients of companies acquired by j2 Global (such as eFax and Onebox) have complained that toll-free number portability, which was provided before the companies were acquired, has been removed, and that j2 Global (or its newly acquired subsidiaries) claim that it owns the telephone numbers associated with the service.

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.j2global.com/company
  2. ↑ "j2 Global Communications Hoovers Overview". Hoovers www.hoovers.com. 2011-12-13. Retrieved 2011-12-13.
  3. ↑ http://www.forbes.com/2004/02/04/cx_ah_0204j2global.html Arik Hesseldahl at Forbes.com: The Fax Of Business Life. 02.04.04.; Retrieved at May 23, 2012.
  4. ↑ http://investor.j2global.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=197687 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.
  5. ↑ "j2 Global Communications, Inc. Becomes j2 Global, Inc.". Yahoo News - finance.yahoo.com.com. 2011-07-11. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
  6. ↑ "j2 Global Acquires Ziff Davis, Inc.". 2012-11-12. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
  7. ↑ "IGN Entertainment Sold to j2 Global". 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2013-02-04.
  8. ↑ "j2 Global Acquires MetroFax". 2013-03-18. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  9. ↑ "j2 Acquires Dutch Online Backup Business Backup Connect BV". 2013-04-17. Retrieved 2013-04-17.
  10. ↑ "j2 Global Acquires UK-Based Phone Number Provider City Numbers". Yahoo! Finance. 6 February 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  11. ↑ "j2 Global Acquires LiveDrive; j2’s Online Backup Annualized Monthly Run-Rate Exceeds $40M". Yahoo! Finance. 10 February 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  12. ↑ "j2 Global Acquires Australian Companies OzeFax and Faxmate". Yahoo! Finance. 11 February 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  13. ↑ VCPost Staff Reporter (21 November 2013). "Ziff Davis acquires TechBargains.com". Venture Capital Post. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  14. ↑ "j2 Global Acquires UK Email Security and Management Business Critical Software Ltd.". Yahoo! Finance. 3 April 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  15. ↑ "j2 Global Reports Q4 and Year End 2013 Results and Provides 2014 Outlook". Yahoo! Finance. 13 February 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  16. ↑ InformationWeek 500 award
  17. ↑ Badenhausen, Kurt (9 October 2013). "America's Best Small Companies". Forbes. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
  18. ↑ "j2 Global Files Patent Infringement Suit Against CallWave, Inc.".
  19. ↑ "j2 Global Files Patent Infringement Suits Against Protus IP Solutions, Inc, Captaris, Inc. and EasyLink Services International Corporation".
  20. ↑ http://www.getfilings.com/sec-filings/100223/J2-GLOBAL-COMMUNICATIONS-INC_10-K/
  21. ↑ "BBB Complaints".

External links

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