PCMag owner J2 Global buys sixth VPN provider

Publishing and SaaS behemoth J2 Global has quietly acquired certain assets owned by ibVPN, a VPN provider based in Romania.

We reviewed ibVPN a while back and found it offered an interesting array of privacy and VPN features. “It's not always easy to use and we found speeds could be below average on a few locations, but it's worth taking the 24-hour trial for a spin, to see how the service works for you,” wrote our reviewer.

J2 Global, owner of IGN and PC Mag, also confirmed it has snapped up software firms Kickbox and SpatialBuzz and divested VoIP businesses Fonebox and Zintel Communications.

VPN deal

The acquisitions are expected, according to a statement, to “grow the company’s global customer base, provide access to new markets and expand the J2 Global’s product lineup”. The terms of the individual acquisitions were not disclosed.

The company went on a shopping spree in 2019, adding VPN features to its popular testing service Speedtest and acquiring SaferVPN, Encrypt.me, IPVanish, StrongVPN and Buffered VPN. It has also started to bundle VPN services with Sugarsync, its cloud storage offering.

It went on to acquire RetailMeNot.com and SRFax, one of the few remaining online fax services, in September 2020.

Earlier this month, the firm announced the pricing of a $750m offering of senior notes to pay back an existing $650 million loan that was due to mature in 2025.

Desire Athow
Managing Editor, TechRadar Pro

Désiré has been musing and writing about technology during a career spanning four decades. He dabbled in website builders and web hosting when DHTML and frames were in vogue and started narrating about the impact of technology on society just before the start of the Y2K hysteria at the turn of the last millennium.

Latest in VPN
Demonstrators protesting against the arrest of the Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu block Atatürk Boulevard on March 22, 2025 in Ankara, Türkiye.
Turkey's social media ban has been lifted, but VPN usage is still high
Shape of Russia filled with Russian flag-colored internet codes on a black hacking background
A new wave of blocks in Russia targets VPN apps and Cloudflare subnets
A hand holds a smartphone displaying the NordVPN logo
NordVPN Prime hits lowest-ever price in VPN Spring sale
Digital hand set location on map with two pins. AI technology in GPs, innovation delivery, map location, future transport logistic, route path concept. GPs point. New office location, change address
What does your IP address reveal about you?
ExpressVPN mobile app and Aircove
ExpressVPN ‘reduces workforce’ for the second time in two years
A stethoscope next to a laptop on a pink background
How to check if your VPN is working
Latest in News
A young woman is working on a laptop in a relaxed office space.
I’ll admit, Microsoft’s new Windows 11 update surprised me with its usefulness, providing accessibility fixes, a gamepad keyboard layout, and PC spec cards
inZOI promotional material.
inZOI has become the most wishlisted game on Steam, but I wouldn't get too caught up in the hype
Xbox Series X and Xbox wireless controller set to a green background
Xbox Insiders are currently testing a new Game Hub feature that looks useful, but I've got mixed feelings about it
A stylized depiction of a padlocked WiFi symbol sitting in the centre of an interlocking vault.
Broadcom warns of worrying security flaws affecting VMware tools
Nespresso Vertuo Pop machine in Candy Pink with coffee drinks and capsules
My favorite Nespresso coffee maker just got a fresh new makeover, and now I love it even more
Microsoft Surface Laptop and Surface Pro devices on a table.
Hate Windows 11’s search? Microsoft is fixing it with AI, and that almost makes me want to buy a Copilot+ PC