United Online
United Online logo
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| Subsidiary | |
| Traded as | Formerly, UNTD on NASDAQ |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | Woodland Hills, California |
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Key people
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Robert J. Taragan, CEO |
| Brands | NetZero, Juno, MyPoints, StayFriends |
| Owner | B. Riley Financial |
| Website | www |
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). It is headquartered in Woodland Hills, California, United States.
United Online claims to have more than 100 million registered accounts. The company’s Content & Media segment provides networking services and products (Classmates and StayFriends) and loyalty marketing (MyPoints). Its primary communications segment services are internet access, and services and devices (NetZero and Juno). United Online operates through a global network of locations in the U.S., Germany, and India. On July 1, 2016, B. Riley Financial completed its acquisition of United Online for $11.00 per share in a transaction valued at approximately $170 million.
Faced with the introduction and rapid expansion of broadband Internet-access services, United Online has diversified its products and service offerings, both via acquisitions and by evolving its current brands.
In September 2007, NetZero launched its first broadband access service, NetZero DSL. In May 2008, it launched Juno DSL. Together, NetZero DSL and Juno DSL provided almost 30 percent of United Online’s ISP customers, and provided those customers with the ability to upgrade to broadband while maintaining their NetZero or Juno email addresses.
In March 2012, NetZero expanded into the wireless Internet access market with the debut of NetZero Mobile Broadband, a value-priced mobile broadband service using the Clearwire network. NetZero Mobile Broadband was available in over 80 cities, and allowed subscribers to choose from four monthly data plans. It also offered a one-year free trial with the purchase of a NetZero Connection device.
NetZero Mobile Broadband has since rolled out the service across the nationwide using the Sprint 3G network, expanding its coverage to more than 276 million people. NetZero also offers a Home Wireless Broadband service which is intended to provide limited wireless access in the home or office. In 2013, it debuted NetZero DataShield, a personal VPN which encrypts and protects users’ data when they connect to the Internet via any WiFi connection, including public WiFi hubs.
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Wikipedia