Skype rival Viber purchased by Japanese e-commerce giant for $900 million

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Japan’s answer to Amazon, Rakuten , has just got into the mobile communications business by purchasing internet calling app-maker Viber for $900 million. Viber was one of the first to introduce 3G VoIP on the iPhone, and now lets you call any land-line or mobile phone, send messages and even push-to-talk . The app is available on all major mobile and desktop platforms, and is one of Skype’s biggest rivals with over 300 million users worldwide. According to the WSJ , Viber’s global userbase helped draw Rakuten, which is trying to expand its business interests beyond Japan’s shores. It also recently purchased a huge stake in Pinterest and bought e-reader maker Kobo . Rakuten’s CEO confirmed that Viber “perfectly compliments” its goals and said the acquisition “will enable it to penetrate new markets with multiple digital content offerings.” Filed under: Cellphones , Internet , Mobile Comments Via: WSJ Source: Rakuten

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Skype rival Viber purchased by Japanese e-commerce giant for $900 million

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