Messaging app Viber has been bought by Rakuten, the owner of online retailer Play.com.
The Japanese company will pay $900m (£540m) for the mobile application, which offers free calls and text messages from a mobile phone.
Rakuten, which also owns the Canadian e-reader Kobo, said the purchase would allow it to expand its digital content into emerging markets.
Viber, which is based in Cyprus, has 300 million registered users.
"This acquisition is a totally new strategy that will take Rakuten to a different level," said Rakuten's chief executive Hiroshi Mikitani.
"Developing this messaging system on our own would have been impossible, " he added.
He suggested that Rakuten users might be able to use Viber's instant messages to contact an online store while considering a purchase.
Viber's chief executive and founder, Talmon Marco, said: "This combination presents an amazing opportunity for Viber to enhance our rapid user growth in both existing and new markets.
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