Arlington, Viginia-based engagement platform Higher Logic is acquiring Montreal-based Vanilla, which helps companies build their own online communities.

Higher Logic helps customers (either corporations or associations) build personalized community engagement platforms. In doing so, those customers can retain their customers or members and grow their organizations. Higher Logic has since expanded to serve the corporate B2B market.

It currently serves over 3,000 customers operating 350,000 online communities with 55 million users in more than 20 countries worldwide.

Moreover, Higher Logic says it quadrupled its recurring revenue to over $80 million in four years.

Vanilla, meanwhile, was founded in 2009 and has helped top brands better engage customers, drive loyalty, empower advocates and reduce support costs.

In a nutshell, Vanilla allows companies to build out their out communities for user support. Their software help customers create social bonds with each other and the company, lets customers help each other and deflect tickets, allows companies to get more feedback from customers and create a sense of trust with prospective customers.

“With more interactions happening digitally, community has become mission-critical for almost every organization. We are thrilled to be joining forces with Higher Logic to create the pre-eminent online community solution,” said Vanilla CEO, Luc Vezina.

Together, Higher Logic and Vanilla will give customers more choices meeting the needs of their use case, industry, and users. Now armed with 400 combines employees, Higher Logic says it will “serve current and future customers better than any other community provider.”

“We have always been impressed with Vanilla’s commitment to innovation in engagement,” said Higher Logic CEO, Kevin Boyce. “Vanilla’s success in the corporate market complements our success with B2B technology companies like Change Healthcare, Juniper Networks, Imperva, and others.”

With the acquisition, Higher Logic will target the B2B market as well as expand its focus on the B2C market.