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Akamai Names Tim Berners-Lee, Amos Hostetter, and Other Industry Luminaries to Its Advisory Board
Members of the Akamai advisory board will have an opportunity to work together to examine and recommend solutions for major issues facing the development of the Internet and the Web. In addition, they will counsel Akamai on developing technology standards, business strategy, and products and services that anticipate and meet marketplace needs.
According to George Conrades, Akamai's chairman and CEO, "Attracting this world-class group of business and technology leaders is a testament to Akamai's role in advancing the growth and success of the Internet. We are thrilled to have access to these leaders' collective experience and vision. Together, we'll work towards the goal of making the Internet a high-performance, super reliable medium for eCommerce and new media."
Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the Web, Director of the World Wide Web Consortium, and a principal research scientist at MIT's Laboratory for Computer Science, said, "Akamai is solving the critical problem of Internet congestion and Web content delivery. For the Web to achieve its full potential as a medium for conducting business, research, education and communication, it must be rid of traffic jams and unpredictable performance. I'm looking forward to aiding Akamai's efforts to improve content delivery for all Webkind, and in particular to developing standards which the industry can rally around."
Amos Hostetter, the founder of Continental Cablevision, Inc., and a soon-to-be-appointed member of AT&T's board of directors (pending its acquisition of MediaOne), commented, "Akamai is delivering on the promise of broadband. Broadband is not just about getting people connected, it's about getting them to their destination and creating a satisfying Web experience. I'm pleased to join Akamai's advisory board and to extend my work in broadband connectivity."
Gil Friesen is currently a Director of the Digital Entertainment Network and is well-known in the entertainment industry, beginning with his 27-year career as President of A&M Records. A&M produced notable musical acts such as the Carpenters, Janet Jackson, the Police, and Sting. A&M also produced ten movie pictures including "Blaze," "Birdy," "The Breakfast Club," and "Bring on the Night." Friesen was founding partner of Classic Sports, a cable network sold to ESPN in 1997 for $175 million. In addition to his current role at Digital Entertainment Network, Friesen is actively involved in the Los Angeles community as President of the Museum of Contemporary Art and founder of The Painted Turtle, a hospital camp for seriously-ill children.
Sam Gassel is Chief Systems Engineer for CNN Internet Technologies, a unit of Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner company. He has been the architect of CNN's Internet systems since the launch of CNN.com in 1995. The CNN Web sites now generate more traffic and attract more unduplicated Internet users than any other company's general news and information Web sites. Before joining CNN in 1994, Mr. Gassel worked in Academic Computing at the University of Chicago.
Ron Graham, preeminent scientist
About Akamai
Akamai Technologies is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts and has offices in San Mateo and Cupertino, California, and Europe. Akamai is the leader in distributed content, streaming media, and applications delivery, serving over 225 of the Web's most popular properties including over 100 leading e-commerce companies. Akamai has deployed the broadest global network for content, streaming media, and applications delivery with more than 2000 servers in over 40 countries directly connected to more than 100 different telecommunications networks. Akamai (pronounced AH kuh my) is Hawaiian for intelligent, clever and cool.
| Contacts: |
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| Marco Greenberg NYPR 212-367-9600 marco@nypr.com |
--or-- | David Goodtree Akamai Technologies 617-250-3080 david@akamai.com |
| Lisa Bradlow NYPR 212-367-9600 lisa@nypr.com |
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Advisors To Counsel Company On Marketplace Requirements, Company Strategy, And Technology Standards
CAMBRIDGE, MA, June 2, 1999 --- Akamai Technologies announced today the formation of a Board of Advisors comprised of world-renowned leaders in the Internet, networking, science and entertainment. The members of the advisory board include:- Tim Berners-Lee, Director of the World Wide Web Consortium;
- Gil Friesen, Director of The Digital Entertainment Network, and a media pioneer;
- Sam Gassel, Chief Systems Engineer, CNN Internet Technologies;
- Amos Hostetter, the founder of Continental Cablevision, Inc.
- Ron Graham, Chief Scientist Emeritus, AT&T Labs, and Treasurer of the National Academy of Sciences;
- Peter Solvik, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Cisco Systems, Inc.;
- Ralph Terkowitz, Chief Information Officer of The Washington Post Company.
Members of the Akamai advisory board will have an opportunity to work together to examine and recommend solutions for major issues facing the development of the Internet and the Web. In addition, they will counsel Akamai on developing technology standards, business strategy, and products and services that anticipate and meet marketplace needs.
According to George Conrades, Akamai's chairman and CEO, "Attracting this world-class group of business and technology leaders is a testament to Akamai's role in advancing the growth and success of the Internet. We are thrilled to have access to these leaders' collective experience and vision. Together, we'll work towards the goal of making the Internet a high-performance, super reliable medium for eCommerce and new media."
Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the Web, Director of the World Wide Web Consortium, and a principal research scientist at MIT's Laboratory for Computer Science, said, "Akamai is solving the critical problem of Internet congestion and Web content delivery. For the Web to achieve its full potential as a medium for conducting business, research, education and communication, it must be rid of traffic jams and unpredictable performance. I'm looking forward to aiding Akamai's efforts to improve content delivery for all Webkind, and in particular to developing standards which the industry can rally around."
Amos Hostetter, the founder of Continental Cablevision, Inc., and a soon-to-be-appointed member of AT&T's board of directors (pending its acquisition of MediaOne), commented, "Akamai is delivering on the promise of broadband. Broadband is not just about getting people connected, it's about getting them to their destination and creating a satisfying Web experience. I'm pleased to join Akamai's advisory board and to extend my work in broadband connectivity."
Gil Friesen is currently a Director of the Digital Entertainment Network and is well-known in the entertainment industry, beginning with his 27-year career as President of A&M Records. A&M produced notable musical acts such as the Carpenters, Janet Jackson, the Police, and Sting. A&M also produced ten movie pictures including "Blaze," "Birdy," "The Breakfast Club," and "Bring on the Night." Friesen was founding partner of Classic Sports, a cable network sold to ESPN in 1997 for $175 million. In addition to his current role at Digital Entertainment Network, Friesen is actively involved in the Los Angeles community as President of the Museum of Contemporary Art and founder of The Painted Turtle, a hospital camp for seriously-ill children.
Sam Gassel is Chief Systems Engineer for CNN Internet Technologies, a unit of Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner company. He has been the architect of CNN's Internet systems since the launch of CNN.com in 1995. The CNN Web sites now generate more traffic and attract more unduplicated Internet users than any other company's general news and information Web sites. Before joining CNN in 1994, Mr. Gassel worked in Academic Computing at the University of Chicago.
Ron Graham, preeminent scientist
About Akamai
Akamai Technologies is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts and has offices in San Mateo and Cupertino, California, and Europe. Akamai is the leader in distributed content, streaming media, and applications delivery, serving over 225 of the Web's most popular properties including over 100 leading e-commerce companies. Akamai has deployed the broadest global network for content, streaming media, and applications delivery with more than 2000 servers in over 40 countries directly connected to more than 100 different telecommunications networks. Akamai (pronounced AH kuh my) is Hawaiian for intelligent, clever and cool.
