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Akamai EdgeComputing Revolutionizes How Businesses Consume Web Application Infrastructure 'On Demand'
Akamai EdgeComputing powered by WebSphere is designed to enable companies to cost effectively bring business processes online by tapping into Akamai's virtual application infrastructure on demand - improving global performance, scalability, and time-to-market of Web applications. EdgeComputing is an evolution of Akamai's market-leading content and application delivery services, and is unprecedented in enabling a businesses' Java application code to run at the edge points of a massively distributed network. Akamai's global network is comprised of over 15,000 distributed servers, providing customers with on demand scale and application computing capacity when and where they are needed.
Web applications that leverage the Internet's economies of scale have become a desirable and more efficient way to enable customers, employees and partners to perform key business functions. Poorly performing Web applications that fail to scale to meet user demand will interrupt business, disappoint customers and partners, and put enterprises at a competitive disadvantage. Compelled to migrate more business processes online, IT decision makers face a decision between incurring the costs of building out, and often over-provisioning their own application infrastructure, or foregoing the deployment of new applications altogether.
"EdgeComputing powered by WebSphere revolutionizes the way in which network-enabled applications can be deployed, freeing businesses to move more functionality online and focus their energy on application development," said Peter Christy, principal analyst, NetsEdge Research Group. "It is no longer necessary to wait to deploy business solutions because infrastructure isn't ready or affordable, or to risk over- or under-provisioning. This solution gives businesses on demand scale, performance, and global reach - paying for the capacity that they need, when they need it."
With Akamai EdgeComputing powered by WebSphere, Akamai has extended the WebSphere application programming platform across its global network, enabling customers to develop applications for a single WebSphere programming environment that spans the enterprise to the edge of the Internet.
"The Akamai/WebSphere solution is helping customers reduce their IT costs, improve performance, and simplify their infrastructure," said Bob Sutor, director, WebSphere Infrastructure Software, IBM. "Organizations can more flexibly serve their employees, customers and trading partners as they quickly ramp up capacity and respond to market opportunities on demand."
Using Akamai EdgeComputing powered by WebSphere, IBM's developerWorks, the company's resource for developers, plans to offer Rational developers personalized and localized content for collaboration and learning. It will also offer localized teamroom and discussion capability, and improved ability to coordinate code downloads and simultaneous updates across a development team. For more information go to http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/.
EdgeComputing Customer Adoption
Akamai currently runs Java-based application code across its distributed global network for a number of leading businesses. Some of those applications include login, registration, search, dealer locator, virtual waiting room, and poll.
Early adopters of the Akamai EdgeComputing powered by WebSphere service include Internet Broadcasting Systems and Royal Caribbean. For information on additional EdgeComputing customers including Logitech, Sony Ericsson, and Tickets.com, please go to www.akamai.com.
Internet Broadcasting Systems, IBS
Utilizing Akamai EdgeComputing Powered by WebSphere, IBS is extending its dynamic content out to the edge by running Web-based applications for polling and surveys across Akamai's global network.
"It is vital for our television station customers to solicit input from viewers in order to ensure they are providing compelling content and to maintain audience loyalty," said Dave Abbott, CTO of Internet Broadcasting Systems. "We needed our polling application to withstand spikes in requests around major news events, when viewer feedback becomes even more critical. By distributing the application processing using Akamai EdgeComputing Powered by WebSphere, we were able to reduce the load on our origin servers by up to 99 percent, dramatically enhancing the performance and reliability of the user experience. Akamai saved us from needing to build out, and spend resources to maintain, our own infrastructure, while the WebSphere functionality creates the building blocks to connect more applications over time."
Royal Caribbean
As part of ensuring that its customers receive a personalized, informative, and positive user experience each and every time a visitor interacts with its site, Royal Caribbean carefully selects those best-of-breed technologies that will optimize its Web operations. EdgeComputing powered by WebSphere is currently under evaluation by Royal Caribbean for deployment within a new WebSphere-based site redesign.
"We are very excited about the potential of Akamai's EdgeComputing service for enabling us to deploy Web applications that leverage Akamai's globally distributed network, improving the user experience, and allowing us to effectively scale to demand surges generated by our marketing initiatives," said Bernard Gay, vice president, Enterprise Technology & Operations at Royal Caribbean International. "We rely on e-business solutions provided by IBM, so to have Akamai integrated with WebSphere creates an optimal on-demand solution."
Pricing & Availability
Akamai EdgeComputing powered by WebSphere is available today through IBM Global Services (IGS) as well as through Akamai. The solution can be hosted by a customer, business partner, or IBM Global Services. IGS can also help companies integrate the solution through a range of consulting services.
Akamai EdgeComputing is priced based on volume of application requests serviced by Akamai each month. Customers choose which applications they desire to be serviced by Akamai, then work with Akamai to select a level of anticipated requests based on estimated monthly demand. End-user requests are delivered even if actual demand exceeds planned levels.
About Akamai
Akamai® provides services that enable the world's leading enterprises and government agencies to extend and control their e-business infrastructure. Having deployed the world's largest, globally-distributed computing platform, Akamai ensures the highest levels of availability, reliability, security, and performance of networked information and application delivery. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Akamai's industry-leading services, matched with world-class customer care, are used by hundreds of successful enterprises, government entities, and Web businesses around the globe. For more information, visit www.akamai.com.
Akamai Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
The release contains information about future expectations, plans and prospects of Akamai's management that constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors including, but not limited to, changes in the Company's market focus and other factors that are discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other documents periodically filed with the SEC.
WebSphere is a registered trademark of IBM. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
| Contacts: |
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| Jeff Young Media Relations Akamai Technologies 617-444-3913 jyoung@akamai.com |
--or-- | J.C. Raby Investor Relations Akamai Technologies 617-444-2555 jraby@akamai.com |
Royal Caribbean and Internet Broadcasting Systems (IBS) among early adopters of Akamai® EdgeComputingSM powered by WebSphere®
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - June 23, 2003 - Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), a provider of services that enable the world's leading enterprises and government agencies to extend and control their e-business infrastructure, today announced customer adoption for Akamai EdgeComputing powered by WebSphere.Akamai EdgeComputing powered by WebSphere is designed to enable companies to cost effectively bring business processes online by tapping into Akamai's virtual application infrastructure on demand - improving global performance, scalability, and time-to-market of Web applications. EdgeComputing is an evolution of Akamai's market-leading content and application delivery services, and is unprecedented in enabling a businesses' Java application code to run at the edge points of a massively distributed network. Akamai's global network is comprised of over 15,000 distributed servers, providing customers with on demand scale and application computing capacity when and where they are needed.
Web applications that leverage the Internet's economies of scale have become a desirable and more efficient way to enable customers, employees and partners to perform key business functions. Poorly performing Web applications that fail to scale to meet user demand will interrupt business, disappoint customers and partners, and put enterprises at a competitive disadvantage. Compelled to migrate more business processes online, IT decision makers face a decision between incurring the costs of building out, and often over-provisioning their own application infrastructure, or foregoing the deployment of new applications altogether.
"EdgeComputing powered by WebSphere revolutionizes the way in which network-enabled applications can be deployed, freeing businesses to move more functionality online and focus their energy on application development," said Peter Christy, principal analyst, NetsEdge Research Group. "It is no longer necessary to wait to deploy business solutions because infrastructure isn't ready or affordable, or to risk over- or under-provisioning. This solution gives businesses on demand scale, performance, and global reach - paying for the capacity that they need, when they need it."
With Akamai EdgeComputing powered by WebSphere, Akamai has extended the WebSphere application programming platform across its global network, enabling customers to develop applications for a single WebSphere programming environment that spans the enterprise to the edge of the Internet.
"The Akamai/WebSphere solution is helping customers reduce their IT costs, improve performance, and simplify their infrastructure," said Bob Sutor, director, WebSphere Infrastructure Software, IBM. "Organizations can more flexibly serve their employees, customers and trading partners as they quickly ramp up capacity and respond to market opportunities on demand."
Using Akamai EdgeComputing powered by WebSphere, IBM's developerWorks, the company's resource for developers, plans to offer Rational developers personalized and localized content for collaboration and learning. It will also offer localized teamroom and discussion capability, and improved ability to coordinate code downloads and simultaneous updates across a development team. For more information go to http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/.
EdgeComputing Customer Adoption
Akamai currently runs Java-based application code across its distributed global network for a number of leading businesses. Some of those applications include login, registration, search, dealer locator, virtual waiting room, and poll.
Early adopters of the Akamai EdgeComputing powered by WebSphere service include Internet Broadcasting Systems and Royal Caribbean. For information on additional EdgeComputing customers including Logitech, Sony Ericsson, and Tickets.com, please go to www.akamai.com.
Internet Broadcasting Systems, IBS
Utilizing Akamai EdgeComputing Powered by WebSphere, IBS is extending its dynamic content out to the edge by running Web-based applications for polling and surveys across Akamai's global network.
"It is vital for our television station customers to solicit input from viewers in order to ensure they are providing compelling content and to maintain audience loyalty," said Dave Abbott, CTO of Internet Broadcasting Systems. "We needed our polling application to withstand spikes in requests around major news events, when viewer feedback becomes even more critical. By distributing the application processing using Akamai EdgeComputing Powered by WebSphere, we were able to reduce the load on our origin servers by up to 99 percent, dramatically enhancing the performance and reliability of the user experience. Akamai saved us from needing to build out, and spend resources to maintain, our own infrastructure, while the WebSphere functionality creates the building blocks to connect more applications over time."
Royal Caribbean
As part of ensuring that its customers receive a personalized, informative, and positive user experience each and every time a visitor interacts with its site, Royal Caribbean carefully selects those best-of-breed technologies that will optimize its Web operations. EdgeComputing powered by WebSphere is currently under evaluation by Royal Caribbean for deployment within a new WebSphere-based site redesign.
"We are very excited about the potential of Akamai's EdgeComputing service for enabling us to deploy Web applications that leverage Akamai's globally distributed network, improving the user experience, and allowing us to effectively scale to demand surges generated by our marketing initiatives," said Bernard Gay, vice president, Enterprise Technology & Operations at Royal Caribbean International. "We rely on e-business solutions provided by IBM, so to have Akamai integrated with WebSphere creates an optimal on-demand solution."
Pricing & Availability
Akamai EdgeComputing powered by WebSphere is available today through IBM Global Services (IGS) as well as through Akamai. The solution can be hosted by a customer, business partner, or IBM Global Services. IGS can also help companies integrate the solution through a range of consulting services.
Akamai EdgeComputing is priced based on volume of application requests serviced by Akamai each month. Customers choose which applications they desire to be serviced by Akamai, then work with Akamai to select a level of anticipated requests based on estimated monthly demand. End-user requests are delivered even if actual demand exceeds planned levels.
About Akamai
Akamai® provides services that enable the world's leading enterprises and government agencies to extend and control their e-business infrastructure. Having deployed the world's largest, globally-distributed computing platform, Akamai ensures the highest levels of availability, reliability, security, and performance of networked information and application delivery. Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Akamai's industry-leading services, matched with world-class customer care, are used by hundreds of successful enterprises, government entities, and Web businesses around the globe. For more information, visit www.akamai.com.
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Akamai Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
The release contains information about future expectations, plans and prospects of Akamai's management that constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors including, but not limited to, changes in the Company's market focus and other factors that are discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other documents periodically filed with the SEC.
WebSphere is a registered trademark of IBM. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
