Alteon WebSystems and Akamai Strike Technology Alliance
The new Akamaization capability extends Alteon's Web OS content switching services. In addition to content-intelligent local and global server load balancing, customers now have the option to transparently offload traffic to Akamai's global content delivery network.
Unlike other approaches, the Alteon/Akamai solution makes use of Gigabit-class, content-intelligent Web switching technology pioneered by Alteon WebSystems. Alteon WebSystems leads the Web switching market based on worldwide revenues, according to the Dell'Oro Group.
How "Akamaization" Works
Currently, to take advantage of the Akamai content delivery network, content providers work with Akamai to re-code specific embedded URLs (Uniform Resource Locator) to ARLs (Akamai Resource Locator).
Using the new Alteon Web switching products and technology, URLs accessed in a Web session are captured - identified as content to be served by Akamai's network - and manipulated on the fly. Each URL is changed to the appropriate ARL based on policies pre-configured by the network or site operator.
Alteon brings to the process a highly-scalable, content-intelligent switching platform. Combined with Akamai's technology, the new products enable the transformation of user data seamlessly and dynamically for Akamai's content delivery services without having to manually change any Web content. This saves customers significant time in optimizing their sites and services for Akamai's network.
"This partnership is a natural fit between the companies," said Dominic Orr, president and CEO of Alteon WebSystems. "Both Alteon and Akamai share a fundamental philosophy that users' Web experience is enhanced when content can be delivered by servers closest to the user."
"Striking this technology agreement with Alteon brings both companies closer to delivering significant structural improvements to the way Web content is delivered; resulting in faster, smoother operations for Web sessions, e-commerce and multimedia content delivery," said George Conrades, chairman and CEO of Akamai Technologies.
The resulting products are to be made available from Alteon later this year.
About Akamai
Akamai is the foremost provider of global, high performance services for the delivery of Internet content, streaming media, and applications, serving over 1,000 customers. Akamai has the broadest deployment of servers for content, streaming media, and applications delivery with more than 4,000 servers in over 45 countries directly connected to more than 160 different telecommunications networks. Akamai (pronounced AH kuh my) is Hawaiian for intelligent, clever and cool.
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, the dependence on Akamai's Internet content delivery service, a failure of its network infrastructure, the complexity of its service and the networks on which the service is deployed, the failure to obtain access to transmission capacity and other factors that are discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents periodically filed with the SEC.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, general business conditions in the networking equipment industry, changes in demand for network equipment products of Alteon WebSystems' customers, the timing and amount or cancellation of orders from Alteon WebSystems' customers and other risks detailed from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
| Contacts: |
||
| Jeff Young Akamai Technologies 617-250-3913 jyoung@akamai.com |
--or-- | Pat Cooper Alteon WebSystems 408-360-5355 pcooper@alteon.com |
New Alteon Products to "Akamaize" Web Content On-The-Fly to Improve Availability and Web Site Performance
SAN JOSE, CALIF. and CAMBRIDGE, MASS. - June 13, 2000 - Alteon WebSystems (Nasdaq: ATON) and Akamai Technologies, Inc., (Nasdaq: AKAM) today announced a technology agreement under which Alteon will develop products that automate the process of manipulating Web content - a process known as "Akamaizing" - for use on Akamai's global content delivery network. This will enable customers to automatically and transparently redirect Web content to Akamai's network.The new Akamaization capability extends Alteon's Web OS content switching services. In addition to content-intelligent local and global server load balancing, customers now have the option to transparently offload traffic to Akamai's global content delivery network.
Unlike other approaches, the Alteon/Akamai solution makes use of Gigabit-class, content-intelligent Web switching technology pioneered by Alteon WebSystems. Alteon WebSystems leads the Web switching market based on worldwide revenues, according to the Dell'Oro Group.
How "Akamaization" Works
Currently, to take advantage of the Akamai content delivery network, content providers work with Akamai to re-code specific embedded URLs (Uniform Resource Locator) to ARLs (Akamai Resource Locator).
Using the new Alteon Web switching products and technology, URLs accessed in a Web session are captured - identified as content to be served by Akamai's network - and manipulated on the fly. Each URL is changed to the appropriate ARL based on policies pre-configured by the network or site operator.
Alteon brings to the process a highly-scalable, content-intelligent switching platform. Combined with Akamai's technology, the new products enable the transformation of user data seamlessly and dynamically for Akamai's content delivery services without having to manually change any Web content. This saves customers significant time in optimizing their sites and services for Akamai's network.
"This partnership is a natural fit between the companies," said Dominic Orr, president and CEO of Alteon WebSystems. "Both Alteon and Akamai share a fundamental philosophy that users' Web experience is enhanced when content can be delivered by servers closest to the user."
"Striking this technology agreement with Alteon brings both companies closer to delivering significant structural improvements to the way Web content is delivered; resulting in faster, smoother operations for Web sessions, e-commerce and multimedia content delivery," said George Conrades, chairman and CEO of Akamai Technologies.
The resulting products are to be made available from Alteon later this year.
About Akamai
Akamai is the foremost provider of global, high performance services for the delivery of Internet content, streaming media, and applications, serving over 1,000 customers. Akamai has the broadest deployment of servers for content, streaming media, and applications delivery with more than 4,000 servers in over 45 countries directly connected to more than 160 different telecommunications networks. Akamai (pronounced AH kuh my) is Hawaiian for intelligent, clever and cool.
# # #
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, the dependence on Akamai's Internet content delivery service, a failure of its network infrastructure, the complexity of its service and the networks on which the service is deployed, the failure to obtain access to transmission capacity and other factors that are discussed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents periodically filed with the SEC.
All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. This release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, general business conditions in the networking equipment industry, changes in demand for network equipment products of Alteon WebSystems' customers, the timing and amount or cancellation of orders from Alteon WebSystems' customers and other risks detailed from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
