IBM and Akamai Strengthen Alliance with Joint Technology Integration Strategy
IBM will integrate AkamaizerSM software with its WebSphere* software platform for e-business. This integration will allow IBM customers to automate the process of distributing Web content via the WebSphere software platform in combination with Akamai's services and global network. It will ensure that content, managed within a WebSphere environment, is delivered as quickly as possible to the end user. Akamai and IBM are also assessing the use of IBM's leading WebSphere Edge Server technologies within certain Akamai services to enhance customers' ability to move "dynamic content" closer to their networked users.
Today's announcement builds upon the companies' relationship announced earlier this year, in which IBM Global Services agreed to resell Akamai's FreeFlowSM and FirstPointSM services, and Akamai selected IBM as a preferred provider of IBM Netfinity* enterprise-class servers for global deployment.
As a reseller of Akamai's services, IBM has introduced customers such as Victoria's Secret to the benefits of their joint solution.
"IBM and Akamai have been instrumental in helping us enable a superior customer experience for VictoriasSecret.com visitors," said Tim Plzak, director, Advanced Technology for Limited Technology Services, the IT arm of Intimate Brands, Inc., parent company of Victoria's Secret. "IBM's hosting capabilities and Akamai's content delivery technology improved the Web site's speed and reliability, helping Victoria's Secret manage high-volume traffic during the recent Fashion Show Webcast and holiday shopping seasons. IBM and Akamai's joint development activities should only make it easier for e-businesses like Victoria's Secret to enhance availability, performance and scalability."
Following are highlights of the companies' joint development efforts:
"IBM and Akamai have built a strong relationship in jointly developing technology and solutions for some of the most important e-businesses on the Web," said Earl Galleher, executive vice president at Akamai. "As a leader in the commerce and application server marketplace, IBM is uniquely equipped to bring Akamai's services to a whole new set of customers. There continue to be tremendous synergies between our services and IBM's WebSphere product line that will result in joint customers benefiting from the industry's foremost content acceleration infrastructure."
"In addition to providing a value add to our Web hosting services, Akamai's technology allows IBM to deliver to WebSphere customers enhanced levels of speed and reliability -- which are two critical success factors of any e-business," said Paraic Sweeney, vice president of marketing, Business Transformation, IBM Software. "Now, with one-stop shopping at IBM, e-businesses around the world can speed performance using Akamai's content, streaming media and applications delivery network."
About The WebSphere Software Platform
IBM WebSphere's customizable family of products provides the industry's most scalable e-business software foundation and application services, and delivers a flexible and open platform on which to build next-generation e-business applications. Based on WebSphere Application Servers, which deliver common, best-of-breed, standards-based platform services, and MQSeries to integrate core business processes, data and applications, the WebSphere software platform supports business applications from simple Web publishing through enterprise-scale transaction processing. Through modular, integrated application services, such as Lotus Domino for rich collaboration capabilities and WebSphere Commerce Suite for high-performance, scalable commerce sites, the WebSphere platform transforms the way businesses manage customer, partner and employee relationships. Tightly integrated business and web content development tools and Web site management capabilities deliver the most advanced and productive end-to-end application development, deployment and integration for sophisticated e-business solutions. Information about the complete WebSphere software platform is on the Web at http://www.software.ibm.com/websphere.
About Akamai
Akamai is the foremost provider of global, high performance services for the delivery of Internet content, streaming media and applications, serving over 2,100 customers. Akamai has the broadest deployment of servers for content, streaming media, and applications delivery with more than 4,200 servers in 50 countries directly connected to 225 different telecommunications networks. Akamai (pronounced AH kuh my) is Hawaiian for intelligent, clever and cool.
The release contains information about future expectations and plans of Akamai's management and prospects of Akamai's business 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, market acceptance of its EdgeAdvantage service, 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 for the year ended December 31, 1999 and other documents periodically filed with the SEC.
* Indicates trademark or registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.
| Contacts: |
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| Scott Sykes IBM 914-766-1299 sykessc@us.ibm.com |
--or-- | Jeff Young Akamai Technologies 617-250-3913 jyoung@akamai.com |
| Felicia Spagnoli Akamai Technologies (617) 613-2525 spagnoli@akamai.com |
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Companies to integrate AkamaizerSM software functionality into IBM's WebSphere software platform to speed application delivery
Somers, N.Y. and Cambridge, Mass., July 31, 2000 -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) today announced a joint technology agreement aimed at improving the performance of their Web application and content delivery services. The development projects will automate and speed up the process of distributing Web content to end users -- enabling businesses to improve e-commerce services for customers.IBM will integrate AkamaizerSM software with its WebSphere* software platform for e-business. This integration will allow IBM customers to automate the process of distributing Web content via the WebSphere software platform in combination with Akamai's services and global network. It will ensure that content, managed within a WebSphere environment, is delivered as quickly as possible to the end user. Akamai and IBM are also assessing the use of IBM's leading WebSphere Edge Server technologies within certain Akamai services to enhance customers' ability to move "dynamic content" closer to their networked users.
Today's announcement builds upon the companies' relationship announced earlier this year, in which IBM Global Services agreed to resell Akamai's FreeFlowSM and FirstPointSM services, and Akamai selected IBM as a preferred provider of IBM Netfinity* enterprise-class servers for global deployment.
As a reseller of Akamai's services, IBM has introduced customers such as Victoria's Secret to the benefits of their joint solution.
"IBM and Akamai have been instrumental in helping us enable a superior customer experience for VictoriasSecret.com visitors," said Tim Plzak, director, Advanced Technology for Limited Technology Services, the IT arm of Intimate Brands, Inc., parent company of Victoria's Secret. "IBM's hosting capabilities and Akamai's content delivery technology improved the Web site's speed and reliability, helping Victoria's Secret manage high-volume traffic during the recent Fashion Show Webcast and holiday shopping seasons. IBM and Akamai's joint development activities should only make it easier for e-businesses like Victoria's Secret to enhance availability, performance and scalability."
Following are highlights of the companies' joint development efforts:
- IBM will incorporate an "Akamaizer" function into its WebSphere software platform allowing enterprises and e-businesses to translate Web site content URLs into ARLs (Akamai Resource Locators), thus directing the delivery of the content via the Akamai global network. This integration will broaden the reach of the Akamaizer functionality, making it even easier for IBM and Akamai joint customers to utilize Akamai's FreeFlow service offering. This will also build on IBM's Foundation Extensions within IBM's Application Framework for e-business.
- The two companies will work to Akamai-enable IBM's WebSphere Edge Server technologies to speed commerce functionality to customers using Akamai's services. The companies intend to leverage IBM's commerce application expertise and technologies within Akamai's EdgeAdvantageTM platform to deliver additional functionality via Akamai's worldwide, distributed network of servers. The intent is for Akamai's customers to be able to utilize IBM's WebSphere functionality through the EdgeAdvantage platform. This provides high volume Web sites with best-of-breed technology to enhance site availability, scalability and performance.
"IBM and Akamai have built a strong relationship in jointly developing technology and solutions for some of the most important e-businesses on the Web," said Earl Galleher, executive vice president at Akamai. "As a leader in the commerce and application server marketplace, IBM is uniquely equipped to bring Akamai's services to a whole new set of customers. There continue to be tremendous synergies between our services and IBM's WebSphere product line that will result in joint customers benefiting from the industry's foremost content acceleration infrastructure."
"In addition to providing a value add to our Web hosting services, Akamai's technology allows IBM to deliver to WebSphere customers enhanced levels of speed and reliability -- which are two critical success factors of any e-business," said Paraic Sweeney, vice president of marketing, Business Transformation, IBM Software. "Now, with one-stop shopping at IBM, e-businesses around the world can speed performance using Akamai's content, streaming media and applications delivery network."
About The WebSphere Software Platform
IBM WebSphere's customizable family of products provides the industry's most scalable e-business software foundation and application services, and delivers a flexible and open platform on which to build next-generation e-business applications. Based on WebSphere Application Servers, which deliver common, best-of-breed, standards-based platform services, and MQSeries to integrate core business processes, data and applications, the WebSphere software platform supports business applications from simple Web publishing through enterprise-scale transaction processing. Through modular, integrated application services, such as Lotus Domino for rich collaboration capabilities and WebSphere Commerce Suite for high-performance, scalable commerce sites, the WebSphere platform transforms the way businesses manage customer, partner and employee relationships. Tightly integrated business and web content development tools and Web site management capabilities deliver the most advanced and productive end-to-end application development, deployment and integration for sophisticated e-business solutions. Information about the complete WebSphere software platform is on the Web at http://www.software.ibm.com/websphere.
About Akamai
Akamai is the foremost provider of global, high performance services for the delivery of Internet content, streaming media and applications, serving over 2,100 customers. Akamai has the broadest deployment of servers for content, streaming media, and applications delivery with more than 4,200 servers in 50 countries directly connected to 225 different telecommunications networks. Akamai (pronounced AH kuh my) is Hawaiian for intelligent, clever and cool.
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The release contains information about future expectations and plans of Akamai's management and prospects of Akamai's business 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, market acceptance of its EdgeAdvantage service, 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 for the year ended December 31, 1999 and other documents periodically filed with the SEC.
* Indicates trademark or registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.
