HTTP Downloads

Akamai HTTP Downloads helps you deliver large-file downloads quickly and reliably to users anywhere in the world, in real time or through scheduled downloads. Whether the files are multi-gigabyte software files or video images, the Akamai Edge Platform handles your downloads - scaling on demand, optimizing delivery paths, and providing accurate tracking and reporting on completion rates. It features:

  • Large File Download Optimization - Leveraging the distributed global Akamai network, this unique capability significantly enhances download performance for end users who are downloading large multi-gigabyte files. The key technology behind Large File Download Optimization is a system for storing, retrieving, and delivering large files as a cluster of individual file pieces. This enables you to increase file sizes in response to market demand, while in parallel providing a quicker, more seamless download experience for the end-user.
  • Download Manager - Akamai's Download Manager is a desktop software application that enables consumers to download content quickly, easily and reliably. It improves the download performance & experience, while simplifying the software download workflow while providing enhanced download analytics reporting. It can be used for standard downloads and secure delivery via SSL and through end user authentication. Users can:
    • Have a customized download experience
    • Choose the directory where they want to place the file
    • Pause or stop the download and resume at a later time
    • Download multiple files simultaneously in a specified order
    • Seamlessly and automatically recover from dropped connections, system crashes, etc.
  • Download Analytics – Akamai’s Download Analytics is a highly flexible and customizable solution that enables software publishers to gain meaningful insight into the performance of their software downloads in the language and context of their business. It provides reports on metrics such as Download Duration, Completion Rate, End-User Analysis by Geography, Network, and Connection Speed, User Behavior Data such as Start, Stop, Pause, and Cancel. Download Analytics enables businesses to optimize their download performance, track and monitor download completion rates, and ensure the effectiveness of content delivery.

How it Works

First we transfer your original files to the Akamai platform (95,000 servers in 1,900 networks and 71 countries). When a user requests a large file download, Download Manager is automatically sent to their computers. It launches immediately, asking the user where the file should be saved. Simultaneously, our mapping, content replication, and route optimization technologies deliver the file via the fastest, most reliable path from the server closest to the user. Trips to the origin server to refresh and retrieve content are optimized through extensive use of persistent connections (reducing latency through reuse of established connections). Finally, we track initiations and completions, and you can view that information through Akamai’s EdgeControl customer portal.

Need better performance and reliability for large file downloads?
Akamai HTTP Delivery…

  • Delivers the largest multi-gigabyte software, video, and gaming files
  • Scales on demand to handle any amount of traffic and peak surges
  • Provides a global reach and intelligent routing to improve users' experience -- worldwide
  • Tracks and reports on every download for deeper insight into completion rates

Integration and Professional Services

Akamai solutions are supported by an award-winning team that has integrated more than 2,800 Akamai customers through a well-established methodology.

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