SAN JOSE, Calif. and CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- August 18, 1999 -- Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, and Akamai Technologies, which offers a global Internet content delivery service for customers such as CNN, GO Network and Yahoo!, today announced plans to enhance and jointly develop new content routing, switching and caching technologies to further improve the performance of Web content delivery. Internet content delivery services help alleviate traffic congestion and improve Internet user productivity by reducing Web response times and enhancing reliability. The companies also announced that Cisco has made a $49 million, or four percent, investment in Akamai.
"Akamai is leading in today's emerging market of Internet content delivery services; its unique and innovative approach to providing customers with a guaranteed network for improving Web site performance is a fitting complement to Cisco's Internet networking technology," said Mario Mazzola, Cisco senior vice president. "Akamai represents a new class of service providers which, using their software-based technology, enable content distribution on the Internet. With approximately 80 percent of Internet traffic traversing Cisco routers and switches, the next phase of internetworking is to deliver content-based routing, switching and storage. As part of Cisco's overarching strategy in this area, we are enhancing the functionality of our infrastructure by working with Akamai to further improve the Internet experience."
"We are extremely excited to be working with the most important and respected networking company in the world," said George Conrades, chairman and CEO of Akamai. "Cisco's support and investment in Akamai furthers our approach to enhancing the Web performance and reliability. Together, we will speed up Internet content delivery."
Cisco and Akamai will jointly develop protocols and algorithms to enhance content-based routing and switching technologies within Cisco's IOS(R) software and hardware platforms to optimize Akamai's Internet content delivery service. In addition, Cisco will integrate Akamai's unique Internet content delivery technology into its networking technology. The companies will also investigate new technologies to enable next-generation switches that will dynamically adapt to changing network conditions.
In an unrelated announcement last week, Cisco announced that Akamai is contributing to the technology behind NetAid. NetAid is a long-term initiative between Cisco and United Nations Development Programme to help end the growing problems of extreme poverty around the world. Akamai will deliver the web site content using the company's global network of servers, of which 1,200 will be in place in more than 90 datacenters worldwide within the next 60 days.
About Akamai Technologies
Akamai Technologies is transforming the way content is delivered over the Internet. With an unprecedented guarantee for improving the speed and reliability of Web sites, Akamai's Internet content delivery network has grown to over 900 servers in 15 countries, and serves over one-quarter billion hits per day. Akamai's customers include CNN, GO Network, Yahoo!, and over 30 leading businesses ranging from new media companies to eCommerce firms and financial Web sites.Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, Akamai Technologies -- http://www.akamai.com -- has 150 employees. Akamai (pronounced AH kuh my) is Hawaiian for intelligent, clever and cool.
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is theworldwide leader in networking for the Internet.Cisco, Cisco Systems and the Cisco Systems logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.
