Akamai Technologies [NASDAQ:AKAM]: Seamless Access for Web Deliverables

Dr. Thomson Leighton, CEO

In the age of ‘Loyalty Marketing’, organizations are increasingly adopting Forrester’s theory— the only way to win, serve, and retain customers is to become customer-obsessed. Businesses are now, focused on tailoring their content according to the demands of their customers in current evolving internet environment. Be it any market giant or start-up, companies like CCTV, American idol.com or FabFurnish have turned to Akamai Technologies [NASDAQ:AKAM] for channeling their content faster. Akamai, a leading name in the global content delivery network (CDN) space, is focused on making the Internet fast, reliable and secure for its customers.

Akamai’s journey with Dr. Thomson Leighton, Co-Founder and CEO, from the beginning was anything but conventional. “It was a long and unlikely journey,” shares Leighton. In his early days, Leighton was mostly interested in becoming a mathematics researcher. “I had zero business experience and knowledge.” However, his life took an interesting turn while working with Tim Berners-Lee in MIT Lab as an algorithm specialist. Akamai and contemporary CDN was born, when Tim Berners-Lee was challenged to provide stable internet services during periods of high traffic. Leighton felt, “the solution lies in my team’s wheelhouse because that’s an algorithms problem—how do you route stuff around in a big network so that you balance the load, and so that it gets there fast and reliably?” Leighton adds, “Since then Akamai has been ensuring seamless access of web pages to every internet user in a cost-effective way.”

Today, Akamai’s advanced web performance, mobile performance, cloud security and media delivery solutions are revolutionizing the process of optimizing enterprise and entertainment experiences for any device, anywhere for customers. Akamai’s flagship, Aura Licensed CDN (LCDN) is comprised of licensed software deployed and managed by network operators and designed to create new revenue opportunities, enhance subscriber experience and reduce costs.

LCDN presents a potent solution for delivering rich media content in different devices and network connectivity

“LCDN presents a potent solution for delivering rich media content in different devices and network connectivity,” says Leighton. It leverages two core software components—Aura HyperCache and Aura Request Router—that operate in cycle to deliver HTTP content from the network operator to end users in a highly efficient, scalable and reliable manner.

Akamai’s CDN solutions are based on three core software components that provide a comprehensive solution to the business leaders—Aura Edge eXchange (AEX), Aura Control System, and an intelligent platform that enables operators to gain global delivery of their content with a single business agreement. Additionally, through Aura Managed CDN, Akamai offers hosting service with a turnkey and highly scalable content delivery network. With this solution, operators can launch their own video streaming services and optimize their network for content delivery, while reducing deployment time and upfront costs.

Since the inception, Akamai has worked with a handful of customers spread across several industries, like automotive, business services, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, hotel and travel, manufacturing, media and entertainment, online gaming and more. AIRbnb—a Silicon Valley based travel and hospitality start-up that allows people to provide their additional rooms as home-stay—is one among them. AIRbnb’s collaboration with Akamai began when the firm needed high-quality images and videos to be uploaded on their site as well as mobile platform. In order to maintain business continuity and smooth online customer experience, AIRbnb today relies upon Akamai’s global CDN services.

The company's advanced web and mobile performance, cloud security and media delivery solutions are revolutionizing businesses. Continuing with the legacy Leighton aims to reach out to every home, branch offices, enterprises, ubiquitous throughout the carriers, so that they can optimize and secure the delivery of online content and applications.