Akamai Touts HD Delivery

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the leading global service provider for accelerating content and applications online, today announced that a consistent, high-definition video experience is now possible online via its global content distribution network. Akamai's customers are now delivering HD quality content on Akamai's uniquely distributed edge delivery network that is specifically tuned for optimal delivery of HD files online.

"As broadband connectivity becomes more ubiquitous, users are demanding - and frankly should expect - a high-quality, high-definition video experience on the Internet," said Mike Afergan, chief technology officer, Akamai. "Delivering premium HD content is a critical way for our customers to attract and delight their audiences in today's highly competitive media environment. We are just at the beginning of a very exciting market opportunity for delivering premium HD content. Consumer demand exists, broadband is ready, and businesses are looking for ways to maximize the value of their high-production HD content."

Technical Criteria for delivering HD

HDTV is defined by the industry to be video with significantly high pixel resolution of 1080i, 1080p or 720p. In the broadcast world, the industry is undergoing a series of transformations that are standardizing the delivery of high-definition video to the home. For the Internet, Akamai is making the HD web possible by continuing to refine the infrastructure required to bring the HDTV experience to online audiences. Additionally, Akamai will continue to lead this effort with new service launches, device integration, and partnerships with technology vendors, expected in the coming months.

Akamai has architected its platform to comply with the following technical criteria that content owners must leverage to successfully enable an HD web. Akamai believes that it is the first and only platform to meet these technical requirements which include offering:

Industry studies have proven that without meeting these criteria, online audiences will become impatient, tune out, and find premium HD content that works elsewhere. By ensuring these requirements are met, content providers are able to avoid slow or delayed downloads, the inability to serve HD content in its entirety, download interruptions, limited audience reach, and overall poor end-user satisfaction, which often accompany the download of large files. In addition, multi-player compatibility is crucial to meet the needs of a diverse end user community.

The Market is Ready

"As broadband video viewership has escalated, consumers have raised the stakes by demanding better and better content experiences," said Will Richmond, president and founder of Broadband Directions LLC, a market intelligence and consulting firm specializing in broadband-delivered video. "To deliver against these requirements, media and entertainment companies need to offer higher bit rate files with enhanced online fidelity of video and audio files. Doing so in a scalable and cost-effective manner requires that the necessary infrastructure to support high definition content must be deployed."

Akamai Technologies Inc. (Nasdaq: AKAM)