Akamai Technologies introduced a new set of services aimed at business-to-consumer (B2C) Web sites that are integrating rich, collaborative Web 2.0-generated content and applications into their online architecture. Web 2.0 technologies include the use of dynamic software applications like AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) and Macromedia Flash, as well as Web Services.
Akamai's suite of Dynamic Site Solutions includes the following capabilities:
- Dynamic Content Processing - Akamai processes dynamic content and business logic on Akamai servers, leading to increased infrastructure offload and faster Web site delivery.
- Content Prefetching - Akamai requests and pre-loads dynamic content on Akamai servers before the user has started requesting the content, enabling B2C websites to more rapidly serve dynamically-generated pages.
- Internet Route and Connection Optimization - Akamai's Internet path optimization technology is designed to automatically select the fastest path across the Internet between the Akamai server and the central infrastructure. Once an optimal route is selected, Akamai further optimizes this connection using a combination of protocol optimization, persistent connections, and compression, leading to improved Web site performance and a faster and more reliable end user experience.
- Content Targeting -- Akamai identifies a visiting user's geographic location, connection speed, device type, or other specified information so that content can be targeted in real time based on the Web site owners' preference.
Akamai said its new Dynamic Site Solutions delivers performance that is nearly five times that of the original Web infrastructure, while avoiding the build-out of costly additional hardware that is often required to support the increased load brought on by richer, more dynamic content.
"As Website architectures have evolved from static Web pages to the use of dynamic software applications like AJAX, Macromedia Flash and Flex, traditional content delivery technologies cannot service their needs," said Tom Leighton, Akamai's Chief Scientist. "There are inherent challenges and limitations in the delivery of dynamic content that need to be overcome in order to optimize dynamic processing on a Web site. Working alongside our customers, we recognized this trend, and are offering a unique, geographically-distributed solution for accelerating Web 2.0-based transactional content."http://www.akamai.com
