Business

Akamai and CMGI Team Up On Content Delivery

Content delivery service Akamai Technologies (Nasdaq: AKAM) and capital investment firm CMGI (Nasdaq: CMGI) announced today that they have reached a broad agreement to collaborate on developing technologies to deliver Internet content and applications.

The two rapidly-ascending companies said that they will work on a “number of cooperative efforts to enhance the performance of company sites within the CMGI network.” CMGI-owned NaviSite, a provider of Web hosting and managed application services, will provide Akamai’s FreeFlow delivery service to CMGI companies included in the agreement.

Among those included are search engine portal Alta Vista, NaviNet, and CMGI @Ventures companies Mondera.com and Furniture.com.

“As a recognized leader in today’s Internet economy, CMGI represents a diverse and successful network of Internet companies,” said Akamai CEO George Conrades.

“Akamai’s cooperative effort with CMGI will create a powerful relationship for enabling Web properties to experience enhanced performance, reliability and functionality. It is clear that CMGI and Akamai share a common vision for advancing the technologies that will create a better Internet.”

Not Content With Content

Today’s announcement comes one day after Akamai unveiled services that it claims will speed up the transmission of Web applications such as e-commerce transactions and targeted advertising.

The company touts the service — called EdgeAdvantage — as an important breakthrough, saying that it will do for applications what its FreeFlow service has done for content delivery.

Given the fact that Akamai has all-but-instantly gone from a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based startup with an impressive array of MIT talent behind it to a $21 billion (US$) company, that prospect looks bright.

Akamai, which is named for the Hawaiian word for “intelligent, clever and cool,” has 1700 servers deployed in 30 countries and offers a guarantee that its servers will deliver content faster and more reliably than any other company.

Diverse Network

The agreement with CMGI gives Akamai access to a growing and diverse network of companies. The Andover, Massachusetts-based company has majority interests in Alta Vista, AdSmart, Engage Technologies, iCast, MyWay.com and many more.

Its @Ventures affiliate has equity stakes in Lycos, eCircles, Furniture.com, RagingBull, PlanetOutdoors and dozens more companies.

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