Akamai Technologies — a provider of outsourced e-business infrastructure services and software — has announced the adoption of its global platform and content distribution services in support of Apple’s QuickTime Movie Trailers site that lets Internet users view the most popular Hollywood trailers.
Akamai’s suite of services currently provide the worldwide infrastructure to support content delivery and software downloads for Apple’s Web site, as well as serving as the backbone for Apple’s QuickTime Streaming Operations. In 1999, Apple invested US$12.5 million in Akamai for approximately five percent of the shares of the company at the time the investment was made. At that time, in addition to Akamai’s integration of QuickTime servers into its network, Apple selected Akamai as its exclusive network provider for QuickTime TV (QTV).
Extending its use of Akamai’s services, Apple has added EdgeSuite to help enable global distribution of its much-in-demand movie trailers. Recently, in advance of the release of “Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones,” the Akamai solution supported the delivery of more than 20 million trailer downloads.
Apple has been working with Akamai since 1999, utilizing a range of integrated capabilities including global traffic management and site visitor analysis tools. Apple is extending its use of these functionalities to enable greater insight into its Web site’s usage, and to make business-critical decisions based on end-user patterns, according to Paul Sagan, president of Akamai.