Akamai and AT&T Forge Global Strategic Alliance to Provide Content Delivery Network Solutions

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. and DALLAS, Dec. 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) and AT&T* today announced a strategic alliance to deliver a global suite of content delivery network (CDN) solutions to companies.

AT&T is combining Akamai's industry leading content delivery platform with its world-renowned IP network to deliver to companies an exclusive suite of global CDN and telecom solutions that will be jointly marketed, managed and supported by the two companies. The companies will initially focus their efforts in North America, with plans to expand globally within 12 months.

The alliance with Akamai represents the latest milestone in AT&T's strategy to deliver innovative solutions needed by companies that have seen explosive growth in the use of video and other content, both within their operations and by the end users they serve.  Driven by explosive growth in digital media, organizations are designing high-performing networking solutions that produce quality, on-demand results. CDN solutions from AT&T and Akamai will help enterprises simplify content distribution management and drive higher-performing end user experiences for consumers accessing content on the Internet.    

Under the terms of the agreement, Akamai will deploy CDN servers at the edge of AT&T's IP network and in AT&T facilities throughout the United States. With the deployment of Akamai's CDN infrastructure within AT&T's network infrastructure, end customers are expected to benefit from more efficient content routing and better delivery of digital content, video and Web applications, resulting in a better end-user experience. AT&T will transfer its existing CDN operations, customers and service to the Akamai platform in 2013.

The companies have also agreed to dedicate shared resources including technical support, customer care, marketing and professional services support.    

"The alliance with Akamai positions us perfectly to deliver premier content delivery solutions to our business customers," said Andy Geisse, Chief Executive Officer, AT&T Business Solutions. "By embedding Akamai's technology within AT&T's IP network, our customers now have access to a suite of solutions that more than meet their need for content delivery and support. In an environment where companies and consumers alike are accessing video content and other applications online and from a multitude of devices, I can't think of a better way to address the explosive growth in content that is sweeping across industries like media and retail."

"Aligning Akamai's services with the global reach, scale and product depth of AT&T creates a powerful relationship aimed at helping enterprises optimize their online businesses," said Paul Sagan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Akamai.  "Together with AT&T, we share a common goal of developing solutions to maximize the Web and mobile end user experience, while driving down network-related costs and improving network efficiencies. We believe there will be tremendous value to customers in deploying within AT&T's robust IP network, and in jointly going to market with leading content delivery and cloud infrastructure offerings."

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

About Akamai

Akamai^® (NASDAQ: AKAM) is the leading cloud platform for helping enterprises provide secure, high-performing user experiences on any device, anywhere.  At the core of the Company's solutions is the Akamai Intelligent Platform™ providing extensive reach, coupled with unmatched reliability, security, visibility and expertise.  Akamai removes the complexities of connecting the increasingly mobile world, supporting 24/7 consumer demand, and enabling enterprises to securely leverage the cloud.  To learn more about how Akamai is accelerating the pace of innovation in a hyperconnected world, please visit www.akamai.com or blogs.akamai.com, and follow @Akamai on Twitter.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and internationally. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation's fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries.  It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse^® and AT&T │DIRECTV brands. The company's suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com.  This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

© 2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. Mobile broadband not available in all areas. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release contains financial estimates and other forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. A discussion of factors that may affect future results is contained in AT&T's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. AT&T disclaims any obligation to update or revise statements contained in this news release based on new information or otherwise. 

Akamai Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act

This release contains information about future expectations, plans and prospects of Akamai's management that constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors including, but not limited to, failure of Akamai and AT&T technologies to work together or work together adequately to provide expected benefits from the partnership; the effects of any attempts to intentionally disrupt Akamai's services or network or AT&T's network or products by hackers or others, the failure of the CDN market to develop as predicted, a failure of Akamai's network infrastructure, and other factors that are discussed in Akamai's Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, and other documents periodically filed with the SEC.

SOURCE AT&T Inc.