Akamai Introduces New Elements to Aura Network Solutions Family

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Akamai^® Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the leading cloud platform for helping enterprises provide secure, high‑performing user experiences on any device, anywhere, today announced that Aura Lumen and Aura Spectra are now available as part of the company's Aura Network Solutions family of Operator CDN (OCDN)  technologies. Designed to address the growing demand for online content and video, Aura Network Solutions can help network service providers support new revenue generation opportunities, provide a superior user experience, manage network costs, and simplify the video delivery infrastructure for both operator-owned content and over-the-top (OTT) services.  

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Recognizing that operators have different requirements driving their CDN deployments, the Aura Network Solutions suite is comprised of two distinct OCDN product lines – Aura Lumen (licensed CDN) and Aura Spectra (Software-as-a-Service CDN). This model is designed to maximize flexibility in how operators deploy the solution and, in turn, increase the value of their OCDN investment. Further, the integration of products obtained through Akamai's acquisition of Verivue has allowed Akamai to deliver Aura Lumen as a comprehensive solution that can be owned and run by the operator, giving them greater control of their investment.

The ability to use video and other online content to provide innovative new services, increase average revenue per user and reduce subscriber churn is critical to ongoing operator success. To address this new reality, operators are offering their own multi-screen video solutions as a type of OTT service.  In addition, operators have sought opportunities that allow them to deploy a cost-efficient network that capitalizes on traffic growth and new subscriber services without undertaking the cost and complexity associated with developing an "in-house" CDN.

"Many carriers are taking a very different approach to their CDN strategy than they did only a few years ago," said Paris Burstyn, senior analyst, Ovum. "In the past, there was a strong desire for operators to build their own CDN and go it alone in the market. Now, they actively seek a partnership approach to address their needs. Working with the right partner can improve their network economics by offloading more Internet traffic, help sell enterprise and media CDN services to their customers, and leverage an open system CDN to deliver multi-screen video experiences to their subscribers."

Unlike large infrastructure-based OCDN deployments that rely primarily on equipment, Aura Network Solutions are focused on delivering Akamai's industry-proven expertise and history of CDN innovation from the outset. For example, operators can more rapidly meet the subscriber demand for multi-screen video options through Akamai's ability to deliver HTTP video in multiple formats. As important, using Aura Lumen or Aura Spectra can help operators reduce CDN complexity by eliminating the need to deploy multiple point solutions or proprietary/specialized hardware typical of other offerings in the market. Further, Akamai OCDN solutions have been shown to allow operators to offload a significant amount of their global Web traffic, increasing overall network efficiency.

Operators turning to Akamai to help support their OCDN strategies may be able to benefit from the following:

• Aura Lumen: A Licensed CDN (LCDN) software suite based on CDN technology obtained through the Verivue acquisition. Designed to run on standard commercial off the shelf (COTS) hardware or preapproved Virtual Machine (VM) environments, Aura Lumen includes a number of software components intended to meet the critical requirements of an LCDN deployment. These features include:
  • Aura HyperCache (AHC) provides HTTP caching and delivery for operator content, operator customer content, and OTT content, including content from Akamai's global customers;
  • Aura Request Router, a highly scalable, DNS-based content request router that maps user requests to the best available CDN node;
  • Aura Intercept Service provides HTTP traffic intercept and redirect to support caching and offload of OTT content in transparent caching deployments;
  • Aura Object Store offers licensed storage software to provide scalable origin services for the OCDN;
  • Aura Control System provides system management and analytics to allow operators comprehensive management of the OCDN components such as provisioning content, and usage reporting; and
  • Aura Off-net Routing offers the ability to federate the OCDN with the Akamai Intelligent Platform for both overflow and off-net delivery.
• Aura Spectra: A SaaS CDN suite providing operators with media CDN capabilities that can be deployed quickly and with far less upfront investment required with a traditional DIY model. Aura Spectra is based on Akamai's CDN software technology and includes the following SaaS components:
  • Aura Edge eXchange (AEX), an Akamai-managed set of servers dedicated to establishing the OCDN specifically for the operator. The operator has the ability to determine network locations, capacity, content provisioning, reporting, and billing while Akamai operates, manages and upgrades the CDN software and systems on behalf of the operator. The AEX solution also provides access to other value-added services running on the Akamai Intelligent Platform™ to enable the operator to sell commercial CDN services to enterprises or to third-party content owners; and
  • Aura Control System which, in addition to management and analytics, includes the Aura Control Plane, providing access to Akamai advanced cloud services.  The Aura Control System also includes white label access to the Luna Control Center for Operator content provisioning.

In addition, Akamai Federation is designed to provide an operator the ability to federate its OCDN with the Akamai Intelligent Platform. Akamai Federation provides global delivery of operator content with a single business agreement using the Akamai Intelligent Platform.

"The value of CDNs is very clear to the operator community, but requires reduction of technical complexity and a means to effectively deliver 'off network' content to their customers," explained Mick Scully, vice president and general manager, Carrier Products Division, Akamai. "Through our Aura Network Solutions we're able to provide operators with new ways to take advantage of the IP media revolution, evolve their business models and attract and keep new subscribers. And we're doing it in a way that's intended to be as flexible and cost effective as possible."

About Akamai
Akamai^® 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.

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 services to operate as expected or to address intended market needs, 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 Akamai Technologies, Inc.