CMGI, Akamai team to speed Net content services

CMGI and Akamai Technologies today announced a partnership to jointly develop and sell applications to speed Internet content delivery services.

Under the deal, several CMGI companies are working with Akamai to develop applications that will provide online decision-making services to companies, such as targeted advertising, application delivery or usage, research, and marketing analysis services, both companies said in a statement. Akamai provides services to hurry the transmission of Web applications and content.

CMGI-related companies already partnered with Akamai include NaviSite, a provider of Web hosting and managed application services; AltaVista, a media and commerce network; 1stUp.com, a provider of free Internet access services; and NaviNet, a provider of private-label Internet access services.

Through its technology pact with Akamai, NaviSite is offering customers access to a complete content distribution system and is the provider of Akamai's FreeFlow service to CMGI companies. CMGI said that by using Akamai's FreeFlow service, a Web content delivery service that has already been adopted by more than 100 businesses, the company is improving the speed and reliability of its Web companies' content delivery.

In addition to Akamai's FreeFlow service, the company introduced a service yesterday called EdgeAdvantage. EdgeAdvantage will allow companies to build more sophisticated Web sites for supporting e-commerce transaction processing and other applications, the company said.

As reported, Akamai is banking on the service to be popular among smaller companies that lack sufficient resources and technology personnel to support complex Web applications themselves.