Akamai Technologies and IBM have unveiled an edge computing service
designed to boost the scalability and availability of Web-based
enterprise applications.
EdgeSuite for Java based on IBM WebSphere will deploy application
logic onto Akamai's global network, allowing Web applications and
Web services to execute close to requesting users, according to
officials at Akamai.
Running critical Java-based applications at the edge of the
Internet can increase application performance and enable on-demand
scalability - two steps toward lowering costs and reducing
datacentre complexity, said Thorsten Ganz, director of product
marketing at Akamai.
"A lot of customers have over-provisioned sites for unforeseen
spikes, but in many cases that infrastructure just sits there and
goes unused," he said. "With [EdgeSuite for Java based on IBM
WebSphere], you can scale applications on demand, when the demand
occurs. You don't have to worry about deploying more servers and
software and having people manage that."
Because Akamai's platform supports Web services protocols including
Soap and UDDI, enterprises can tap the service to combat latency
and scalability issues with Web service deployment, Ganz
said.
In addition, the companies have formed a programme for early
adopters of the new offering. Akamai and IBM plan to incorporate
early customer feedback into the continuing development of the
service, which due to be available later on in the year.
As a charter participant in the early adopter programme, Sony
Ericsson Mobile Communications will use EdgeSuite for Java based on
IBM WebSphere to enable its dealer locator application to scale on
demand to reach users worldwide, according to Akamai
officials.
CDN services have evolved from the early days of static content
delivery, maturing to streaming media delivery and dynamic content
assembly at the edge. Combining IBM's WebSphere with Akamai's
distributed network brings CDN services to the next evolutionary
step, according to Ganz.
"Providing application processing and allowing customers to run
applications on the edge is the logical next step," he said. "We
view the Akamai network as a giant distributed computer."