Trade NZ, Akamai discuss exporters' web profile

A centralised web platform for exporters, handled through Trade NZ and sped up with the help of Akamai servers, could be on the cards.

A centralised web platform for exporters, handled through Trade NZ and sped up with the help of Akamai servers, could be on the cards.

Content provision company Akamai has been pitching its higher-profile New Zealand presence (see Akamai considers NZ office) to exporters, offering added efficiency to their web presence overseas.

Scott Anderson of Actonz, the local Akamai agent, declines to comment on a rumoured upcoming deal with Trade NZ, though the government agency acknowledges that it has had discussions with both Akamai and Actonz.

Akamai provides “edge servers”, which cache content for its clients close to their customers and frequently replicate this content among its 13,000 servers worldwide, linked by a high-speed network. It also provides services in selecting the quickest route for user traffic through its network and in data compression and decompression to speed delivery further.

Hosting clients’ content on Akamai servers improves the response time of their site as their customers see it, enables them to cope more efficiently with temporary increases in traffic and hacking attempts, and hence adds to their reputation as efficient businesses, says Akamai Asia-Pacific chief Don Hagans.

Anderson acknowledges that in providing for New Zealand exporters, a centralised approach through Trade NZ, shortly to merge with Industry NZ, would be one possible strategy. It could be more efficient than the alternative approach of tying up deals with each exporter indepen-dently. However, he declines to comment on the likelihood of an actual deal with the trade body.

“We are in discussion with [Akamai and its agent],” says Trade NZ information chief Hans Frauenlob. “But I would not care to comment any further at this point.”

Actonz is helping Akamai evolve a new business model to deal with smaller enterprises and ISPs which cannot afford to be fully “Aka-mised”. ISPs could be offered Akamai bandwidth on a per-use basis and pass it on to their clients, to speed up the flow of their data across the internet.

Such a plan may well involve collaboration among New Zealand ISPs to aggregate sufficient demand, Anderson says, but the model has yet to be firmed up.

Akamai’s rivals in the market include Speedera and Mirror Image.

Join the newsletter!

Or

Sign up to gain exclusive access to email subscriptions, event invitations, competitions, giveaways, and much more.

Membership is free, and your security and privacy remain protected. View our privacy policy before signing up.

Error: Please check your email address.

Tags akamai

More about Akamai TechnologiesMirror ImageScott Corporation

Show Comments
[]