IBM, Akamai To Accelerate Apps Across Web, From Cloud To Enterprise

IBM has announced new offerings designed to speed the delivery of Web and cloud applications to the employees, partners and customers who rely on them. The offerings are part of a multi-phase initiative that integrates IBM WebSphere technology with Akamai’s application delivery network.

As part of its relationship with Akamai, IBM is introducing WebSphere Application Accelerator for Public Networks, which is available now. In the future, IBM plans to make two additional offerings, WebSphere Application Accelerator for Hybrid Networks, and a supporting product – IBM DataPower Edge Appliance XE82.

IBM WebSphere Application Accelerator for Public Networks helps businesses deliver applications faster by reducing the time it takes for information to move from the data center across the Internet to users on the public Internet. The solution also helps protect and secure applications through a scalable network of tens of thousands of servers that can be instantly called upon to serve unexpected bursts of traffic or to protect against intentionally malicious attacks. WebSphere Application Accelerator for Public Networks is available now in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand and Singapore, and will be rolled out in other countries over the course of the year.

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To speed enterprise access to public cloud and software as a service applications, IBM plans to introduce IBM WebSphere Application Accelerator for Hybrid Networks, which will create a hybrid network between private enterprise networks and the public Internet. Clients seeking to increase the speed and reliability of their interactions with public cloud and software as a service applications will benefit from this offering.

To bring Akamai’s technology into their private networks, clients using IBM WebSphere Application Accelerator for Hybrid Networks will require IBM’s DataPower Edge Appliance XE82. This appliance is expected for the first time to give enterprises the ability to bring the benefits of the Akamai network inside their firewalls, speeding access to applications hosted in the public cloud.
By monitoring the strain on datacentre resources, IBM expects the Edge Appliance to add a new layer of intelligence to the new WebSphere Application Accelerator solutions. Through this blend of locally owned and remotely rented network and computing infrastructure, clients will be able to boost application availability and speed both inbound and outbound network traffic.

In addition to its role in bringing Akamai inside clients’ firewalls, IBM’s DataPower Edge Appliance XE82 also is expected to help clients using IBM WebSphere Application Accelerator for Public Networks achieve faster application delivery while reducing datacentre, infrastructure and network costs.

“The applications we depend on both as consumers and in the enterprise require a great deal of datacentre resources,” said Marie Wieck, General Manager, application and integration middleware, IBM. “The new solutions we’ve created in collaboration with Akamai provide clients with a cost-effective and secure way of speeding the delivery of applications from the enterprise through the Internet to the end-user and back.”

“Enterprise users of cloud-based or software as a service applications are often subjected to unacceptable performance and availability,” said Willie Tejada, Vice President, Application and Site Acceleration, Akamai. “Together, IBM and Akamai have the technologies needed to address the challenges posed by these increasingly popular application delivery models. The availability of the public and hybrid network products will also help customers bring their WebSphere applications to market faster, more efficiently, and at less cost.”