Akamai - is it really worth it?
Written: May 03 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Far-reaching geographical coverage
Cons: Inconsistent performance, buffering
The Bottom Line: If you're after geographical coverage, then go for Akamai, otherwise, look for cheaper alternatives.
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| garbage's Full Review: Akamai Streaming Services |
I'll start by giving a quick rundown on Akamai's network architecture. Akamai has "Edge" servers located at major ISP's all around the globe. Using a system of complex
algorithms, the media stream should theoretically be delivered from the most optimal server. A number of factors affect this "on the fly" decision - network conditions, the load on the streaming server, the location of the end user, etc. It should be noted that Akamai is NOT a last mile delivery service, so if the connection between the end user and the Internet is flaky, Akamai has no control of this.
Now to the nitty gritty details. A user will start by uploading their stream to a server run by one of Akamai's resellers. They then generate an "Akamaized URL" which contains a string of useful information for the Akamai servers. It tells the "Edge" servers where the master file is located, what the client code is (for billing purposes), etc. When someone calls up a stream in the browser, Akamai's algorithm instantly (well, in a second or two) decides the most optimal "Edge" server to stream the content from. If that particular "Edge" server does not already have that stream cached, it will download it from the reseller's server. This entire process is transparent to the end user and it only takes a split second for it to download the file.
Akamai supports the three major streams - Windows Media, Real and Quicktime. I personally have had experience with their Windows Media and Real streaming services.
I've been using Akamai's streaming services for about 3 months now and have found their service to be a bit inconsistent. Do note that the majority of my viewers are geographically located in Australia and that Akamai has only recently set up shop here. I find that buffering does still occur, and often, the supposedly "optimal" streams are being streamed from locations outside Australia including Hong Kong, Japan and the US.
If your business is targeting a very international audience, then Akamai's far-reaching streaming services would be for you, but if you're only targeting an audience based in the US, I'm sure there are many cheaper, yet equally effective, alternatives. However, you should always keep in mind that there are an almost infinite number of variables that can affect the quality of streaming media (eg: CPU speed, graphics cards, speed of your connection, the speed of your ISP's connection to the backbone, etc), so often the problem may be out of Akamai's court.
Recommended:
Yes
Main focus of Web site: Publishing/Content
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Epinions.com ID:
garbage
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Member: Han Chung
Location: Sydney, Australia
Reviews written: 14
Trusted by: 2 members
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