Austin Game Developers Conference, Austin, TX - September 16, 2008 - Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the leader in powering rich media, dynamic transactions and enterprise applications online, today announced it is helping Outspark, a leading publisher of immersive online multiplayer games, to deliver high-quality, free-to-play multiplayer games globally leveraging Akamai's Electronic Software Delivery solution.
Outspark is an entertainment services company that publishes and operates engaging online multiplayer games. Featuring a portfolio of immersive free-to-play games and related content, the publisher is building an online destination where members come for the games and stay for the community. By leveraging Akamai's Electronic Software Delivery solution and Download Manager, Outspark is accelerating the speed of game downloads, installations and the account activation process. Akamai makes it possible for Outspark to provide gamers with a fast, reliable and engaging online experience.
"Game downloads are the core of our business. We entrusted this important piece of our business to Akamai because of their expertise in global software distribution, their first-class customer service, and their ability to reliably deliver measurable results," said Outspark founder and CEO Susan Choe. "Akamai's Electronic Software Delivery service is a big piece of our publishing platform and together we've brought a great gaming experience to over 3 million gamers across North America and the world."
This strategic relationship is also intended to help Outspark meet and address the needs for its globalization efforts. A significant percentage of Outspark gamers reside in North America, and one of the company's growth initiatives involves rapid global expansion with a focus on changing the way online multiplayer games are accessed and enjoyed around the world. Leveraging Akamai's globally-distributed platform and Electronic Software Delivery solution, Outspark can reliably handle distribution of their games globally online without having to deploy new hardware and software.
"Akamai's gaming solutions are designed to help our customers build gamer loyalty and improve user experience through a fast, reliable and personalized online experience," said Brad Rinklin, vice president of global marketing, Akamai. "Leveraging Akamai, gaming customers can offer their end users a smooth and seamless download experience."
Akamai's solutions enable game publishers to have access to critical information - such as where users are downloading from and the success rate of downloads - so that they can better prepare and handle their end-user needs, while enhancing their brand image. Akamai's solutions are also designed to improve the performance of downloads, enabling developers to measure completion rates in a number of different ways - such as by URL, geography, and end user IP address - in order to provide the best insight possible into their customer base. All this ultimately can lead to increased customer satisfaction and revenues.
About Outspark
Outspark is an entertainment services company that publishes and operates engaging online multiplayer games. Featuring a portfolio of immersive free-to-play games and related content, the company is building an online destination where members come for the games and stay for the community. Backed by Tencent, Altos Ventures and DCM, Outspark is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, with a subsidiary office in Seoul, Korea. For more information, visit www.outspark.com.
The Akamai Difference
Akamai® provides market-leading managed services for powering rich media, dynamic transactions, and enterprise applications online. Having pioneered the content delivery market one decade ago, Akamai's services have been adopted by the world's most recognized brands across diverse industries. The alternative to centralized Web infrastructure, Akamai's global network of tens of thousands of distributed servers provides the scale, reliability, insight and performance for businesses to succeed online. Akamai has transformed the Internet into a more viable place to inform, entertain, interact, and collaborate. To experience The Akamai Difference, visit www.akamai.com.