Akamai Launches European Operations and Expands Global Network.

Business & Technology Editors

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 12, 2000

Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the foremost provider of global, high performance services for the delivery of Internet content and applications, today announced it has significantly expanded its presence in Europe. Realizing the growing market opportunity for enhanced Web services in Europe, Akamai established its new European headquarters based in Munich, Germany, and named former BBN Europe general manager Wolfgang Sthle as president of Akamai Europe. European customers and network partners will benefit from Akamai's revolutionary, high performance services for fast and reliable delivery of Internet content and applications, and will further benefit from Akamai's global content and application delivery network already deployed in many of Europe's high-transit countries.

According to a December 1999 forecast from Forrester Research, Europe will sustain eCommerce growth of more than 100% per year until 2003, and according to Jupiter Communications, the European eCommerce market will reach $18 billion during that same time period. Akamai is well positioned for this growth opportunity given the demand for and rapid expansion of its network in Europe, which extends to 17 European countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Akamai's network spans 27 leading European telecommunication networks, including new network providers BT plc, Primus Telecommunications Group, Telecom Italia, Telenordia, and Telia.

Wolfgang Sthle, president of Akamai Europe, is an acclaimed executive with more than 20 years experience in high technology sales and management with leading European companies including BBN Europe and IBM Deutschland gmbH. Mr. Sthle will oversee Akamai's European subsidiaries in Munich, London, and Paris.

"I am thrilled to lead Akamai Europe and to join Akamai's world-class management team," said Mr. Sthle. "Europe is poised for exploding growth on the Internet and Akamai will be there to serve the ever-increasing demands and needs of European Web properties for enhanced Web services. Akamai is committed to serving the European marketplace and looks forward to helping European ebusinesses reap the most value from the Internet economy."

"With the addition of Wolfgang Sthle, an experienced and well-respected achiever in Europe, we are confident that Akamai Europe will evolve to become a leading, world-class enterprise. We welcome Wolfgang and his team to our organization," said George Conrades, chairman and chief executive officer, Akamai.

Akamai Strengthens its Global Network in Europe

As a result of Akamai's recently announced partnership with Telia, a leading supplier of telecom-based information services in the Nordic/Baltic region, Akamai's global network now spans all of Europe's major backbone provider networks, enabling Akamai to deliver popular content and applications throughout the continent with increased speed and performance. Akamai's global network, the largest of its kind in Europe, has expanded rapidly and is currently deployed in 17 countries, including: Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

In addition, Akamai has formed partnerships with 27 leading European network providers, including: AboveNet UK, AUCS Communications Services, B2, Belgacom Skynet, BT plc, Cignal, CPRMarconi, EastNet France, eircomm, GTE, Hellas OnLine, Helsinki Telephone Corporation, IPNG, Knoware, Madasafish, Netone, PRIMUS Telecommunications Group, QS Communications AG, Soros Foundation Hungary - C3, Switch, Telecom Italia, Teleglobe, Telenor, Telenordia, Telia, Unisource, and UUNET, an MCI WorldCom Company.

"We are very excited to see Akamai have a strong presence internationally. With the eCommerce market in Europe set to boom, Akamai has established its presence in Europe at the most ideal time," said Espen Dolvik Stig, vice president, Telia Network Services. "As one of the leading carriers in Europe, embedded content and applications in our own network is a competitive advantage for us. Our partnership with Akamai brings us these assets while Akamai continues to expand its global reach."

About Akamai

Akamai Technologies is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has offices in San Mateo, California and subsidiaries in Europe. Akamai provides global Internet content and applications delivery services for more than 200 customers, improving Web site speed and reliability and enabling richer, more engaging Web site content. Currently, Akamai has deployed 1700 servers in 30 countries across 100 different telecommunications networks.

Akamai (pronounced AH kuh my) is Hawaiian for intelligent, clever and cool.

The release contains information about future expectations, plans and prospects of Akamai's management that constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors including, but not limited to, the dependence on Akamai's Internet content delivery service, a failure of its network infrastructure, the complexity of its service and the networks on which the service is deployed, the failure to obtain access to transmission capacity and other factors that are discussed in the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 and other documents periodically filed with the SEC.