Boston's Public Interactive Teams Up With Cambridge-Based Akamai; Industry Leaders Provide Public Broadcasting Stations With Rich Audio Streaming.

Business/Technology Editors

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 16, 2000

Relationship Increases Public Interactive's Capacity For Future Growth

& Improves 24/7 Service

With a goal of creating cutting-edge audio and video experiences for the nation's public broadcasting audience, Public Interactive Inc., the leading Web content provider for public broadcasting, today announced it has selected Cambridge-based Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) to provide live and on-demand streaming audio services. The relationship with Akamai, the leading Content Delivery Service Provider (CDSP), helps deliver Public Interactive's multimedia content to its affiliate stations with enhanced quality and reliability.

Public Interactive enables public radio stations nationwide to stream their radio signals over the Internet through their offering, Personal Public Radio(TM), and provides its affiliates with additional audio channels. Akamai's FreeFlow(SM) Streaming Service will improve streaming content delivery and give end-users engaging, high quality streaming media experiences. Akamai's distributed network approach provides Public Interactive with significant reliability and scalability to reach any audience size. The service will also enhance the user experience for Public Interactive's other content offerings Public NewsRoom(TM), Public Conversation(TM), and Public Arts(TM).

Public Interactive President Tom Lix said the relationship with Akamai positions his company for future growth by providing improved service to public broadcasting stations nationwide.

"We now have the capacity to store and transfer the massive media database essential to our success and future growth as an application services provider faster and more reliably," Lix added. "The high quality performance of Akamai's streaming services will dramatically improve Public Interactive's content delivery to affiliate stations. Since November 1, when the company began utilizing Akamai's FreeFlow Streaming Service, many of our affiliates say they have noticed a marked difference in the quality of the stream."

Lix also cited Akamai's commitment to a high-quality signal and virtually unlimited network capacity for the delivery of streaming content.

"The relationship with Akamai helps keep Public Interactive ahead-of-the-curve in an industry that demands absolutely nothing less than the highest quality, most reliable technology services," Lix said.

Public Interactive, Inc., an award-winning content development and online network for public broadcasting, is an integrated application service provider (ASP) of on-line collaborative tools, technologies and content/commerce infrastructure. The company was created in partnership with Public Radio International (PRI) and 15 leading public broadcasting organizations including: WNYC-AM/FM, New York; WXPN-FM, Philadelphia; KERA-FM/TV; Dallas; WBUR-AM/FM, Boston; WGBH-FM/ TV, Boston; WETA-FM/TV Washington; KPLU-FM, Seattle/Tacoma; KPBS-FM/TV, San Diego; WYEP-FM, Pittsburgh; WCPN-FM, Cleveland; Oregon Public Broadcasting, Portland; WAMC/Northeast Public Radio (regional network), Albany; WKSU-FM, Akron/Cleveland; South Carolina Educational Communications, Inc. (state network); and Vermont Public Radio (state network). Public Interactive provides innovative, interactive content initiatives to public radio and television stations including Public NewsRoom(TM), Public Arts(TM), Public Conversation(TM), Personal Public Radio(TM). The company also creates and manages radio Web sites such as CarTalk.com, Savvytraveler.com, Earthsky.com and Notmuch.com.

Akamai is the leading Content Delivery Service Provider serving over 2,800 customers worldwide. Akamai has the broadest deployment of servers for content, streaming media and applications delivery with more then 6,000 servers in 54 countries directly connected within 335 different telecommunications networks.