CacheFlow Introduces the First Caching Solution Optimized for E-Commerce; Sites Gain a Performance Edge to Generate Higher Online Revenue.

Business Editors & Multimedia Writers

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 18, 2000

CacheFlow Inc. (Nasdaq:CFLO), a leading provider of Internet caching appliances, today announced the CacheOS/s operating system, the first caching solution built explicitly for e-commerce environments.

This product allows Web sites to deliver fast response times and high levels of scalability to attract and retain online customers. CacheOS/s offers full support for the CacheFlow Akamaizer, a result of a recently announced alliance with Akamai Technologies.

CacheOS/s is expressly architected for server-side caching deployments, where the cache resides "in front" of the site's server farm. CacheOS/s is based on the fact that server-side caching has its own distinct requirements. With server-side caching, the cache is managing a well-known, finite set of content that can be accessed by millions of Web users from around the world.

This workload is the opposite of client-side caching, where a known group of users can potentially access millions of Web sites. The design of CacheOS/s addresses these fundamental differences, resulting in a superior solution for server-side acceleration.

"Although caching originated on the client-side of the network, organizations have quickly realized the benefits of deploying caches on the server-side -- also known as 'reverse proxy caching,'" said Alex Benik, analyst at The Yankee Group.

"CacheFlow has identified that server-side caching is a unique market, not simply a new implementation, and optimized their OS accordingly to handle the higher hit rates on the server side."

CacheOS/s: A Dedicated Solution for Accelerating E-Commerce

The core of CacheOS/s is an optimized caching engine that rapidly serves site content from the network edge with minimal stress on the back-end infrastructure, thereby reducing equipment costs. Expanding on this foundation, CacheOS/s includes specific functionality for improving the performance, security and manageability of e-commerce sites:

    -- CacheOS/s is specially tuned for server-side traffic patterns,
       where a site may be inundated with thousands of requests per
       second from users around the world.  This tuning allows the
       appliance to consistently deliver fast response, even during
       event-driven peaks in site demand.

    -- CacheOS/s includes the ability to maintain operation during
       denial-of-service attacks that are perpetrated by hackers,
       increasing a site's reliability.  When the appliance senses a
       site attack, it automatically sends an alert to the network
       manager.

    -- CacheOS/s is the first solution to support an Akamaizer
       feature. CacheFlow's Akamaizer intelligently and dynamically
       readies content for the Akamai FreeFlow(SM) service based on
       site-specific policies. In doing so, the Akamaizer removes any
       administrative burden from the process of distributing Web
       content and ensures that pages are delivered as quickly as
       possible to the end user.

"As a CacheFlow and Akamai customer, we are excited about how CacheOS/s will further improve our response times and increase our ability to handle peak times of the year -- like Mother's Day," said Yoshio Kurtz, CTO for ProFlowers.com. "During such periods, it is common to see our daily transactions increase by factors of 10x or more and our infrastructure must be able to scale dynamically to service our customers well."

"The explosive growth in the e-commerce segment is impacting businesses on a global scale. We are committed to helping our customers remain agile in this dynamic market," said Brian NeSmith, President and CEO of CacheFlow. "CacheOS/s is the first caching product targeted to the demanding needs of e-commerce. The solution accelerates, distributes and secures content, creating the ultimate infrastructure for high-volume e-commerce sites."

Pricing and Availability

CacheOS/s is integrated with CacheFlow's appliances at no additional license charge and will be available on June 1. The CacheFlow Akamaizer feature lists for $9,995 to $14,995, depending on configuration.

About CacheFlow Inc.

CacheFlow is a leading provider of Internet caching appliances that accelerate and manage the flow of information over the Internet. CacheFlow solutions -- containing the CacheOS(TM) operating system -- boost the performance of e-commerce Web sites, enhance the productivity of Internet users and reduce overall network costs for Internet service providers and enterprises. In addition, CacheFlow Internet caching appliances are designed to provide better network security and more up-to-date content than traditional caching solutions. Based in Sunnyvale, California, CacheFlow can be contacted via telephone at 408/220-2200, fax at 408/220-2250 or e-mail at [e-mail]. Investors and financial analysts may contact CacheFlow Investor Relations at 408/220-2318. For more information, visit www.cacheflow.com.

The statements contained in this news release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding CacheFlow's expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future. All forward-looking statements included in this news release are based upon information available to CacheFlow as of the date hereof, and CacheFlow assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These and other risks relating to CacheFlow's business are set forth in CacheFlow's Form S-1, as amended and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 18, 1999, the Form 10-Q for the period ended January 31, 2000, and other reports filed from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.