Akamai Will Colocate Servers in FASTNET's Customer Network Facilities(TM) To
Leverage FASTNET's Internet Connectivity
BETHLEHEM, Pa., June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- FASTNET Corporation,
(Nasdaq: FSST), an Internet Service Provider that provides businesses,
primarily located in secondary markets, with high-speed Internet access that
include a suite of enhanced products and services, today announced an alliance
with Akamai Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: AKAM), the foremost provider of
distributed content, streaming media and applications delivery services.
Akamai will use FASTNET's Customer Network Facilities (CNF) for colocation of
its servers as FASTNET opens dozens of new markets in 2000. In return, users
of the FASTNET network will benefit from faster downloads of the Web's most
popular content, streaming media, and applications served locally on Akamai's
globally distributed network.
FASTNET's network architecture is designed around regional Customer
Network Facilities (CNFs). These CNFs are compact, yet high capacity data
centers with redundant high-bandwidth connections to the global Internet
backbones, and private connectivity back to our centralized Network Operations
Center (NOC). This configuration provides FASTNET customers with reliable and
redundant connection to the Internet as well as access to FASTNET's enhanced
products and services. CNFs are located in selected high growth secondary
markets, normally 20-50 miles outside of the major metropolitan areas.
FASTNET is aggressively building CNFs throughout the densely populated
northeast portion of the US as the company expands nationwide. As an Akamai
Accelerated Network, FASTNET can increase its customer satisfaction by
delivering popular Akamaized Web content from more than 600 of the Web's most
popular properties with unparalleled speed, quality, and reliability.
"We are excited that FASTNET has chosen to take advantage of our
Accelerated Network Program," said Avi Freedman, Vice President of Network
Architecture, Akamai. "In addition to the immediate expansion that our
network receives, FASTNET's CNF deployment in the larger secondary markets is
an excellent opportunity for Akamai to expand its reach even closer to end
users over time. The combined efforts of Akamai and FASTNET will create a
better, more compelling Web experience for end users."
Conceived by top scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's
Laboratory for Computer Science, Akamai's Internet content, streaming media,
and application delivery services improve Web site speed, performance, and
reliability by delivering all forms of content from its deployment of more
than 4,000 servers located close to Internet end users in more than 45
countries around the globe.
"We are thrilled to become an Akamai Accelerated Network," said David Van
Allen, FASTNET's CEO. "Since FASTNET has taken the leadership position of
building high-speed Internet infrastructure in markets that are starving for
it, we complement the objectives of many best-of-breed Internet companies,
including Akamai. Additionally, FASTNET customers will now be able to access
a wide range of popular Web content in a rapid and reliable fashion while
experiencing faster downloads from more than 600 Akamaized Web properties
across all industries."
In addition to colocation at the CNF, FASTNET primarily serves the small
and medium sized business by aggregating the national backbone infrastructure
into secondary markets, making it much easier and less costly for businesses
to acquire reliable, redundant high-speed access to the Internet. FASTNET
also provides enhanced services such as total managed security, unified
messaging, and ASP/Web hosting products.
About FASTNET
FASTNET Corporation is a business Internet service, Web and application
hosting provider based in Bethlehem, Pa. The Company is currently building
broadband infrastructure in high-growth secondary markets to provide high-
speed, dedicated and reliable Internet service to primarily small and medium
sized enterprises. These customers typically outsource most of their data
communications needs to FASTNET and become long-term customers.
Over the past five years the Company has been providing Internet services
to a growing number of customers that are located outside of the major
markets, where businesses typically find it challenging to locate a single
source solution for high-speed dedicated Internet access. The company
provides value to its customers by offering a suite of enhanced services such
as managed and monitored security, Web hosting, and e-mail based unified
messaging.
FASTNET's network architecture is designed around regional Customer
Network Facilities. A CNF is a small, yet high capacity data center with
redundant high-speed connections to national Internet backbones, and private
connectivity back to FASTNET's centralized Network Operations Center. This
configuration allows FASTNET customers the most reliable and redundant access
to the Internet as well as availability to FASTNET's enhanced products and
services. Customers can connect to CNFs by way of various carrier
technologies such as classic Telco provided T1 - T3 services, frame relay,
wireless and Digital Subscriber Line ("DSL'') services.
FASTNET's CNFs are carefully positioned in selected high-growth secondary
markets, normally 20-50 miles outside of major metropolitan areas. FASTNET is
building CNFs aggressively throughout the densely populated northeast portion
of the US as the company plans to expand nationwide.
The Company sells a suite of value added enhanced services to its directly
connected customers, and in many cases, any customer regardless of their
Internet Service Provider. These services include the Company's TMS(TM) brand
Total Managed Security, a cost effective electronic security solution that
FASTNET monitors and manages 24 hours a day, email-based unified messaging,
VPN services, and business-class Web hosting, colocation and ASP services.
The Company's common shares are listed on the Nasdaq National Market under
the symbol "FSST." For more information on FASTNET, visit the Company's Web
site at http://www.fast.net or call 1-888-321-FAST.
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains comments or information that constitute
forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995), which involve significant risks and
uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from the results
discussed in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements
are subject to risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to
fluctuations in operating results, additional capital requirements,
competition, integration of acquisitions, history of losses, and
implementation of network infrastructure. You should review carefully the
risk factors set forth in our annual report on Form 10-K as filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. The information contained herein is
current only as of the date of this release and we undertake no obligation to
update the information in this press release in the future.
SOURCE FASTNET Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.fast.net
CONTACT:
David Van Allen, Chief Executive Officer,
email, dave@fast.net, or Stanley Bielicki, Chief Financial
Officer, email, stan@fast.net , both of FASTNET Corporation,
610-266-6700; or General, Mark Shaffer, 312-640-6763, or email,
mshaffer@frb.bsmg.com, or Analysts-Investors, Lisa Fortuna,
312-640-6779, or email, lfortuna@frb.bsmg.com, or Media, Tim
Grace, 312-274-2240, or email, tgrace@frb.bsmg.com, all of The
Financial Relations Board
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