Proof is in the Picture of Data

Akamai is a technology company that deals with routing and online business. They optimize routing over the Internet using the data they collect from servers setup in 71 countries. Or I guess, in their words

Akamai’s technology – at its core, applied mathematics and algorithms – has transformed the chaos of the Internet into a predictable, scalable, and secure platform for business and entertainment. The Akamai EdgePlatform comprises 20,000 servers deployed in 71 countries that continually monitor the Internet – traffic, trouble spots and overall conditions. We use that information to intelligently optimize routes and replicate content for faster, more reliable delivery. As Akamai handles 20% of total Internet traffic today, our view of the Internet is the most comprehensive and dynamic collected anywhere.

Wait, that’s not the good part. They use Flash-based visualization to display how good they really are. I did a network performance comparision for a route from New York to Hong Kong, and in turn, the viz showed the public internet path and a much-improved Akamai path. Less packet loss and lower latency for Akamai. It’d be interesting to know how those routes are depicted, because I imagine, the routes aren’t really always straight line vs parabola, Akamai vs public internet. Very pretty though.