News release

Compaq and Akamai Enter into Broad Agreement

Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) and Compaq Computer Corporation (NYSE: CPQ) announced today that they have entered into an agreement to provide enterprise customers with the expertise, hardware and software to design and implement customized Web infrastructures.

As part of the agreement, Compaq Global Services will resell EdgeSuite, Akamai's flagship service that enables the assembly, presentation and delivery of an enterprise's data and applications via Akamai's global network. Akamai will designate Compaq as a preferred vendor of servers—Compaq's market-leading ProLiant™ servers—and related support to power Akamai's global content delivery network.

Compaq will license Akamai's EdgeScape content-targeting technology to provide its services organization with applications and diagnostic tools for analyzing Web user data, and to design intelligent site architecture for enterprises. As a flagship Akamai Consulting Partner, Compaq Global Services sales and technical forces will be trained and certified to integrate ESI* and resell EdgeSuite, creating the largest organization of ESI-certified professionals in the industry.

"This partnership will help customers get even the most dynamic of content to their users around the world faster and more reliably," said Thracy Varvoglis, vice president, Compaq Global Services. "With certified Compaq consultants integrating EdgeSuite with Oracle's 9iAS—delivered on Compaq servers—this relationship will help us drive Compaq's strategy of providing innovation through mission-critical services and partnerships."

"Compaq Global Services makes it possible for far more enterprises to secure world-class services and products on a global scale from a single source," said George Conrades, Akamai chairman and CEO. "As CIOs think about migrating their information technology infrastructures to a Web-based platform, they will benefit from the combination of the superior technology of our EdgeSuite service combined seamlessly with the high-level services that Compaq delivers. Through this agreement with Compaq, one of the largest consulting organizations in the world will be able to sell the value of application and content distribution via EdgeSuite."

About EdgeSuite

The Akamai EdgeSuite service is an integrated set of functionalities designed to reduce Internet infrastructure costs and complexities by extending the performance, scalability, and reliability benefits of content delivery across an organization's entire Web site, including Web-based applications. Akamai's EdgeSuite service enables the generation and delivery of dynamic content by constructing Web pages from component pieces that can be targeted and delivered from locations optimized for each end user. Given today's challenged IT budgets, EdgeSuite allows businesses to outsource critical Web infrastructure to Akamai, realizing significant cost savings and measurably improving performance and reliability at the same time.

About ESI

ESI is a simple markup language used to define Web page components for dynamic assembly and delivery of Web applications at the network edge. Akamai is a co-author of the submission made to the W3C in May of this year. In addition to Akamai, leaders in the Application Server, Content Management Systems, and Content Delivery Networks markets took part in authoring the specification. ESI enables companies to develop Web applications once and choose at deployment time where the application should be assembled—on the application server, the content management system or the content delivery network, thus reducing complexity, development time and deployment costs. For more information on ESI, and other co-authors and supporters of the ESI specification, including an ESI Overview and technical documents, visit www.esi.org.

About Akamai

Akamai is the leading provider of distributed application and content delivery services. These services enable companies to reduce the complexity and cost of deploying and operating a uniform Web infrastructure while ensuring unmatched performance, reliability, scalability and manageability. Akamai's services give businesses a distinct competitive advantage and provide an unparalleled Internet experience for their customers. Akamai's intelligent edge platform for content, streaming media, and application delivery comprises more than 11,600 servers within over 820 networks in 62 countries. With headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Akamai provides services to companies worldwide. For information on Delivering a Better Internet^SM, visit www.akamai.com.

About Compaq

Founded in 1982, Compaq Computer Corporation ("Compaq") is a leading global provider of enterprise technology and solutions. Compaq designs, develops, manufactures and markets hardware, software, solutions and services, including industry-leading enterprise storage and computing solutions, fault-tolerant business-critical solutions, communication products, and desktop and portable personal computers that are sold in more than 200 countries. Information on Compaq and its products and services is available at http://www.compaq.com.