IEIC Welcomes Akamai as New Founding Member

By AIT News Desk On May 26, 2020

Dr. Vinay Kanitkar joins industry luminaries advocating need for global Internet diversity and resiliency

The Internet Ecosystem Innovation Committee (IEIC), an independent committee that promotes internet diversity and resilience through the formation of new global internet nexus points, announced that Akamai has joined as a founding member.

Dr. Vinay Kanitkar, Chief Technology Officer – Global Carrier Strategy and Akamai Fellow, leads Akamai’s Network Optimization team and will be representing the company alongside representatives of the IEIC’s other founding members. A 2008 recipient of Akamai’s prestigious Danny Lewin Award, Kanitkar works closely with Akamai’s network operator partners, focusing on network design and architecture, and internally on Akamai’s technology evolution and platform optimization. The Akamai network, one of the largest in the world utilizes over 275,000 servers deployed in more than 130 countries and is integrated within 1,500 networks globally. Akamai delivers daily W********** reaching more than 50 terabits per second and in 2019 serviced 25.3 million concurrent viewers for the Cricket World Cup, setting a record for live streaming.

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The mission of IEIC is to advocate for a more diverse and resilient Internet as we transition to a digital economy. The Internet requires networks to exchange traffic (peering points) and since the advent of the Internet, these peering points have largely been concentrated in a relatively small number of buildings where networks are concentrated. The reliance on a limited number of peering locations creates risk and limits opportunity for more communities to participate in the Internet’s growth and economic potential.

Large internet business models like Akamai are acutely aware of the limitations and dependency on Internet exchange points that are critical to their success. The IEIC’s mission is to collaborate with communities globally to create new internet nexus points through partnership with local municipalities, academia and businesses.

“The vision of the IEIC aligns perfectly with my interest in a more diverse and resilient Internet ecosystem,” Kanitkar said. “Working with Internet luminaries like Vint Cerf and the growing group of IEIC Founding Members that are technology visionaries in their own right is an exciting opportunity and honor.”

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“Dr. Kanitkar plays a key role architecting the networking ecosystem of the world’s largest content delivery network,” said Dr. Vint Cerf, Google Chief Internet Evangelist and co-Founder of the Internet. “We welcome his participation and leadership as we advance the mission of the IEIC.”

“Now more than ever during these uncertain times we are all witness to increasing demand for capacity and performance that is putting stress on the Internet,” said Clint Heiden, Founder of the IEIC and Chief Revenue Officer of QTS Realty Trust. “We welcome Dr. Kanitkar’s contributions to the IEIC as we emphasize the importance of optimizing the Internet reliability required to support the new digital economy.”

The IEIC recently announced an upcoming Virtual Summit Series beginning in late May 2020 featuring notable industry leaders including Dr. Vint Cerf and Dr. Ken Washington. The online series will address key considerations for enterprise and government leaders in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic that is reshaping our society into a global remote workforce. Each Virtual Series event will feature a live 20 minute keynote address from a recognized industry leader followed by 40 minute panel discussions with participating CEOs, CTOs, and COOs from industry giants, universities and municipalities such as Google, Ford Motor Company, Bank of America, Cigna, Uber, Hilton, Telia Carrier, CenturyLink, Ciena, Blade, Freddie Mac, Telxius, Virginia Commonwealth University, Henrico County and others.