Limelight Networks (NASDAQ: LLNW) is a Content Delivery Network service provider. The company is based in Tempe, Arizona, U.S.A., with offices in San Francisco, New York, London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Tokyo.The company operates a global fiber-optic network that helps content publishers avoid sending files over the busy public Internet but still deliver them directly to end-users. As of December 2008, the company's network is directly connected to over 900 last-mile providers[3] and has over 2 Tbps of egress capacity.[4]
[edit] Company History
The company was founded in 2001 in Tempe, Arizona.
In June 2006, Limelight Networks was sued by Akamai Technologies and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology over alleged patent infringement.[5][6][7] In April 2009, the District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled that Limelight Networks did not infringe[8], overturning the February 2008 finding of a Boston jury.[9]
In July 2006, the company closed a $130 million equity financing round led by Goldman Sachs Capital Partners.[10]
In June 2007, Limelight Networks raised $240 million in an initial public offering, selling 16 million shares at $15.[11]
In August 2007, the company announced a technology and services agreement with Microsoft under which Limelight will help improve the performance, scalability, and reliability of Internet delivery of media content and online services, including video, music, games, software, and social media, across Microsoft's global Internet properties.[12]
In December 2007, Limelight Networks was sued by Level 3 Communications over alleged intellectual property and patent infringement.[13] In January 2009, a jury ruled that Limelight Networks did not infringe.[14][15]
In March 2008, the company was the infrastructure provider for the webcast of Oprah's "A New Earth" classroom series[16], featuring author Eckhart Tolle. The live event drew over 800,000 users. The server crashed during the event because of an error in the programming code; the crash was widely misreported as a failure of network infrastructure.[17]
In April 2008, company founder Michael Gordon was recognized as a "Streaming Media All-Star" by StreamingMedia Magazine, for his contributions to the industry.[18]
In May 2008, NBC announced that the company would be the content delivery network for the 2008 Beijing Olympics webcast on NBCOlympics.com.[19]
In June 2008, the company was the primary source of content delivery services for the online debut of Disney's Camp Rock. The 24-hour online event saw more than 863,000 total plays for the movie.[20]
In August 2008, the company delivered "more than 50 million unique visitors, resulting in 1.3 billion page views, 70 million video streams, and 600 million minutes of video watched" for NBCOlympics.com, using Microsoft Silverlight technology.[21][22]
In January 2009, the company delivered the inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama to 2.5 million Internet viewers around the world, resulting in more than 9 million simultaneous multimedia streams overall flowing through the company's network.[23]
In March 2009, the company was the exclusive mobile content delivery provider for CBS' coverage of the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Limelight Networks' technology was used to deliver coverage of the college basketball games to the Apple iPhone.[24]
In May 2009, the company acquired Kiptronic, Inc., a privately-held provider of device-optimized content delivery solutions and dynamic advertising insertion.[25]
[edit] Major Customers
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Limelight Networks, Inc. (LLNW) Company Financials". NASDAQ. http://www.nasdaq.com/asp/ExtendFund.asp?symbol=LLNW&selected=LLNW. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- ^ "Company Profile for Limelight Networks Inc (LLNW)". http://www.zenobank.com/index.php?symbol=AKAM&page=quotesearch. Retrieved 2009-07-01.
- ^ See http://www.limelightnetworks.com/network-delivery/ "connections to over 900 networks around the world."
- ^ http://www.limelightnetworks.com/2008/10/limelight-networks-exceeds-two-terabit-per-second-global-capacity-marks-beginning-of-broadcast-quantity-cdn-era/
- ^ Boston Globe, July 15, 2006 - Akamai, MIT hit Limelight with patent suit - Companies are rivals in Net content delivery
- ^ GigaOM, July 11, 2006 - Akamai Sues Limelight Networks
- ^ UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS. "AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES, INC., et al. v. LIMELIGHT NETWORKS, INC. ORDER REGARDING CLAIM CONSTRUCTION" (PDF). http://pacer.mad.uscourts.gov/dc/cgi-bin/recentops.pl?filename=zobel/pdf/akamai%20v%20limelight%20jun07.pdf. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
- ^ http://www.limelightnetworks.com/2009/04/court-rules-limelight-networks™-does-not-infringe-akamai-patent/
- ^ http://paidcontent.org/article/419-akamai-prevails-in-court-over-limelight-45-million-award-for-patent-inf/
- ^ Limelight Networks scores $130M equity deal - Phoenix Business Journal:
- ^ See http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2007/06/10/limelight-return-of-the-first-day-ipo-pop/
- ^ http://www.limelightnetworks.com/2007/08/limelight-networks-teams-with-microsoft-to-deliver-next-generation-network/
- ^ Level 3 Communications, LLC v. Limelight Networks, Inc. - 2:2007cv00589 - Justia Federal District Court Filings and Dockets
- ^ http://www.limelightnetworks.com/2009/01/limelight-networks-found-not-to-infringe-on-level-3-patents/
- ^ http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN2333405220090123
- ^ A New Earth: Are You Ready to be Awakened? Oprah.com
- ^ Shelly Palmer: Oprah's Webcast: State-of-the-Art, But Not What You Think
- ^ Streamingmedia.com: The 2008 Streaming Media All-Stars
- ^ Contentinople - Steve Donohue - NBC Banks on New Technology for Olympics
- ^ The Walt Disney Internet Group - Press Release
- ^ http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10145058-93.html
- ^ http://international.com.com/8301-13860_3-10003752-56.html
- ^ http://blog.streamingmedia.com/the_business_of_online_vi/2009/01/limelight-to-akamai-my-network-is-bigger-than-your-network-but-no-one-truly-knows-.html
- ^ http://www.businessinsider.com/limelight-picking-up-steam-in-mobile-video-2009-3/ Limelight Picking Up Steam In Mobile Video
- ^ http://www.limelightnetworks.com/2009/05/limelight-networks-acquires-mobility-and-monetization-innovator-kiptronic-inc/
- ^ http://blog.streamingmedia.com/the_business_of_online_vi/2009/01/apple-now-using-dual-cdn-vendors-limelight-wins-apples-delivery-business.html
- ^ Press Release - Limelight Networks Delivers Amazon Unbox
- ^ See last paragraph of this press release: http://corporate.disney.go.com/wdig/news_release/2008/2008_06_26_camprock.html
- ^ In the Limelight » Blog Archive » Welcome to In The Limelight
- ^ Limelight Networks Announces Extended Relationship With Facebook
- ^ See first paragraph of http://www.limelightnetworks.com/2008/03/limelight-networks-introduces-live-event-services/
- ^ NetFlix to Offer Streaming Movies « Data Center Knowledge
- ^ http://www.limelightnetworks.com/2008/05/limelight-networks-selected-by-nissan-motors-to-deliver-japanese-web-site/
- ^ Press Release - Limelight Networks Content Delivery Technology Adopted for Playstation 3 And PSP System Software Updates
- ^ http://blog.llnw.com/2008/12/providing-content-delivery-services-for-toyota-motor-corporation/
[edit] External links
