Akamai teams up with BMC for cloud performance monitoring

Akamai has claimed that organisations using its cloud-based delivery services for web applications will in future be able to get an accurate view of how their users experience those apps, thanks to user experience management tools from BMC Software which measure web application response and performance.

The two companies have joined forces to offer a virtual appliance called Edgeview. This collects web performance data from the customer's data centre, the end-user's browser and the Akamai platform. It then uses the data to compare the performance of applications and sites accelerated by Akamai with those that are not. This helps locate performance issues and also enables the customer to calculate the value it is receiving from using acceleration, Akamai said.

BMC said that this version of its tools would be available only to customers using Akamai's Dynamic Site Accelerator and Web Application Accelerator.

"The Edgeview powered by BMC Software solution gives Akamai customers excellent visibility into the ongoing performance of their cloud-accelerated applications," said Willie Tejada, vice president of application and site acceleration at Akamai. He said that it would allow them to demonstrate return on investment (ROI), as well as “ensuring the best possible end-user experience.”

Market analyst Dennis Drogseth, who is vice president at IT market research firm Enterprise Management Associates, agreed that tools such as this are becoming “even more important as businesses continue to take advantage of the cloud for application delivery.”

He added: "Today's leading enterprises demand real-time, global visibility into the experience of end users to ensure consistent quality of service.”