Akamai to open in Kraków

Akamai Technologies, Inc., the leading provider of cloud optimization services, has announced its formal expansion into five countries in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) – Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

Akamai will open an office in Krakow to support CEE customers. Other offices and staffing will be added over the next 6-12 months. The company is also actively working to expand its existing channel partner program in order to support Akamai’s focus on the enterprise, commerce, financial services, high-tech, manufacturing and media markets in CEE.

Akamai’s expansion into Central and Eastern Europe will be led by Bruno Haubertin, a 20-year industry specialist in developing emerging markets. Haubertin has previously managed successful operations in this region, including Middle East and Africa, for Compaq Computer, Digital Equipment and Sun Microsystems.

“Our expansion into Central and Eastern Europe is an important and strategic move for Akamai and I am excited to have Bruno Haubertin leading this effort,” explained Greg Lazar, Akamai General Manager & Vice President, EMEA. “Akamai has a strong leadership position in cloud optimization services, online media, e-commerce and security offerings, and we look forward to continuing success working closely with our channel partners in each country.”

According to Forrester, the CEE region will reach overall Internet adoption rates of 54% within 2013 (1) and according to PwC(2), the number of broadband connections in the CEE region will reach 43.2 million in 2012, an increase of 10 million over the 2010 total of 32.9 million. Additionally, Eurostat (3) reports that a significant portion of total commerce being conducted online in Europe is coming from the Czech Republic (15%), Hungary (14%) and Slovakia (11%). With an increase in the number of major online news, sporting and entertainment events in the CEE region, there is a need for fast, reliable and secure content and Web application delivery, all of which are key Akamai offerings.

About Akamai
Akamai provides market-leading, cloud-based services for optimizing Web and mobile content and applications, online HD video, and secure commerce.
(1) Source: Forrester, “Central and Eastern European Internet Access Forecast 2008-2013″
(2) Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers, “Global Entertainment & Media Outlook 2010-2014″
(3) Source: Eurostat, “Internet Usage in Households and Individuals”