Slo-Mo Web Downloads Revved Up by Fireclick's Netflame ASP Service

Business Wire, Sept 25, 2000

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

LOS ALTOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 25, 2000

Infrastructure "Speed-Demon" Redback Networks and Graphic-Intensive

e-Commerce Sites are Beta-Testers for ASP Service

Following the successful debut of Blueflame(TM), its server-based accelerated content delivery software, startup Fireclick(TM), Inc. today announced Netflame(TM), a new application service that uses the same patent-pending approach to accelerate content delivery for e-commerce and content Web sites.

There are now numerous methodologies for speeding up the Web's infrastructure. High-fliers -- like Akamai cache content at the regional Point Of Presence (POP) that bring content closer to end-users, and Redback Networks, Inc., a leading provider of advanced networking solutions -- enable carriers, cable operators, and service providers to rapidly deploy broadband access and services. For its market, Fireclick's Netflame service advances content through the "last mile," to the end-user.

Netflame gives Web sites the equivalent of "Extra Sensory Perception": using proprietary algorithms to track and analyze clickstream patterns, Netflame pre-downloads to the browser cache the content elements that users are "most likely" to request with their next mouse-click. As a result, Web pages are delivered with split-second timing, generating increased individual page views. As more traffic is driven on a Web site, the conversion rates increase dramatically. Simply put: more speed = more clicks = more pages = more visits = higher revenues for e-commerce and content Web sites.

Those in Need of Speed Look to Netflame

Redback Networks, considered an Internet infrastructure "speed demon," is looking to Netflame to further accelerate its own Web domain. Inserting a single line of HTML code to each page of their site -- a process that takes just a few minutes -- links Redback Networks to Fireclick's new Netflame ASP service.

"Within minutes of linking our Web site to the Netflame server, we noticed impressive performance gains," said Larry Blair, vice president of marketing at Redback Networks. "Best of all, we know that the Netflame service will dynamically optimize content delivery based on our users' on-going clickstream trends. Our site is now working at unprecedented speeds -- on 'auto-pilot.'"

E-commerce sites World Wide Sports (www.worldwidesports.com) and U.K.-based Magicalia (www.magicalia.com) also looked to Fireclick to provide a simple, easy-to-use service to accelerate their sites, and chose Netflame for its timely set-up and for the lack of additional back-end infrastructure requirements.

"The 'I'm still waiting for the page to download' complaint is going to be a thing of the past," remarked Steve O'Brien, vice president of marketing and business development at Fireclick. "Netflame makes Fireclick the 'ASP for speed.' We developed Netflame for sites that want to attract and retain the Web's 300+ million potential consumers -- without committing to new, back-office technology investments."

Like Blueflame, the Netflame service reduces average download times from as much as 20 seconds to just one second. The only difference is in deployment. Netflame is deployed as a hosted service, requiring no hardware/infrastructure investment on the customer's part. Netflame is offered on a service basis; fees are based on the number of sessions accelerated each month by the service.

About Fireclick, Inc.

Backed by funding from Menlo Ventures, Atlas Venture, and Thomas Weisel Partners, Fireclick drives the success of e-commerce by providing software that speeds Web access for consumers. Its flagship products, server-based Blueflame and the Netflame application service, resolve the inherent slowness associated with the Web by correcting the "last mile" problem. By predictively pre-downloading pages or elements of pages to a user's browser cache, Blueflame accelerates content delivery, improving the online experience for consumers and generating increased loyalty and revenues for B2B or B2C e-commerce and content sites. For more information, please visit Fireclick's Web site at www.fireclick.com.

Note to Editors: Fireclick, Blueflame, Netflame and "Igniting eCommerce" are trademarks of Fireclick, Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.