QVC UK Adopts Akamai To Support VOD And Live Video Streaming

Akamai Technologies has announced that QVC, the UK's largest TV shopping channel and one of the UK's leading e-Commerce companies, is using Akamai to support the streaming of its Video on Demand (VOD) and 24x7 live streaming video services.
While many other retailers have only now begun to add video to their e-Commerce sites, QVC launched video on its website in 2002 and has been able to use the video from each day's 17 hours of live programming.
Even over the busiest buying periods, when Web site performance is paramount, leveraging Akamai's solutions will enable QVC to focus on its products, promotion and production campaigns, without worrying whether its infrastructure will be able to cope with the increasing user demands.
Paul Murphy, Head of Media Technology at QVC UK, said: "Demand for our online services continues to grow and Akamai enables us to focus on what we do best - our products and Web site - rather than worrying about the performance of our underlying infrastructure."
He continued: "Thanks to Akamai, we can provide a high-quality online user experience, even during our busiest times such as Christmas and the Breast Cancer Care event in October. Akamai offers us the reliable, scalable and high-quality content delivery service that we needed as we continue to improve the services we provide to our customers."
Founded on a long-standing relationship, QVC has been using Akamai's services to support its online business for several years and has continued to see the benefits year after year.
During 'Be Aware Show You Care', QVC's Breast Cancer Care event in October 2007, demand for QVC's online video services soared to over 30 times the average number of concurrent users.
Ravi Maira, e-Commerce Sector Manager at Akamai in Northern Europe, said: "Many e-retailers are still in the early stages of enriching their online sites to create a more immersive online shopping experience for their customers, especially by adding video. QVC UK is at the forefront of this evolution and has always leveraged video to showcase their products. As one of the largest UK retailers, having video-rich media content online puts QVC in an exceptionally strong position with its online offering."
(SP)