Akamai Strikes Deal With AOL

Akamai Technologies Inc. said it will pay America Online Inc. to set up servers within the AOL network to speed the delivery of Web pages of Akamai clients. Terms of the deal were not announced. Cambridge, Mass.-based Akamai also said that 20 new companies have joined its partnership program, which links Web design companies and content providers to the Akamai server network. Akamai is one of a handful of new Net firms aiming to speed Web page download times by eliminating Internet bottlenecks. It has placed hundreds of servers inside Internet service provider networks and hosts pieces of its clients’ Web sites within this network. Akamai shares rose $23.63 to close at $246.13 on Nasdaq.