As I mentioned in a recent email, we’ve spent the last few weeks working on some major improvements to the speed of our apps that you experience when you’re logged in and working on stuff. We’ve made big strides in three areas: database optimization and infrastructure, data cacheing, and network lag. I’ll not get into the geeky details, but our experience with Akamai turned into a business lesson so I thought I’d share it.

Akamai is like a private toll Internet.  You can imagine that the regular Internet is like the surface streets of a big city. You get around, but it’s kinda stop and go. Akamai is like a giant empty freeway that soars over the top, going right in your direction. It’s fast as heck, but it ain’t free. It’s not really anything like free.

For companies like us who provide highly interactive web applications, speed is a major benefit. Heavy users of OfficeAutopilot have certainly noticed that our system is suddely ripping fast. If you’re a newer or less frequent user, you’ll appreciate the speed subconsciously. For us, paying for Akamai is a no-brainer.

And there’s the lesson. I’m very rarely jealous of someone else’s business. I think we’ve got something pretty special going on here. Then this happens:

Akamai: “Hi there. We’re Akamai. We’ll make your web app 3x faster. Your customers will freak out. It’ll take you 10 minutes to set up.”

OfficeAutopilot: “Oh yeah? I’m skeptical. Prove it.”

Akamai: “Sure. How about we hire an expensive, independent 3rd party speed monitoring service to do an extensive study of your application speed before and after a trial implementation of our service. We’ll pay for it and they’ll report their results directly to you.”

OfficeAutopilot: “Uh. Ok.”

[Two weeks later, we get the report from the independent 3rd party testing service.]

OfficeAutopilot: “Holy crap.”

Akamai: “Yeah, we know. Sign here.”

OfficeAutopilot: “Uh. Wow. Does it have to be that expensive? For two years? And do I really have to sign with my own blood?”

Akamai: “Yes, sir.”

OfficeAutopilot: “Oh. Well, ok then.” (Signs)

I mean, wow. How would it be to have a product or service that takes no ‘convincing’ or explanation of benefits or even any client education to sell it?

Most of us will never have it quite as easy – Akamai has a market-dominating position and is a giant public company with vast resources – but the inquiry is worthwhile: what can we do to our product, service, marketing, or positioning to make what we sell more of a ‘no brainer’?

We’ve been working on that question for years, and I don’t think we’ll ever stop. Neither should you!