Olympics takes Network Appliance faster, higher

The Sydney Olympics have provided a special boost to the fortunes of the rapidly growing Australian subsidiary of Network Appliance.

The company's products have been selected to speed access to the Olympics.com.au website. The site is a joint venture between i7, the online and broadband business of Australia's Seven Network, and the Australian Olympic Committee. Seven has the broadcast and subscription TV rights to the Games of the XXVII Olympiad.i7 has installed six Network Appliance NetCache C720 systems specifically for the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games that follow. Two of the systems will be retained at the completion of the Games.

Michael Bosch, managing director of Network Appliance's Australian operation, said the NetCache appliances will allow the site to avoid bottlenecks that slow web page delivery when servers and networks become heavily loaded.

"They actually improve audio and video quality through the reliable delivery of high-bandwidth streams," he claimed.