Providing spot-on content, fast

For online retailers, what's more important: getting the right content to users, or getting it there quickly? I think we can all agree both are equally important. If sites take too long to download, prospective customers won't stick around. And if the content isn't of interest, the Web surfer is off to the next site, regardless.

There are plenty of vendors who offer content acceleration, as well as those who provide site analytics. Fireclick, however, offers both. E-retailers such as Ann Taylor, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Restoration Hardware are already taking advantage of Fireclick's hosted service.

Xavier Casanova, director of product management, says Fireclick provides Web " experience management, " the intersection of Web analytics, Web performance measurement and monitoring, and Web acceleration.

To use the service, enterprises simply add a line of code to their Web pages. That code calls a Java applet or Java script, which launches the Fireclick service, called Netflame. Fireclick uses so-called predictive caching technology to speed up the user experience.

The technology analyzes user patterns when they come to a Web site and then caches content that is likely to be asked for next in the user's browser cache. That way, when a user clicks on a link, many of the page elements have already been stored and can be downloaded immediately. The user gets a faster experience.

Netflame, includes site analytics that give enterprises insight into how users are using the site, what content they're looking at, and how the site is performing. This week, Fireclick is adding a new feature to Netflame: a browser plug-in that gives the enterprise immediate insight into Web site analytics and performance information.

Redline aims to rev up Web processing
 

Denise Dubie is a Staff Writer covering network management at Network World. She also works as a freelance writer in the Boston area. You can reach her at ddubie@nww.com.