In-person attendance of President Barack Obama’s inauguration this week set records, and so did virtual attendance.
So many people hit the Internet to watch the historic (if mangled) swearing-in, they created the single-highest spike in Web traffic ever recorded. Companies including Akamai Technologies (AKAM), Arbor Networks and Integra Telecom all are boasting about those record numbers. Some firms also are saying that ISPs must have direct relationships with content delivery network providers – Akamai being one of them – to ensure users don’t encounter congestion or outages the next time such an in-demand event takes place.
CNN also says it got its most-ever video-streaming traffic on Jan. 21. Many companies say their last records were set on Election Day, when Americans went for Obama over Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
