Akamai, the company that runs one of the largest content delivery networks in the world, has made a step to capitalize on the surge in demand for mobile Internet access by buying "substantially" all of the assets of Velocitude, whose technology converts Web sites designed for viewing on regular computer screens into mobile-friendly formats.

"We believe Velocitude has developed a powerful set of solutions to enable optimal mobile Internet experiences across a multitude of different devices," Akamai President and CEO Paul Sagan said in a statement. "By integrating Velocitude into our global network, we will be able to offer customers a way to leverage Akamai cloud-based services for mobile performance, as well as to translate Web sites into specific device-optimized experiences."

The majority of Web sites are currently not optimized for viewing on mobile devices and those that are usually have to be supported by a separate infrastructure from the main sites. Velocitude’s technology, offered in a Software-as-a-Service style of delivery, transforms Web content for optimal usability through mobile devices.

The buyer did not disclose acquisition price.

Akamai already has robust mobile delivery capabilities and expects Velocitude’s offering to deepen its presence in the market.

The buyer cited Morgan Stanley Research, whose analysts expected the number of mobile Internet users around the world to surpass the number of desktop users within the next five years. Coda Research Consultancy forecasts that mobile commerce will reach $24bn by 2015.

The network that acts as the backbone of Akamai’s business is called EdgePlatform. It consists of about 61,000 servers deployed in data centers in about 70 countries.