With HTTP Archive data indicating that images take up two-thirds of the average webpage’s storage footprint, it’s no surprise they’re such a big focus for content delivery providers. Akamai Technologies Inc. is doubling down today by introducing a new optimization option that promises to make sites with a lot of visual content perform better.

Image Manager, as the service is called, performs its work using a real-time algorithm that can individually analyze the static graphic assets on a site and find the optimal resolution for each. The mechanism then applies the appropriate level of compression in a way that Akamai says maximizes storage efficiency without reducing image quality to an extent visible by the human eye. And for added measure, the service also checks the format of each file to identify whether a better one could be used. The latter feature is designed not so much to find a more resource-efficient format but rather to mitigate any potential compatibility issues that might occur across different browsers and devices.

Akamai says that Image Manager tailors the optimization workflow to every system, which means graphic assets are automatically modified if the original size isn’t ideal for a user’s device. And the service can be configured to make more advanced changes too via its backend management console. The built-in controls make it possible to crop, rotate and even watermark files as needed.

Image Manager does all this without requiring users to add any additional JavaScript code to their websites, a feature that Akamai says is unique in the market. But the service can still expect to face tough competition from the likes of CloudFlare Inc., which also provides image resizing and compression functionality to users of its paid content delivery plans. The company claims that the  technology provides an average storage reduction of 35 percent.

Akamai doesn’t say how much Image Manager can shave off a file’s size, but it will no doubt try to beat or at least match CloudFlare’s performance if the historically fierce competition in the content delivery market is any indication. And the company can also be expected to keep adding new value-added capabilities over time as organizations continue to invest in making their sites more mobile-friendly.

Image via Geralt