Queue-it, the leading provider of virtual waiting room technology, and Akamai Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the global cybersecurity and cloud computing provider that powers and protects businesses online, have announced the launch of Hype Event Protection – a joint solution designed to deliver advanced bot protection for high-demand, limited-inventory online events such as product launches, concert ticket sales, collectible drops and brand collaborations.
Hype Event Protection is a new bot mitigation solution that combines Akamai’s bot detection technology with Queue-it’s virtual waiting room to create fairer, more efficient sales experiences for genuine customers and fans.
High-demand online events often attract large volumes of automated bots, sometimes outnumbering real customers by as much as 20 to 1. These automated scripts exploit their speed and scale to purchase limited stock quickly and resell it at inflated prices on secondary markets. This leaves loyal customers at a disadvantage while organisations face damaged trust and increased operational costs.
By combining Akamai Bot Manager’s detection capabilities with Queue-it’s powerful traffic management, Hype Event Protection targets the two main advantages bots hold – speed and scale. Queue-it’s virtual waiting room regulates the flow of visitors, giving Akamai more time and data to identify malicious traffic. When sales begin, customers are randomised and placed in an online queue. At that point, bots are either blocked or forced to re-join at the back of the queue. This delay makes it too late for bots to adjust their tactics, closing the door on automated abuse and ensuring fairer events, reduced website load, and quicker access for legitimate customers.
In August 2025, one of Europe’s largest ticketing platforms used Hype Event Protection during several major onsales. In one campaign alone, the solution mitigated more than 2 million bots – accounting for 98% of all traffic – and increased genuine fans’ chances of securing tickets by 50 times.
“High-demand events have become a prime target for sophisticated bots, putting fairness, customer trust, and brand reputation at risk,” said Patrick Sullivan, Chief Technology Officer of Security Strategy at Akamai. “By integrating Akamai Bot Manager with Queue-it’s virtual waiting room, Hype Event Protection delivers a powerful new defence for organisations that need to protect the integrity of their biggest moments online.”
Queue-it CEO Jesper Essendrop added: “For years now, we’ve seen just how persistent and pervasive the threat of bad bots is to organisations running high-demand events. With Hype Event Protection, we’re excited to go to market with a multi-layered approach that combines the strength of two best-in-class solutions in Akamai and Queue-it. It brings us a step further in our mission to help organisations build trust by ensuring fair, reliable, and transparent online experiences at every touchpoint.”
Beyond advanced bot mitigation, Hype Event Protection also helps businesses maintain site performance during heavy bot-driven surges in traffic, preventing crashes, slowdowns, overselling, and lost revenue during their most critical online events.
Hype Event Protection is now available to organisations already using Akamai’s Bot Manager in combination with Queue-it’s virtual waiting room.
