Imagine traffic on the freeway, bumper to bumper in a single file line. That’s HTTP/1. Now imagine all that traffic speeding along, each car in their own lane free travel at their own pace. That’s HTTP/2 if internet traffic was a Mazda 6.
If you’re not familiar with HTTP, networking protocols or other tech jargon, no worries, this is a basic understanding of what HTTP/2 is and why AMIMOTO uses it.
HTTP is a network protocol that allows data to transfer from servers to your browser. This happens when you visit a web page, check your email and more. It was the standard for fifteen years before industry leaders and developers considered a change. The evolution of this technology was lead by IETF’s HTTP Working Group and backed by companies you may have heard of like like Google, Twitter, and Microsoft.
The main reason for addressing this at all was internet traffic. We now create more data each year than all previous years in human history combined and how we delivered that volume of data required an upgrade.
Before HTTP/2, connections happened one at a time. While visiting a web page you may get the stylesheet first, then javascript, then some markup and so on. Large files would bottleneck the process and impact download times.
Now with HTTP/2, visiting the same website all the connections happen together. No more single file line and you can get content faster without waiting for larger files. The best part about HTTP/2 aside from speed is compatibility. Content doesn’t mind when or how it gets delivered as long as it gets there.
Opting to use HTTP/2 is an easy yes for us but right now it’s not that common. Some stats put its adoption at about 14%. Most of that coming from the largest providers like Google and Facebook. That trend is growing and will continue to grow as companies migrate or reinvent in upgrades.
At AMIMOTO we use HTTP/2 with our self-hosting products on Amazon Web Services and Managed Hosting plans. We were early adopters of HTTP/2 because we want our customers and clients to have the fastest WordPress sites possible.
Have you tried HTTP/2 yet? It’s available now with our 1-Click AMIs through Amazon Web Services or contact us about Managed Hosting. Tell us about your next project or just say hi!
For more info on check out these Frequently Asked Questions about HTTP/2.