Akamai Technologies is launching a new line of content delivery network (CDN) solutions for fixed line and mobile network operators that is designed to help operators reduce network costs, monetize traffic and improve the quality of service they offer customers.
The Aura Network Solutions line includes a range of managed and licensed CDN offerings that marks something of a shift in the company's traditional business model of offering CDN services over its own network. Since its founding, Akamai has deployed over 100,000 servers in more than 1,000 networks worldwide.
With the introduction of Aura Network Solutions, Akamai will be helping operators to deploy CDN capacity within their own networks to deliver services to third party content owners as well as better handling their own managed video network. Operators will have the flexibility of owning, leasing or reselling these CDN services.
"Network operators view content delivery technologies as strategic and highly complementary to their high speed data businesses," said Robert Blumofe, senior VP of the Akamai Platform Division. "CDNs provide operators a way to manage network costs and offer new services to enhance revenues and support the subscriber adoption of video and other content on a multitude of IP-connected devices. With this announcement, Akamai is entering the business of creating CDN solutions specifically for network operators, and helping them federate those CDNs by connecting to our global Intelligent Platform."
As part of the announcement, Melanie Posey, research VP at IDC, noted in a statement that operator CDN solutions such as the one being launched by Akamai were an increasingly attractive option for operators.
With the rapidly growing popularity of IP-connected devices like smartphones and tablets were forcing "both fixed and mobile network operators need solutions to cope with the traffic growth," she noted. "Leading network operators are actively pursuing solutions that allow them to manage their networks more efficiently, while also responding with new services that can drive consumer loyalty and revenue growth. Operator CDNs are emerging as a high priority element of network operators' strategies to support the delivery of all content and applications -- their own services as well as those from over-the-top providers."
