Akamai has introduced Akamai Connected Cloud, a massively distributed edge and cloud platform for computing, security, and content delivery. On top of the same fundamental backbone that now supports its edge network, which spans more than 4,100 locations in 134 countries, Akamai is adding core and dispersed sites as it expands Akamai Connected Cloud.
In more detail, Akamai is locating compute, storage, database, and other services near major industry, population, and IT hubs. The end result is intended to be a continuum of computation, from core to edge, allowing businesses to create, deploy, and secure performant applications more successfully that need single-digit millisecond latency and a global footprint. These needs would now be in great demand across a number of sectors, including the media, gaming, SaaS, retail, and government.
“Akamai is building the cloud the next decade needs,” said Tom Leighton, Co-Founder and CEO of Akamai.
“We’re taking a fundamentally different approach to cloud computing - building on 25 years of experience scaling and securing the internet for the biggest companies in the world,” said Tom Leighton, Co-Founder and CEO of Akamai. “Akamai is building the cloud the next decade needs.”
“Akamai’s leadership position at the edge enables us to scale everything we touch: We scale content, putting digital experiences closer to users than anyone,” added Mr. Leighton. “We scale cybersecurity, keeping threats farther away from business and people. Our customers know us and trust us for this scale. Now we plan to scale cloud computing, to provide customers with better performance at a lower cost.”
Adam Karon, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager of Akamai’s Cloud Technology Group, is in charge of Akamai Connected Cloud. He has led teams in this position that have been responsible for giving today’s top media, gaming, and software companies the tools they need to offer their customers the best experiences - at scale - across all platforms and devices, as well as for assisting carriers in running effective and affordable networks.
Cloud computing, in Mr. Karon’s words, “is a stepping stone to tackling greater corporate difficulties. Business leaders want to maintain the pace of digital transformation and push the limits of what is feasible for their enterprises in a society that is becoming more and more digital. Our distributed scale is built to enable highly effective cloud computing everywhere our clients' businesses connect online, giving them the speed, flexibility, performance, and connectivity they need to expand without restriction, innovate without hindrance, and consistently delight customers.”
New Cloud Egress Pricing Model
Additionally, Akamai unveiled new strategic cloud computing services for developers to help them create, manage, and protect highly effective workloads closer to the points of connection between organizations and customers online:- Three new enterprise-scale core cloud computing sites across the U.S. and Europe - The additional sites will join into the Akamai backbone, connecting them to the largest widespread edge network on the world, just like Akamai’s existing 11 cloud computing locations. By the end of Q2 2023, the new sites - which will include all of the cloud computing services obtained from Linode, the developer-friendly cloud infrastructure provider Akamai bought in 2022 - should be operational. Additionally, these serve as the model for 10 other core sites that Akamai aims to launch globally during the year.
- More distributed sites - Along with establishing the new core sites, Akamai has also decided on more than 50 cities where it will start rolling out dispersed sites this year in order to deliver fundamental cloud computing capabilities to hard-to-reach areas that are currently unserviced by traditional cloud providers.
- Aggressive new cloud egress pricing - By introducing CDN-like economics to cloud data transfer, the new pricing structure is able to harness the strength of Akamai’s network to lower the cost of cloud egress. In comparison to hyperscalers and other cloud providers, the new egress pricing model is intended to provide dramatically reduced egress rates.
- New ISO, SOC 2, and HIPAA standards compliance, available immediately - Customers may shift workloads between Akamai and other public clouds thanks to the new standards compliance, which shows Akamai’s commitment on the security of its cloud computing services and the data within.
- Akamai Qualified Computing Partner Program - With the help of this new technology partner program, Akamai clients would be able to access solution-based services that are compatible with Akamai Connected Cloud. The services are going to be offered by technology partners of Akamai who have gone through a rigorous certification procedure to make sure they are qualified and ready to grow across the globally dispersed platform.
