Microsoft and Akamai partner on CDN solution for Azure customers

Content Delivery Networks (CDN) are all the rage, offering up speed, performance, and reliability advantages for organizations. At the same time, Microsoft’s Azure cloud services platforms continues to grow, creating an important revenue source for the company. A new partnership between Microsoft and CDN provider and long-time Microsoft partner Akamai therefore promises to bring new innovative options to Microsoft Azure customers.
Microsoft provides an update on the partnership over at the Azure blog. Essentially, Microsoft has already announced that Azure will be offering Standard and Premium CDN bundles. Now, Akamai will be tasked with providing yet another CDN option.

This partnership is significant because we are integrating Akamai’s industry-leading CDN capabilities directly into the Microsoft Azure cloud platform. Through this new strategic partnership, Microsoft and Akamai are helping usher in the next generation of content delivery both using the cloud and tailored for cloud platform customers. With Akamai, Azure customers will enjoy an expanded global footprint and reach, particularly in Latin America and Asia, as well as access to more capabilities and advanced features. Public sector customers will also enjoy more convenient access as both platforms have achieved the FedRAMP JAB’s highest certification.

All Azure customers will be able to roll out an Azure CDN based on the Akamai Network architecture in early 2016. In the meantime, a handful of target customers will be able to check out the new solution starting on November 1, 2015.