What is CDN? Learn All About Content Delivery Network

Akamai versus EdgeCast: which content delivery network provider offers the best solutions for your content delivery and website acceleration? This is a very difficult question to answer, given that both CDN providers benefit from lightning fast global networks and a plethora of useful services. Now owned by Verizon, the EdgeCast content delivery network is benefitting from the years of experience in data delivery afforded by this telecommunications giant. Akamai, on the other hand, is one of the most well established content delivery network providers in the business, and has many years of experience in providing their customers with high quality, high speed data delivery to end users all over the globe.

In this article, we will look at the question of Akamai versus EdgeCast and which of them provides the best content delivery network services for your needs.

Akamai versus EdgeCast: Network

As is to be expected from one of the CDN market’s greatest leaders, the Akamai network boasts comprehensive and truly global coverage. With over 100,000 servers in upwards of 80 countries around the globe, the Akamai network touches every major continent, ensuring that their customers’ data is never far away from end users. It is this highly dispersed network structure, with points of presence in high traffic areas that ensures the Akamai CDN is lightning fast for all users.

EdgeCast is also no stranger to high performance networks. Their web of servers is no less comprehensive than Akamai’s, with points of presence located in cities such as Dallas, LA, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, London Madrid, Hong Kong, Sydney and many more. In addition to these servers, EdgeCast have created SuperPoPs at strategic areas of high traffic density, with masses of bandwidth to ensure traffic is delivered quickly even at peak times.

Akamai versus EdgeCast: Customers

Akamai has as roll call of customers that is fitting of its place as a leading CDN provider. These customers include BenQ, Best Buy, CNET, ESPN, AMD, JD Sports, the MetOffice, Monster.com and NBC.

Not to be outdone, EdgeCast counts many big name companies as their customers, including 500px, Atari, the Atlantic, Imgur, Fender, EMI, Cooking.com and 6Waves.

Akamai versus EdgeCast: Technology

Both companies offer ground breaking technologies for their customers to take advantage of and to ensure data is delivered with the high speeds. Akamai boasts technologies such as TCP connection optimisation, pre-fetching and route optimisation to make sure that all data reaches its destination quickly and efficiently.

EdgeCast have a whole suite of technology features that optimise the performance of their content delivery network. The most notable CDN technologies include active failover and redundancy, edge compression, intelligent path optimisation and high quality, round the clock support.