Content Delivery Network News in August
Content delivery network news came thick and fast in August, with plenty of new deals and improvements in content delivery network technologies to report. In this run down, we’ll look over the developments that were notable this August.
Orange Selects Broadpeak for Advanced Video Service Delivery
Online video delivery is set to become the next battleground for content delivery network. Online video consumption has skyrocketed as end users take advantage of services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu. These services provide on demand and live streaming video of both old classic TV shows and films as well as modern in house created video content. This is increasingly how people, especially the young, are consuming video.
Given this massive increase in demand, many companies are naturally seeking to find ways to accelerate the delivery of online video. This is because video is incredibly bandwidth intensive, requiring large amounts of network overhead to deliver data. This is especially true for modern high definition video, particularly 4k resolution video which is becoming more and more common.
Now, the latest company to seek ways to accelerate the delivery of online high definition video is Orange. Orange is the largest operator of mobile and internets services in France, and therefore facilitates the delivery of online video across many different kinds of device. This will be leveraging the Broadpeak content delivery network to boost bandwidth and reducing latency, ensuring customers across both desktop and mobile are able to watch video quickly and easily no matter where they are.
“Orange has a track record for delivering world-class video services, and this partnership reflects that commitment,” said Jacques Le Mancq, CEO at Broadpeak.
“Our video delivery solutions are highly scalable and future-proof, making them perfect to a competitive operator like Orange that is continuously growing, launching new services, and enhancing QoE for subscribers.”
EclairBox content-delivery system leveraged by Nordisk in Denmark
Orange isn’t the only company to take advantage of a content delivery network for delivering video over the web. High definition video content is proving popular around the the globe, and as such, video content creators and distributors elsewhere are also seeking to accelerate their video data with content delivery network services.
Nordisk Film, a Danish entertainment company that specialises in cinema and film, have also announced a partnership with a high performance content delivery network. They will be utilising the Eclair CDN. Specifically, Nordisk Film will be using the EclairBox content delivery system developed by Eclair. EclairBox is a receiver system enabling content download for cinema exhibitors via broadband network. The hardware is deployed in cinemas and provides a secure download for each location and screen depending on its precise requirements. As a testament to its quality, 3,400 cinemas are connected to Eclair’s content-delivery network across North America, Europe, and Australia.
“Both Nordisk Cinemas and Nordisk Distribution are very impressed with Eclair’s achievement in Denmark,” said Jan Rasmussen, head of screen technology at Nordisk Film. “The content is delivered securely and on time, and Eclair’s technical expertise ensures maximum efficiency. We have entrusted them for close to a year now with many of our Danish titles, including U—July 22 and The Way to Mandalay, which were efficiently delivered to our entire cinema circuit across the country. Well on their way to becoming a key player in theatrical delivery in the region, we will continue to support Eclair’s deployment throughout Scandinavia.”
“We are thrilled with the alliance we have built with Eclair in Denmark,” stated Jesper Smidt, director at DIVO Post Production. “Several of our partners have now joined Eclair’s network, including exhibitors and distributors such as Scanbox Entertainment and Camera Film. The whole network was deployed in just a matter of weeks. With most Danish exhibitors now using EclairBox, we are very optimistic about the imminent expansion of the Eclair theatrical delivery solution in the region.”
Ana Fernandez, sales director for EclairPlay in Europe, commented, “In addition, EclairPlay…can now be used by cinema exhibitors throughout Denmark to access and download secure DCPs and promotional materials. Distributors and content owners can also connect directly with exhibitors for bookings.”
Limelight Networks Beats Out Rivals for New DIMOBA Live Streaming Trivia Game
While delivering high definition video content is proving to be big business for content delivery network provider at the moment, other uses are not being neglected. There are still many companies in the world looking to accelerate a multitude of different data across high performance content delivery networks.
One of the other popular uses for web acceleration technologies is online gaming. Thanks to the rise in popularity of a diverse array of online games, ranging from immersive MMORPGs to simple but ubiquitous mobile phone based games. With a huge number of players competing from around the globe, it is vital that these games have a robust system in place for connecting gamers, not just for actual gameplay, but also for communications.
Given these facts, many online gaming companies are turning to high performance content delivery networks. The latest company to do so it DIMOBA. DIMOBA is a French start-up that helps companies optimise digital content and strategies. They have recently launched Bethewone, a live-streamed show and interactive app where audiences engage directly with content and play live trivia games. It’s the first 24/7 trivia game app that allows participants to play real time against thousands of other players for cash prizes and rewards. In order to ensure players have access to the game at all times no matter where they are in the world. DIMOBA have selected Limelight Networks from a long list of potential CDN providers to accelerate their content delivery for the game.
Limelight Networks is one of the world’s leading content delivery network providers with a global reach and exceptionally high performance networks. When looking for a CDN provider, DIMOBA made clear that it was critical to build an infrastructure with extreme low latency that could handle live-streamed video, had a global reach, and could scale quickly. Therefore it is easy to see why they selected the Limelight content delivery network. Given that the game relies on live streaming video, Limelight’s expertise in streaming video will be particularly useful for the company.
“The quality of streaming video is incredibly important to our business, especially to people playing live trivia. Limelight offers us the lowest possible latency, and they’re continuously working to improve it even further. They’re a true technical partner for us, and we have a great relationship,” said Laurent Alexandre, General Manager at DIMOBA.
“Online trivia games are rapidly gaining popularity, and for unique games such as DIMOBA’s Bethewone, Limelight’s edge cloud provides the fastest experiences that are absolutely essential to win in this space,” said Didier Nguyen, Sales Director at Limelight Networks. “We work closely with DIMOBA to give them the platform to grow their business and provide their players the best possible experience on any internet connected device so that they keep coming back.”
August’s Biggest Content Delivery Network Takeaway: Video
It’s clear to see from this range of content delivery network industry developments that accelerated high definition video is one of the most important services that CDN providers can make available. As the CDN industry goes from strength to strength, we are bound to see competition for video delivery services heat up, which is only good news for content delivery network customers and, ultimately, end users who are keen to access video quickly and efficiently both at home and on the move.