Organizations are developing, deploying and delivering more and more of their solutions everyday on the Microsoft Azure platform. Content Delivery Networks (CDN) can improve speed, performance and reliability of those solutions and at Azure, we want to deliver best in class services that increase customer satisfaction.
To enhance CDN capabilities for our cloud customers, Azure announced earlier this year we would be growing our existing CDN offer into Standard and Premium bundles. To further that strategy, today we are announcing that Microsoft and CDN market leader Akamai have agreed to partner and provide an Azure CDN offering using the Akamai network.
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.
The relationship between Microsoft and Akamai is long-standing. Microsoft is one of the largest content delivery consumers on the planet, with decades of experience in delivering large software packages to big, globally dispersed audiences. Over the years, our two companies have maintained a strong business relationship. Recently, Microsoft and Akamai have coordinated complex efforts for delivery of some of the most important global events of the decade –working as critical technology partners for the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, 2014 FIFA World Cup, and the 2015 NFL Super Bowl.
This new partnership brings the companies even closer together to deliver best-in-class CDN service to Azure customers. In early 2016, customers will be able to purchase an Azure CDN offer and deploy onto the Akamai Network architecture via the Azure portal. A managed roll-out to a limited number of targeted customers will begin on November 1, 2015.
We are excited to announce this partnership as we strive to provide the best content delivery options for our customers, to bring CDN innovation, speed and performance to millions of developers and organizations.