Choosing a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

background

I use hugo to build and deploy this site. Hugo is fast, reliable, capable, and easy to integrate. I knew from day one I needed the site to be deployed on a Content Delivery Network (CDN). My area of expertise is Content Delivery, I hold patents related to the CDN space and I am an expert in networks, analysis, automation, and performance. In short I built the first IPv6 CDN for Netflix while at Limelight Networks while being responsible for all Edge, Origin, and DNS deployments. The CDN business has enabled me to accomplish many things in my life and I owe much to the learnings and companies I helped grow throughout my career.

Content Delivery (a commodity service)

Enough Blabber: Deploying on a CDN should be easy. As a site owner, operator integrating into another system should be the path of least resistance. The CDN operators like to refer to themselves as a commodity product. After spending time integrating this site into CDNs, I agree that the CDN service is a commodity, however many CDN providers will not be able to survive with the method of customer acquisition.

Vendors

Akamai Akamai is a industry leader and the largest CDN. Akamai has been working hard to become a cloud computing vendor and security platform. Akamai has one of the largest networks in the world and is a well run company that maintains a large market share. I am an Akamai customer via the cloud computing arm. Akamai supports direct user signup from the site and enables upselling of available services and products that have value to content creators. I feel I would have utilized more Akamai services if the integration between the cloud computing arm and edge-deliver/security was tighter.

Cloudflare Cloudflare is a do everything platform with complete automation of sign up and up sell. Cloudflare has a good product offering for a reasonable price that will grow to any scale. Cloudflare is a market leader with substantial investment made in educating their customers and improving the internet space. I ended up choosing Cloudflare due to ease of integration, clear pricing, the ability to grow with the platform. I also did not feel locked in to the platform

Edgio Was not able to get an account without talking to an “expert”. I reached out through a few channels to get setup on their trial system to deploy my site and was never able to get an account. Full disclosure, I was Senior leadership at Edgio responsible for performance.

Fastly Automated sign up and up sell capabilities, great speed and performance. Was not able to determine a cost for the services I needed. I felt locked in.

The vendors that will survive

Vendors in the marketplace (cloud, security, delivery, etc.) that will continue to provide value will be the ones that are able to acquire customers. Having to engage with a human in today’s market is a major hindrance. When was the last time you had to talk to somebody to buy something online?

If your company can not acquire customers, you will not be able to build products. In order to provide value you must have services that people want to buy, can buy easily, and work well.

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