Akamai integrates CDN with Microsoft Azure media services

Edge platform provider Akamai today announced it has integrated its content delivery network (CDN) capabilities with Microsoft Azure Media Services and Blob Storage.

Akamai will now directly connect its edge network to Azure using an Azure ExpressRoute connection to enable efficiencies when storing and delivering content. The companies said the integration also should help provide mutual customers with lower, more predictable cost structures.

Akamai will deliver live and on-demand streaming workflows through Azure Media Services, and use Microsoft’s cloud video workflow platform for encoding, packaging, DRM and Video AI video metadata indexing. Akamai and Microsoft plan to offer lower latency and more choices for integrated media workflows through mutual partners such as Harmonic, Telestream and more.

As part of the agreement, Akamai will enable select strategic customer solutions to run on Azure, and enter into a co-sell relationship with Microsoft, wherein its products will be available in the Azure Marketplace.

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“Our customers are expanding their libraries and delivering more content to larger audiences at higher levels of quality than ever before. Many of them are asking for help to simplify how they manage and deliver video, scale their services and move their workflow functions to the cloud,” said Akamai CEO Dr. Tom Leighton in a statement. “By combining the power of Microsoft Azure, Azure Media Services and Azure Storage with the vast reach of Akamai’s Edge we will create an environment that mitigates cost while maximizing performance and scale for content providers.”

“Cloud, edge and AI open a wealth of exciting possibilities for media companies,” said Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of the cloud and AI group at Microsoft, in a statement. “Working together, Azure and Akamai will provide our mutual customers with a platform that will help them increase their reach and better meet their customers’ demands.”