EdgeCast Adds Transparent Caching

EdgeCast’s focus on enabling content delivery for telecommunications providers took on a new dimension today. In a deal with transparent caching technology specialist PeerApp, they have created a joint CDN solution that addresses both managed and unmanaged content streams.

Transparent caching helps network operators manage traffic regardless of origin. It allows them to cache the most popular items that are passing over their networks at the edge, thus reducing the overall load. This is done in parallel to what a commercial CDN might do, not in competition, and gets far less press than it deserves relative to the benefits.

By integrating the two sides into one offering, EdgeCast expects to be able to unify and streamline the interface, and thus offer a more powerful overall content delivery capability to its carrier partners. Actually, it’s something carriers have been asking them for, and it makes a lot of sense.

Telecommunications companies have to various extents tested the CDN waters.  Yet unless they are willing to do what Level 3 did and take on the whole market, their main purpose is generally to manage the costs associated with traffic growth as the data revolution rolls on. Bundling the active, federated wholesale CDN component that gets all the press with the passive, transparent CDN that network operators also need could give EdgeCast a boost as a wholesaler.  It might tempt some of those who stuck a toe in the water a couple years ago as resellers to come deeper into the CDN pool.

This news follows on the heels of EdgeCast’s addition of Pacnet to its customer list overnight.

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Categories: Content Distribution