Akamai Debuts Cloud Networking Service for Remote Offices

Akamai Technologies (AKAM) is looking to help customers solve weaknesses in their Wide Area Network (WAN) architectures with the release of Akamai Cloud Networking, an integrated system of services designed to protect applications and eliminate network downtime.

The Akamai Cloud Networking service is a globally available system created to strengthen the reliability of enterprise solutions like Software-as-a-Service and cloud-based applications. The system is necessary to meet the increasing connectivity demands created by the use of Direct Internet Access (DIA) breakouts and hybrid WANs among enterprise users, according to the company.

The service was designed for Akamai’s network of Communication Service Providers, Network Service Providers and branch infrastructure vendors, and offers a modular approach to complement customers’ existing WAN offering, according to the announcement. By creating an offering that is easy to institute into customers’ current network setup, Akamai hopes to increase the prevalence of hybrid network architectures and drive network transformation among remote office users.

Akamai Senior Vice President and General Manager for Cloud Networking Willie Tejada said the service was designed primarily to give partners a way to help customers operating branch and remote offices to maintain reliable and secure network connectivity, no matter where they are located.

“We believe that giving our CSP, NSP and branch infrastructure partners the technologies they need to help their enterprise customers directly leverage the Internet to accelerate applications, maintain enterprise security, lower costs and seamlessly connect to the cloud is an incredible value proposition,” said Tejada in a statement.

Akamai Cloud Networking is the spiritual successor to the content delivery service provider’s previous interactions with Cisco Systems (CSCO) and Riverbed, according to the company.

Along with added reliability for their WAN networks, Akamai said its Cloud Network service expands the company’s current portfolio with the addition of several new services. Internet Transport Optimization provides route optimization and forward error correction, while SaaS and Cloud Acceleration capabilities introduce caching, data deduplication and more over the Akamai Intelligent platform.

Finally, cloud-based outbound web filtering and inbound malware protection via a secure web gateway help customers ground potential threats without impacting system performance, according to Akamai.

Akamai also announced its acquisition of Bloxx, a secure web gateway technology provider, as the company looks to shore up its enterprise security offerings. The financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.