CAMBRIDGE, MA.—Akamai says it has integrated its content delivery network capabilities with Microsoft Azure Media Services and Blob Storage. The collaboration will make it easier and more cost effective for media organizations to combine cloud-based video processing with edge delivery, from content preparation to playback, according to Akamai.
Going forward, Akamai will directly connect its edge network to Azure using a high-speed Azure ExpressRoute connection. This will result in significant efficiencies when storing and delivering content and provide mutual customers with lower, more predictable cost structures between Azure and Akamai's CDN, the companies said.
Akamai will enhance the delivery of live and on-demand streaming workflows through Azure Media Services, Microsoft's cloud video workflow platform for encoding, packaging, DRM and Video AI video metadata indexing. Together, Akamai and Microsoft will work to offer customers higher quality streaming delivery, lower latencies and more choices for their 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.
Akamai and Microsoft are exhibiting at the 2019 NAB Show in booths SL3324 and SL6717, respectively, April 8th-11th in Las Vegas.
