To focus on the growing edge cloud services and content delivery business, the telecom gear maker Ericsson has partnered with Limelight Networks to collaborate on content delivery and edge cloud services.
Under the agreement, Limelight's content delivery technology will be deployed on the Ericsson UDN Edge Cloud Platform to expand its global delivery capabilities and increase delivery capacities.
Swedish firm said that it was partnering with service providers globally to build the Ericsson Unified Delivery Network (UDN) Edge Cloud Platform – a web-scale edge delivery network. Content delivery is the first application built on the UDN platform.
“The strength of Ericsson's partnerships with communications service providers through the UDN Network is a key component of this agreement that enables us to offer even better reach and performance for our customers,” said Bob Lento, CEO of Limelight Networks.
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According to Ericsson, by providing computing capabilities close to the user or device, edge computing addresses rapidly increasing data demands and subscriber experience expectations through distributed infrastructure, while maintaining high quality and high performance. Low latency applications, such as IoT, gaming, and web acceleration are set to benefit.
“Entering this agreement with Limelight Networks, a leader in content delivery networking and edge cloud services, opens a new chapter for the UDN Network in-line with our strategic plans for our Edge Cloud Platform,” said Marcus Bergstrom, Head of Ericsson UDN.
Ericsson is of the view that as more traffic shifts to the public internet from private networks, the need for high performance networks and distributed infrastructure is required to maintain a high-quality user experience. A key solution to this is edge cloud computing. Providing computing capabilities close to the user or device gives a superior quality of service.
For new low latency applications such as IoT, gaming, and virtual reality, robust computing capabilities at the edge of the network are needed. Communications service providers and technology companies will play a pivotal role in scaling the next wave of internet traffic, the company said.
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According to Dan Rayburn, Principal Analyst at Frost & Sullivan, consumers are now expecting performance in milliseconds, not seconds. “As applications evolve to offer more interactivity and the need to operate in real-time, quality and reliability determine the success or failure of the service,” said Rayburn.
“Combining content delivery technologies with an Edge Cloud Platform that's distributed inside ISPs is one of the best ways to guarantee optimal performance and allow application providers to use edge services to improve the end-user experience,” Rayburn added.
