Sprint jumps into eCDN fray
 
|
|||
 | |||
|
Sign up to receive this and other networking newsletters in your inbox.
In a previous newsletter I talked about the emerging market for enterprise content delivery network hardware and software vendors. The market began developing last year as caching companies moved away from their standard service provider roots to focus on business users. Realizing business users have different needs than service providers (they want to preposition content such as rich media, for example), vendors have had to provide more than single-point caching products. So caches are evolving into more complex components of an integrated content networking architecture.
Businesses are putting more applications and content on the Web and the demand for internal CDNs is increasing. But don't think hardware and software vendors are the only ones eyeing the market. Sprint is the latest service provider to jump into the game.
At NetWorld+Interop 2002 Las Vegas earlier this month, Sprint announced the availability of the Sprint Enterprise Content Delivery Network. Sprint is using its partnership with Cisco to build out a CDN service for enterprise WANs. Patrick O'Malley, president of Sprint Business, says Sprint is incorporating Cisco's content delivery products to give Sprint's customers the ability to enhance intranet and extranet performance. The service is targeted at e-learning and streaming media, the "killer apps" for eCDNs, according to analysts.
Sprint says it will help companies design and implement the eCDN services. Customers can then manage the delivery of content through a central management system. Sprint's eCDN is designed to watch for and adjust to changing network conditions.
Sprint eCDN includes some combination of Cisco's Content Distribution Manager, Content Engines, Content Routers and Content Switches, as well as professional engineering and consulting services through Sprint Plus Services.
RELATED LINKS
Network World, 02/04/02
Cisco unleashes content switch, management barrage at N+I
Network World Fusion, 05/09/02
Whirlwind of Web services work on tap
Network World, 05/20/02
Caching appliance on tap from SpiderSoftware
Network World, 05/20/02
Denise Dubie is a Staff Writer covering network management at Network World. She also works as a freelance writer in the Boston area. You can reach her at ddubie@nww.com.
