Akamai Releases Two Additions to the Aura Network Line

Akamai introduced the Aura Network Solutions lineup of operator CDN technologies a year ago, and today, thanks to its acquisition of Verivue in December, 2012, it's announcing two significant additions.

The Aura lineup allows operators to launch their own CDN services, which could be used to improve network cost and efficiency, to resell to third parties, or to bring in-house video assets to viewers on any device. Acquiring Verivue technology allowed Akamai to speed up its development cycle.

Akamai is announcing Aura Lumen and Aura Spectra, new solutions that satisfy different demands. Aura Lumen is a licensed CDN software suite that operators can use to better control costs. Components offer HTTP caching and delivery, a scalable DNS-based content request router, system management and analytics, and CDN federation for overflow or off-net delivery.

Aura Spectra is a Saas (software-as-a-service) CDN suite that lives on the servers inside an operator's network. Operators can gain CDN services with less investment upfront. Spectra can connect to Akamai for more advanced services, such as security and web acceleration.

“Through our Aura Network solutions we’re able to provide operators with new ways to take advantage of the IP media revolution, evolve their business models, and attract and keep new subscribers," says Mick Scully, Akamai's vice president and general manager for its Carrier Products Division. "We’re doing it in a way that’s intended to be as flexible and cost effective for our customers as possible.”