Over the last four months I’ve been researching the various USA based Content Delivery Networks in the ecosystem.  There are total of seventeen US based global CDNs. Some are established that have been in business for 5+ years, and others are startups. The startup CDNs are exciting in that they have introduced new business models to the equation. Two cool ones I like personally are Instart Logic with their Application Streaming that improves Time to First Paint, and Incapsula, the leading CyberSecurity CDN that has introduced the most robust CDN security suite ever.

Below is the first attempt to classify CDNs by functionality. The CDNs mentioned in the diagram are the most active CDNs in the industry making noise, and being proactive in marketing their brand and value proposition.  The CDN functionality diagram is a work-in-process that will change over time. Some CDNs are not included in the chart such as Internap, since we haven’t really heard anything in the press lately about them. Nothing wrong with that since Internap is focusing on growing their hosting business by leaps and bounds. Each circle represents an area of functionality and specialization. Akama is the only CDN that does everything.

CDN Ecosystem