Akamai finds a home in Africa

Lex van Wyk

Akamai Technologies is a cloud platform for media and content delivery, application performance, and Web security, delivering secure, high-performing user experiences on any device, anywhere.

The Akamai node and infrastructure will be set up in Teraco and connected to NAPAfrica in Johannesburg.

By leveraging the Vox Telecom carrier network, and by being hosted in the most connected data centre on the continent, Akamai will now be able to deliver international content to local consumers at improved speeds at high end speed. This marks a trend in global content service providers investing in African shores seeking to provide more cost-efficient internet content and access throughout Africa.

"Providing African internet users with quality international content from a local node, cost effectively and at world-class download speeds, remains a challenge. Video-driven data is flooding the internet. However, with Akamai gearing-up through NAPAfrica and Vox Telecom, the internet market can now look forward to excellent improvements and benefits," said Lex van Wyk, CEO of Teraco Data Centre Environments.

Akamai infrastructure

The Akamai infrastructure will provide access to key content from global providers, as well as access to an SSL certificate node.

Van Wyk added that the days of African internet users envying the incredible download speeds of their international peers are numbered. "The addition of international content providers to NAPAfrica means that end users will be able to view video content without endless buffering, access international gaming platforms with a substantially quicker response and download software in a fraction of the time we have become accustomed to."

Commenting on the move, Christian Kaufmann, director of network architecture at Akamai Technologies, said: "Deploying our African node at Teraco forms part of our strategy to be a global provider of content delivery network services in Africa. Teraco provides the ideal environment for us. We have implemented a first-class internet exchange model, involving a stable peering platform with excellent infrastructure. Our presence in Teraco will ensure diversity of peers, lower latency, a saving on transit costs and we will be closer to the end-user in Africa."

"It's clear that international content providers choose to peer with NAPAfrica to create a larger diverse market place. The recent infrastructure partnership between Akamai, Teraco and Vox Telecoms is an example of the internet industry wanting to work together for the benefit of all," concluded van Wyk.