If you read media content online, download digital music, or enjoy reading books on a tablet, chances are good that you’ve reaped some of the multiple benefits of the content delivery network.
Using a network of servers, a content delivery network, or CDN, is a vital technological asset for Internet content providers who want to increase and improve the availability of viewable and downloadable content. Among those providers are media outlets and e-commerce businesses that must be able to seamlessly provide quality content to customers and end users.
After all, when your business relies on the proper functioning of the Internet and, more specifically, a system of servers, a premium must be placed on network performance and the availability of content.
An increasingly digital marketplace — not to mention an increasingly digital world — necessitates requirements for technical services that operate without fail. The content delivery network provides that kind of reliability with the use of a multitude of servers in data centers across the world.
The content delivery network plays no small part in delivering a wide range of digital products across the Internet landscape. Applications, live-streamed media (think Netflix and Hulu), social networks, and web objects — such as text, images, and graphics — make their way across cyberspace and into the hands of consumers millions of times each day because of the performance of the content delivery network.
What the Content Delivery Network Does
The content delivery network brings with it an array of considerable benefits, among them is reduced server load, fast content delivery, asset delivery control, increased redundancy, data integrity, and security.
Utilizing thoughtfully configured servers that increase network backbone capacity, CDNs are able to reduce server load, thereby freeing up space for use by others. This results in smooth sailing for masses of website visitors who will enjoy quick and high-quality performance.
To deliver content quickly, a content delivery network is placed as closely as possible to users, which means that data travels shorter distances —and therefore more rapidly.
Designed to assist both business and end user, asset delivery control provides vital statistics about end users to businesses, which can then respond to customer demand based upon the data. Customers receive better services, and businesses are better able to provide those services.
Essentially making it more difficult for server failure to wreak havoc on a website, reduced redundancy means that, in an instance of server failure, a user will instantly be redirected to another server, therefore enjoying uninterrupted service.
The content delivery network also delivers both data consistency and overall integrity, as updated information is automatically duplicated across the network of servers. As such, the use of CDNs ensures that end users always have access to the latest data.
When it comes to security, CDNs have an advanced system that protects servers from potential threats. This level of protection is a major asset for any business, but protection of vast networks is vital to the health of whole systems.
The content delivery network is a critical asset to e-commerce companies, and delivers a lot of bang for your buck in the way of perks that go far beyond fast performance.
