Akamai's Connected Cloud: 90% Cost Reduction for Video Processing

Akamai and NETINT have joined forces to create something revolutionary in cloud video processing. The partnership brings NETINT's Video Processing Units (VPUs) to Akamai's Connected Cloud, fundamentally changing the economics and performance of cloud-based video encoding. Sarah Walter, Product Manager at Akamai, reveals how their Connected Cloud has evolved beyond traditional CDN services to offer a complete compute continuum with three tiers: core, distributed, and edge. This architecture allows media customers to deploy infrastructure strategically, placing resource-intensive workloads in the core while positioning other components closer to end users. Unlike hyperscalers who often compete with media companies through their own content initiatives, Akamai focuses exclusively on empowering their customers' success. The performance advantages of NETINT's Quadra T1U VPUs are nothing short of remarkable. These purpose-built ASICs for video transcoding deliver 90-95% cost savings compared to CPU-based encoding on public cloud platforms. Mark Donnigan from NETINT shares how they initially had to downplay these figures in their marketing because "no one would believe" the true performance gains. A side-by-side demonstration shows the stark difference, with VPU transcoding completing in a fraction of the time required by CPU processing. Early customer feedback confirms these impressive results. One live streaming provider achieved 30 concurrent live streams with a VPU-accelerated instance versus just 2-4 streams on comparable CPU infrastructure. Another video platform reported 4x greater stream density compared to Akamai's high-end CPU plans, which themselves are more cost-effective than traditional public cloud options. Starting at just $280 per month or 42 cents per hour, these VPU plans provide dedicated resources with no performance compromises. The global deployment footprint already includes Los Angeles, Miami, Frankfurt, Chennai, and Melbourne, with more locations planned based on customer demand. The solution enables true hybrid cloud implementation with identical hardware both on-premises and in the cloud. Join Akamai and NETINT at their NAB presentations to learn more about this groundbreaking technology and how it's transforming what's possible for media companies in the cloud. Your video workflows will never be the same.Stay tuned for more in-depth insights on video technology, trends, and practical applications. Subscribe to Voices of Video: Inside the Tech for exclusive, hands-on knowledge from the experts. For more resources, visit Voices of Video.