Azure Microsoft CDN and why it’s important
Microsoft’s content delivery network, also called Azure CDN, is a global CDN solution for high-bandwidth content delivery. Microsoft’s CDN can be hosted by Azure or any other location. Cached and uncached static objects are both easily delivered. In the case of cached static objects, they can be loaded from the Azure Blob storage which acts as some sort of storage cloud for online assets, or it can also be loaded from a web application or any other publicly accessible web server, with the use of the closest geographical point of presence server. Azure CDN also accelerates uncached dynamic content with the use of various network and routing optimizations.
Microsoft has been in the game for a long time. To understand why they chose to release an independent content delivery network of their own, it’s smart to understand the basics:
Content Delivery Networks
As we all probably know, a CDN is a geographically distributed group of servers which work together to accelerate content delivery. The main purpose of a content delivery network is the quick transfer of assets to-and-fro, when needed for loading online content, included but not limited to: HTML pages, stylesheets, videos, images, javascript files, and all other kinds of online goodies. CDN services continue to rise in popularity nowadays, serving the majority of web traffic including those from popular sites like Facebook, Netflix, and Amazon.
Content delivery networks have three main thrusts when it comes to helping your online presence: caching to reduce hosting bandwidth, helping to prevent interruptions in service, and improvements in security of personal or private data. Although content delivery networks aren’t the same or really can’t replace good old traditional web hosting, they help relieve major problem and pain points when it comes to web hosting. For example: the loading times it takes to serve up a visually interactive user interface takes is cut short by how a reliable CDN caches the relevant resources.
Benefits of CDNs
Content delivery networks benefit the three kinds of people involved in a website: the user, the domain owner, and the network service providers.
User experience is tremendously enhanced with a CDN owing to radically decreased loading times and less lag or waiting. In fact, when it comes to search engine optimization, or increasing your online ranking, which is a common and general practice if a content owner seeks to compete in the online arena, decreased loading times and a more comfortable user experience is key in keeping your website afloat or above the stars. It separates those sites that flunk and those that succeed.
If there’s anyone who directly benefits from the use of a content delivery network, it’s the domain owner. With increased user engagement rates, lower abandonment rates, increased ad impressions, improved conversions and an overall more loyal customer base, there’s no reason as to why a domain owner shouldn’t consider using a content delivery network from reliable service providers such as Microsoft CDN or BelugaCDN.
Network service providers are also now deploying their own content delivery networks, case in point: Microsoft and their Azure CDN to keep with higher user demand and expectation especially with the rise of richer media services. Deploying content delivery networks reduces subscriber loss, reduces traffic on the network, and even enables operators to sell CDN services to third party operators.
A case of the CDN in action
To understand how important a CDN is in the overall performance of domain or network, let’s give some particular attention to one aspect of a network: bandwidth.
The word bandwidth actually has a lot of implications, but with the development of technology and the internet, it’s more commonly understood now as the volume of information per unit of time that a transmission medium can handle. Thus, a transmission medium with a larger bandwidth can haul a bigger amount of data easier and more efficiently compared to one with a lower bandwidth.
Reliable CDNs such as Azure Microsoft CDN or BelugaCDN help reduce bandwidth consumption costs. Bandwidth costs constitute a primary expense for web hosting. CDNs help ease this problem point through caching and other modes of optimization by reducing the amount of data an origin server must provide, reducing hosting costs for website owners.
Conclusion
Content delivery networks are a reliable asset in today’s online arena. They provide security, efficiency, and ease of use on the part of the end user. By reducing bandwidth costs through caching and other optimization means, CDNs make the life of both the user and the domain owner easier. Go to BelugaCDN.com now for all your CDN-related needs.
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