About
Akamai China CDN
Akamai Technologies, Inc. is a global content delivery network (CDN), cybersecurity, & cloud service company providing web and Internet security services. Akamai's Intelligent Edge Platform is one of the world's largest distributed computing platforms and used primarily by Enterprises.
Use Case & Application
Chinafy and Akamai both are related to a website and or web applications performance. However -
Chinafy specialises in web performance for China. The platform combines both intelligent China web resource compatibility solutions with a fully-managed China-specific infrastructure - including fast near-China CDN.
The Akamai CDN solution is widely used across various websites for acceleration and security purposes, with the majority of its solutions applied across global, non-China websites.
They can be used in compliment. More in Using Chinafy with Akamai.
Chinafy vs. CDNs
CDNs are not able to resolve any resource compatibility issues on the software layer that websites face in China.
That is why a number of Tier 1 CDN providers including AWS, Azure, and Alibaba Cloud partner with Chinafy to further help their end-users have a stronger digital presence in China. Chinafy conversely works closely with these partners to offer our clients access to their other solutions.
By combining an intelligent China web compatibility suite with a fully-managed infrastructure stack - including a multi-CDN - Chinafy helps websites and web applications load an average of 5.6x faster in China and display more fully.
Read more about
Chinafy vs. CDNs, and how they work in compliment from network to application layer optimisation.
Onshore vs. Offshore PoPs
Use of any onshore CDN PoPs in China, irrespective of provider, requires an ICP license which relatedly requires an onshore China business entity.
Without one, most companies are leveraging the provider's Global CDN, including Near-China PoPs.
Akamai China CDN (Onshore) via China Telecom (CT Cloud) & China Unicom Cloud (CU Cloud)
Akamai does not operate its own CDN or points-of-presence (i.e. POPs) in China. Instead they partner with China Telecom & China Unicom, and leverage their onshore PoPs.
Akamai China CDN is add-on module to Akamai’s base-delivery products such as Ion.
China Telecom is a red chip listed company of state-owned China Telecommunications Corporation. China Unicom is a Chinese state-owned telecommunications operator. Both are functionally third-party services that are logically separated from Akamai's global operations (for many reasons).
This is similar to Cloudflare's China CDN, and their partnership with Baidu.
Pre-requisites to use Akamai China CDN include an ICP Filing or License, local hosting agreement with Chinese-based hosting provider, PSB Bei An, a legal entity in China/China-owned business or a China-based representation office. Companies remain the exclusive owner of customer data but data must be stored domestically in China.
Compatibility in China
Akamai China CDN does not provide China compatibility solutions to handle for, resolving, or replacing resources that are blocked or inaccessible from China. Common technologies that interfere with a site’s functionality in China and may appear broken include Vimeo, Youtube, Twitter, Google APIs and more.
Please refer to Chinafy vs. CDN. above.
Do you use Akamai China CDN? Use both Chinafy and Akamai China CDN.
We regularly work with sites using various CDNs.
CDNs inherently do not fully address web performance issues in China, as they do not address nor resolve any third-party issues. However, it doesn't mean you can't use other features and or leverage their leading CDN capabilities outside of China.
Do you have a regulated entity and ICP license?
A) If no, no problem. Learn more about how Chinafy helps companies to achieve near-native onshore performance, offshore without a separate site, ICP license or onshore hosting to compliment your existing tech stack. Bolt-on China access.
B) If yes, reach out to us to see how you can combine Chinafy's intelligent web resource compatibility suite with Akamai China CDN with Chinafy for Enterprise.
