In February 2022, we mentioned that Linode, a VPS server provider with a very good reputation, was acquired by content delivery network giant Akamai for $900 million, and Akamai said at the time that Linode would continue to operate independently after the acquisition.
It turns out that independent operation is impossible, and now Akamai has announced the launch of its own branded cloud computing service, Akamai Connected CLoud, based on Linode.
Akamai says the Linode brand is now fully integrated into Akamai, and this will become Akamai’s own cloud computing service.
Introducing Akamai Connected Cloud:
Akamai Connected Cloud is a massively distributed edge computing and cloud platform for cloud computing, security, and content delivery.
Services offered include the essential compute, storage, networking, database, and container management clouds needed to build, deploy, and secure applications and workloads. On Akamai Connected Cloud customers can distribute workloads and applications across compute, from core to edge, to meet the cost, performance, and scale challenges of today’s centralized cloud computing platforms.
As you can see from the introduction above, Akamai will offer services such as cloud servers, object storage, CDN, cloud databases and Docker, and offer edge computing and more cost-effective products to attract users, which could be a smart move to capture the market with cloud computing giants such as AWS and Azure.
What’s next:
Linode currently has 11 data centers around the world, and Akamai plans to build three new core-level data centers in the U.S. and Europe, with both old and new data centers tapping into Akamai’s backbone network, connecting them to edge networks around the world.
Pricing is a natural focus, as Akamai will aggressively set new prices for cloud computing services, leveraging the infrastructure of the Akamai network to reduce cloud costs. The new pricing model will offer significant discounts compared to traditional cloud vendors.
Finally, over time, the Linode logo will be replaced by the Akamai logo. Goodbye Linode!