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Apple Using Limelight, Not Just Akamai, For Content Delivery

steve-jobs-rent-movie.jpgA high-profile win for content delivery firm Limelight Networks (LLNW): It seems to have been able to take some of Apple's (AAPL) business away from arch rival Akamai Technologies (AKAM), according to CDN industry watcher Dan Rayburn.

Starting in the fourth quarter of 08, content that I historically saw being delivered from Akamai, also started coming from Limelight Networks. ... I saw this dual-vendor approach happening across many different pieces of content for Apple including OSX updates, application downloads from the Apple.com site (like the iLife trial) iPhones software updates and some apps for the iPhone app store. ... I started noticing all of these changes around the November time frame and didn't see a single piece of content being delivered for Apple, by Limelight, anytime before that. That's not to say it could not of been happening earlier, but I am one of those Apple freaks who downloads tons of stuff, always looking at where it comes from and have never seen the llnw.net domain show up anywhere before November.

Rayburn isn't sure when or why Apple made the move. But given the huge amount of digital content Apple pushes across the Internet -- movies, iPhone apps, music, software updates, etc. -- it seems having a second CDN for redundancy isn't a terrible idea.

Either way, looks like a win for Limelight.

See Also:
YouTube Offering DRM-Free Video Downloads
Apple Relents On iTunes Pricing, Premium Tracks For $1.29
Amazon MP3 Not Killing iTunes Yet

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