CDN Buyer's Guide: Resources to Help Steer the Process
SAN JOSE, California, April 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- CDNetworks -- You want to choose the right CDN solution for your business, so you're actively doing your research. With so much available information, it can be difficult to track down and synthesize the resources you need to make a confident decision.
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Content delivery networking solutions differ based on what needs they must meet. What do you need your CDN to do for you? Where and how do you need it to perform? Consider the following optimization aspects as the basis of this CDN buyer's resource guide:
- Your user locations & geographical dispersion
- Support, security & internal control of the CDN
- Type of content you need to accelerate (static or dynamic)
- Ecommerce web performance optimization
- Your specific industry needs (i.e. regulations)
Which optimization aspects are important to your business? Review the descriptions and resources below to help you in your CDN purchasing decisions.
- Your user locations & geographical dispersion
If you're looking for a global CDN solution, think about where in particular you need to target. If you're hoping to capitalize on some emerging markets like China, you'll want a licensed CDN provider that can help you work your way through the regulations of delivering content in these areas. Ask CDN providers about their experiences delivering content to your target areas.
Resources:
Demystifying China Online: Reaching China with Your Website and Cloud Applications
Trying to accelerate into China? Watch this webinar presented by Forrester Research. You'll learn about opportunities in the Chinese web market, technical and regulatory challenges, and solutions, such as relying on a CDN provider.
Extending Your Web Business to Internet Users in China
This white paper will explain more about accelerating content into China and explain in detail how a global China CDN provider can help you navigate governmental regulations and barriers to content delivery in Mainland China.
- Support, security & internal control of the CDN
It's important to ask a CDN provider about their customer service and security. Is your CDN PCI certified? Will it protect you from DDoS attacks? Does the CDN provider offer you a secure self-service portal to have insight and control into your content delivery? Part of good customer service includes around-the-clock support to guide you through any issues that may arise. Consider how important it is for your company to maintain control internally with easy access to the CDN solution in addition to how well the CDN protects you from potential security threats.
Resources:
A CDN Takes A Load Off IT's Shoulders
Read this blog post and watch the video about how a CDN can ease your IT struggles and support your content delivery objectives.
Is Your Site PCI Compliant? What About Your Vendors?
The PCI security standard dictates a set of comprehensive requirements for enhancing payment account data security such as credit card numbers, names, addresses, or emails. This blog post will explain the importance of PCI data security and what you need to know.
DDoS Mitigation | Engaging A Distributed Network vs. Installing Hardware
Find out what you need to ensure that DDoS attacks do not bring down your website or application in this post and white paper about DDoS protection.
Cloud Portal Brochure
Look through this Cloud Portal Brochure to see what you might expect for CDN support and customer service. - Type of content you need to accelerate (static or dynamic)
Second only to geographical locations, the types of content you need to accelerate will largely impact your CDN provider choice. Static content like text and images, dynamic content like personalized messages and ecommerce shopping carts, and video streaming files that require large amounts of bandwidth are handled differently by a content delivery networking solution. It's important to discuss how well the CDN can accommodate whichever type(s) of content delivery your business requires.
Resources:
Difference Between Dynamic and Cached Content – Short Video
Watch this short video to learn about accelerating dynamic and cached content.
10 Common Questions about Content Delivery Networks (CDNs)
Read this blog post to learn what questions you should ask about CDNs. You'll also learn what impact CDNs have on video streaming acceleration. - Ecommerce web performance optimization
Online retailers often require an ecommerce CDN to optimize web performance for all content types. If your business engages in any kind of ecommerce, be sure to ask your prospective CDN providers about their track record working with other ecommerce vendors.
Resources:
Improving Ecommerce Web Performance—4 Reasons Why CDNs Are Essential
Read this blog post to learn how to optimize your ecommerce web performance, what factors you should consider, and how implementing a CDN can help with areas like mitigating downtime from seasonal traffic spikes.
Why A Great Ecommerce Platform Does Not Guarantee A Great User Experience
Watch this webcast from Gartner to learn what else you should consider when looking to optimize your ecommerce user experience and platform. - Your specific industry needs
Some industries require additional know-how to fully optimize their content. For example, online gaming or gambling organizations need to comply with many security and domain name regulations. Compliance with PCI DSS, or Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards, is required for any business that transmits credit card data. Each industry has specific requirements for content delivery.
Resources:
Online Payment & Fraud Protection
Watch this video presented by Forrester to understand how to secure online payments and information, and consider how a CDN can help alleviate these concerns.
The Checklist All Online Gambling Site Managers Must Have
Learn the most important considerations for managing a secure online gambling and gaming site, and specifically where a content delivery network comes into play.
We hope these resources aid your navigation through the CDN buying process. It will help you to define what type of content you need to optimize, who and where your users are, how they access your content, and why they need your content delivered. With these answers clearly identified, you can present a prospective CDN provider with a crystal clear picture of your content delivery needs. Clearly communicating these needs will help the CDN provider respond to your specific concerns and help you determine if that CDN solution is the best content delivery networking decision for your business.
For more information on global content delivery networking and web performance services, contact CDNetworks today, www.cdnetworks.com.
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