Rackspace, Akamai Team Up For Cloud Optimization

According to Rackspace, the partnership with Akamai creates a one-stop shop for hosting, cloud computing, content and application delivery services and overlaid with Rackspace support. Rackspace said it will tie Akamai's Web acceleration and cloud optimization services into its dedicated and cloud hosting portfolio. Key Akamai features like CNAMEs, SSL and CDN delivery will be added to Rackspace's Cloud Files cloud storage service.

Additionally, Rackspace will resell Akamai site, application and cloud optimization and acceleration services to its customers.

For partners, resellers of Rackspace Cloud Files storage offering will also be able to sell CDN services from Akamai, the San Antonio-based hosting turned cloud computing provider said.

Rackspace said integrating Akamai's services into Rackspace's hosting and cloud offerings targets four hurdles of cloud migration: latency, availability, scalability and security. Akamai's services can reduce latency and provide for high availability in the cloud by leveraging more than 77,000 servers located in 71 countries.

"This is a strategic relationship for Akamai and Rackspace aimed at helping our enterprise customers realize the full potential of cloud services from the data center to the end user," said Willie Tejada, vice president of application and site acceleration for Akamai.

Rackspace plans to add Akamai's solutions as an add-on or as an embedded suite of services to its full range of dedicated, cloud and hybrid hosting offerings. First, Akamai's content delivery services will be integrated with Cloud Files. In the second quarter, Rackspace expects to begin offering its "Fanatical Support" on a range of Akamai services to be sold with Rackspace dedicated and cloud hosting services.