Frost Radar™: Next-gen Content Delivery Networks and Edge Services, 2025

The Frost Radar™ for the next-gen content delivery networks (CDN) and edge services industry analyzes providers offering services to deliver web content, video, and applications to end-users with high performance, low latency, and robust security. The CDN market has evolved to include:

1. Traditional Content Delivery: caching, content acceleration, and distribution.
2. Edge Computing: decentralized computing, edge storage, and real-time processing.
3. Security: protection against cyber threats, DDoS attacks, and content piracy.
4. Cloud-Native Services: integration with cloud platforms, serverless computing, and cloud-based security.

The CDN industry has transformed from solely focusing on content delivery to providing a comprehensive suite of services that enable secure, high-performance, and real-time content delivery, edge computing, and cloud-native services.

Reducing latency and enhancing performance are critical challenges in the next-gen CDN and edge services market. The rapid growth of video streaming services and the increasing demand for high-resolution content (such as 4K and 8K videos), as well as lower latency, are pushing the limits of traditional CDN infrastructure. Additionally, as real-time applications like IoT, smart cities, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) become more prevalent, the demand for low-latency, high-performance content delivery networks (CDNs) is increasingly growing. Market leaders are addressing this challenge by integrating edge computing solutions that process data closer to end-users, significantly reducing latency and improving performance. This transformation is essential for supporting the growing demand for bandwidth-intensive digital experiences.

The CDN and edge services market is witnessing a transformation driven by innovative business models and megatrends. Traditional CDNs operated on a per-byte traffic charging model, but this approach is becoming commoditized. Providers are now expanding their service portfolios to include higher value-add networks and security services, creating subscription-based packages. This diversification is reshaping the market, with top-tier providers offering comprehensive solutions that encompass content delivery, security, and edge computing.

The market is characterized by intense competition and geopolitical challenges. Consolidation among major players and the entry of cloud providers and ISPs are increasing competitive pressure. Additionally, geopolitical factors such as data sovereignty and localization regulations are complicating global content delivery. Successful companies are navigating these challenges by adopting multi-cloud strategies, enhancing their security offerings, and expanding their global reach through partnerships and localized presence.

Frost & Sullivan selected the 13 companies profiled in this Frost Radar™ based on their ability to meet a set of specific criteria, including offering a comprehensive CDN solution with a significant global presence, providing robust edge computing capabilities, integrating advanced security features, supporting cloud-native services, demonstrating innovation and R&D investments, having a visible customer base and significant revenues, and providing a user-friendly platform.