Guest: Santiago Giraldo (LinkedIn)
Companies: Akamai (Twitter) 
Show: Let’s Talk

Distributed computing is transforming the digital landscape by enhancing user experiences, bringing processing power closer to end-users and reducing latency for demanding applications like live streaming and artificial intelligence (AI). In this episode, Santiago Giraldo, Director of Product Marketing at Akamai, delves into the benefits of distributed computing, key use cases across various industries, and how Akamai tackles challenges like those posed by edge-native applications, AI inferencing, and the need for seamless integration of security in distributed cloud solutions. Giraldo says, “[Akamai] enables you to power those applications at a global scale with less overhead, less cost, less complexity, and a more streamlined way to provide a better experience for your users.”

Understanding distributed computing vs. traditional cloud models

• Giraldo talks about distributed computing and its impact on cloud infrastructure, explaining that traditional cloud computing models rely heavily on large, monolithic data centers across regions, creating latency and performance issues for applications requiring rapid, real-time responses.
• Distributed computing is a framework designed to bring processing power closer to end-users, enhancing experiences for data-heavy applications such as video streaming, online gaming, and personalized user content.
• Giraldo stresses the necessity of ultra-low latency for modern applications, pointing out that the centralized nature of traditional cloud systems often hampers the quality of user experiences and service reliability.

Examples of distributed computing applications and use cases

• Giraldo highlights video streaming as a key use case, explaining how placing compute resources near users lowers latency, ensuring a smooth and responsive experience for live and on-demand streaming services.
• Giraldo illustrates distributed computing’s role in retail, where quickly adapting ad content to user behavior drives higher engagement and reduces customer churn, making interactions more relevant and effective.
• Giraldo discusses gaming as another prime example, where low latency is crucial for real-time matchmaking and creating immersive, high-quality user experiences, which are central to competitive online games.
• Distributed computing also helps address infrastructure gaps in regions with limited tech resources, such as parts of South America, Africa, and Asia, enabling broader and more reliable service delivery.

What are the key challenges of distributed cloud computing and how Akamai is helping?

• Giraldo talks about the core challenges of distributed cloud, focusing on how companies manage latency, security, and complexity in global application deployment.
• Giraldo describes how edge-native applications demand ultra-low latency for time-sensitive tasks, such as deploying machine learning models that drive split-second, mission-critical decisions.
• Giraldo details the complexities involved in global application rollouts, explaining how Akamai’s distributed cloud helps reduce costs and operational overhead by streamlining application management across regions.
• A cohesive “compute continuum” that lets developers manage applications seamlessly without worrying about security issues or excessive infrastructure burdens is essential.

How AI and GPT-3 are being leveraged in distributed cloud environments

• Giraldo talks about how AI and GPT-3 are optimized within distributed cloud systems, explaining that while large language models (LLMs) like GPT-3 are commoditized, Akamai’s focus is on helping companies deploy them effectively for specialized, high-impact business applications.
• Giraldo emphasizes the role of AI inferencing in speeding up decision-making processes, helping businesses gain rapid insights that are essential for customer engagement and operational efficiency.
• Giraldo discusses how Akamai’s distributed cloud supports AI applications by scaling inference capabilities, minimizing delay in decision-making, and enhancing the overall quality of real-time business outcomes.

The importance of robust security in a distributed cloud model

• Giraldo delves into the heightened importance of secure frameworks within the increasingly popular distributed cloud infrastructure.
• Akamai’s security suite is tightly integrated into its cloud platform, offering streamlined protection that supports secure data delivery, compute, and end-to-end application management.
• Giraldo tells us that distributed cloud models allow enterprises to securely deliver applications with ultra-low latency, which is especially critical for handling sensitive data and regulatory compliance needs.
• Giraldo underscores the benefits of Akamai’s integrated approach to security, allowing developers to seamlessly manage both security and compute functions, ensuring a consistent and reliable user experience.

How Akamai’s distributed cloud is facilitating edge compute

• Giraldo discusses how Akamai’s platform enables companies to easily shift compute resources to the edge, expanding functionality beyond traditional centralized data centers.
• Akamai’s distributed cloud provides a “continuum of compute” resources, blending core and edge computing to deliver applications dynamically with high efficiency.
• This means that developers can deploy globally optimized applications without replicating entire workloads, enabling lighter, more targeted processing closer to users and reducing resource strain.
• Giraldo emphasizes the strength of Akamai’s expansive edge network, which allows applications to be delivered seamlessly on a global scale, meeting regional demands with lower latency and higher reliability.

This summary was written by Emily Nicholls.