Company snapshot
| Category | Azion Technologies | Level3 |
|---|---|---|
| Status | active | defunct |
| Founded | — | — |
| Headquarters | — | — |
| Website | — | — |
| Docs | — | — |
Overview
Azion Technologies offers a global edge computing platform and CDN, focusing on performance, security, and scalability for digital applications. Founded in 2011, the company serves industries like e-commerce, finance, and media with solutions for web acceleration, security, and serverless computing. Customers include enterprises and developers building mission-critical applications such as AI, IoT, and real-time streaming. The platform emphasizes programmability and automation, integrating with modern DevOps workflows. Azion operates a global network with a strong presence in Latin America.
Level3, originally Level 3 Communications, was a multinational telecommunications and internet service provider that operated a global Tier-1 network and content delivery network (CDN) until its CDN services were discontinued in 2023. Acquired by CenturyLink (now Lumen Technologies) in 2017, it provided core transport, IP, voice, video, and content delivery for medium-to-large internet carriers. The CDN focused on video delivery, large object caching, and edge computing, serving clients across North America, Latin America, Europe, and parts of Asia. Level3’s CDN is no longer active, and its network assets are now managed under Lumen Technologies.
Network & Architecture
Azion operates over 100 points of presence (POPs) across North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania, with notable strength in Latin America, particularly Brazil. Its edge network leverages intelligent routing and peering with major ISPs to optimize latency and reliability. The platform uses a distributed architecture to support edge computing and content delivery, with capabilities like Edge Functions for serverless processing. Limitations include less extensive coverage in certain APAC and Middle Eastern regions compared to larger competitors like Cloudflare or Akamai.
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Feature comparison
| Feature | Azion Technologies | Level3 |
|---|---|---|
waf | ✓ | ✗ |
bot_mitigation | ✓ | ✗ |
ddos | ✓ | ✓ |
rate_limit | ✗ | ✗ |
http3_quic | ✓ | ✗ |
tls13 | ✓ | ✗ |
tiered_cache | ✓ | ✗ |
origin_shield | ✓ | ✓ |
instant_purge | ✓ | ✓ |
stale_while_revalidate | ✗ | ✗ |
stale_if_error | ✗ | ✗ |
image_optimization | ✓ | ✓ |
video_vod | ✓ | ✓ |
video_live | ✓ | ✓ |
drm | ✗ | ✗ |
hls_dash_packaging | ✗ | ✗ |
websockets | ✓ | ✗ |
signed_urls | ✓ | ✗ |
edge_compute | ✓ | ✓ |
functions | ✓ | ✗ |
kv_storage | ✓ | ✗ |
api_first | ✓ | ✓ |
realtime_logs | ✓ | ✓ |
log_push | ✓ | ✗ |
terraform | ✓ | ✗ |
Legend: ✓ = Supported, ✗ = Not supported, — = Not listed
Pricing
Azion uses a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model with pricing based on traffic, requests, and edge function executions. Enterprise plans are tailored for high-volume users, with custom pricing and SLAs. No free tier is publicly advertised, but trials are available for testing. Specific per-GB pricing is not disclosed without a quote, but costs are competitive for enterprise use cases. See https://www.azion.com/en/pricing/ for details.
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Integrations & DevEx
Azion supports Terraform for infrastructure-as-code, enabling automated deployments. SDKs and APIs are available for custom integrations, with an API-first design for programmatic control. Real-time logs and analytics integrate with tools like Datadog and Splunk via log push. The platform includes a CLI and supports CI/CD pipelines for DevOps workflows. Migration tools are available to simplify onboarding from other CDNs, with documentation at https://www.azion.com/en/documentation/.
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When it fits
- Enterprises needing a programmable edge platform for custom applications, especially in e-commerce or media.
- Developers in Latin America seeking a CDN with strong regional coverage and low latency.
- Teams requiring serverless edge computing with Terraform and API-first integrations.
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When it doesn’t
- Small businesses or startups looking for a free tier or simpler pricing models.
- Users needing extensive POP coverage in APAC or Middle East, where competitors like Cloudflare have broader reach.
- Applications requiring advanced video features like DRM or HLS/DASH packaging, which are not currently supported.
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History & Notes
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Level3 was a major player in the CDN market, leveraging its Tier-1 network to deliver high-performance content delivery, particularly for video and large files. Its acquisition of companies like Genuity, WilTel, and TW Telecom expanded its footprint, but the 2017 merger with CenturyLink shifted focus to broader network services. The CDN’s shutdown in 2023 was part of Lumen’s strategic pivot, though specific reasons for discontinuation were not publicly detailed. Some network assets may still support Lumen’s non-CDN services.