Company snapshot

CategoryHighwindsTurboBytes
Statusdefunctdefunct
Founded
Headquarters
Website
Docs

Overview

Highwinds Network Group, Inc., founded in 2002, provided content delivery network (CDN) services, cloud storage, IP transit, and colocation, serving clients like Blip.TV, Hudl, Valve, and CCP Games. Its RollingThunder network supported video streaming and gaming content delivery. Acquired by StackPath in 2017, Highwinds CDN was integrated into StackPath’s offerings but was discontinued in November 2023 as StackPath exited the CDN business. The service is now defunct, with no active operations.
TurboBytes was a MultiCDN platform founded in 2012 that optimized content delivery by dynamically routing traffic across multiple CDNs based on real-time performance metrics. It served publishers, e-commerce, and content providers seeking improved speed and reliability globally. The platform measured CDN performance from within users’ browsers and automatically selected the best-performing CDN for each region. TurboBytes is no longer operational, having been marked as a deadpooled company. No official announcement confirms the exact date of closure, but the company is considered defunct as of 2025.

Network & Architecture

Feature comparison

FeatureHighwindsTurboBytes
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

Integrations & DevEx

When it fits

When it doesn’t

History & Notes

Highwinds operated a global network with over 70 points of presence across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, known as RollingThunder. It secured significant funding, including $55 million in 2008 and $205 million in 2013, to expand its CDN infrastructure. After its 2017 acquisition by StackPath, Highwinds’ services were merged but faced integration challenges. Customer feedback on StackPath’s CDN, including Highwinds, highlighted declining support and price increases. Akamai acquired approximately 100 enterprise accounts from StackPath in 2023, but smaller customers needed to find alternatives independently.
TurboBytes was noted for its innovative approach to MultiCDN, leveraging real-time performance data to optimize content delivery. Its closure is not well-documented, with no public statements from the company or successors. Industry sources like Crunchbase and Tracxn confirm its defunct status, but conflicting reports or partial revivals are absent. The lack of an official website or archived documentation limits further insights into its operational history.