The Global Internet Speedup Initiative is an alliance of companies that want to make the Internet faster by shortening the distance that data has to travel. CDNetworks, a multinational content delivery network, has announced its intention to participate.

Jeff Kim, CDNetworks’ COO of US and EMEA stated that joining the Global Internet Speedup initiative was testimony to the fact that the company’s focus was on optimizing end user experience anywhere in the world.

Recent announcements made by CDNetworks regarding its expansion across the Middle East and China and the availability of a Dynamic Network Acceleration to speed user access to mission critical applications in challenging and emerging markets were precursors to its intention to join the Global Internet Speed up Initiative.

“As the CDN category leader in the world’s most challenging markets, our more than 1,200 customers rely on us each day to speed their dynamic Web content and applications globally,” said Kim, in a press release.

According to the team of partners, in order to make this initiative a success, companies needed to cooperate on open standards about the routing of traffic. Hence, a draft to this effect was created in 2010 and OpenDNS recently began implementing the code.

“We’re excited to have CDNetworks as part of the Global Internet Speedup initiative team of partners,” said OpenDNS CEO David Ulevitch, in a statement “Their participation will help to speed Internet performance for millions of Internet users around the world.”

OpenDNS alone has about two percent of the internet users, while Google (News - Alert) Public DNS service has a large following.

In related news, CDNetworks announced new points-of-presence in Iraq, Israel, and Saudi Arabia. Businesses can now deliver Web content and applications in a high-performance and cost-efficient manner to the Middle East’s growing Internet user population.

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