US-based cloud computing and Content Delivery Network (CDN) company Akamai plans to end its CDN in China.

Services in the country will cease on June 30, 2026, the company said in a letter to customers. After this point, any remaining content requests will be automatically served from neighboring countries.

For those looking to keep data within China, Akamai has turned to two partners - Tencent Cloud and Wangsu Science & Technology.

Tencent migration services and support are currently available, while Wangsu migration is "coming soon."

"We understand that change can be challenging, but we are committed to making this process as smooth as possible for you," Akamai said in its customer letter.

The company has long looked to shift beyond its CDN roots in search of higher, more stable returns.

"Akamai first made its name with the invention of content delivery services, and we're still the world's leader in that market today," co-founder and CEO Dr. Tom Leighton said in a Q2 2024 earnings call.

"As we've said in previous calls, our delivery business has been challenged in recent quarters by macroeconomic and geopolitical headwinds."

He added: "We will continue to take steps to retain our market leadership while also reinvesting most of the cash flow from our delivery product line into the fast-growing areas of the business. In Q2, delivery accounted for one-third of our revenue, or $329 million. This is quite a change from five years ago when delivery accounted for two-thirds of Akamai revenue."

Instead, "Akamai is undergoing a fundamental transformation from a content delivery pioneer into the cybersecurity and cloud computing company that powers and protects business online," Leighton said in a Q3 earnings call.

"We're very pleased to see our security business exceed $2 billion in annual revenue run rate and we're very excited about the enormous potential for future growth in cloud computing."