Overview
21Vianet (ticker: VNET) is a leading Chinese data center and cloud infrastructure provider, founded in 1996, headquartered in Beijing, China. As one of the few comprehensive providers holding the MIIT nationwide CDN license, cloud license, and IDC license, 21Vianet has a natural compliance advantage and is the exclusive operating partner for Microsoft Azure in China. Its CDN network covers major cities and all four major carriers across the country, serving large enterprises, government agencies, and multinational companies. This page belongs to the CDN acceleration category.
Key Strengths
- Nationwide CDN license: Holds the MIIT nationwide CDN license with ISO 27001 and SOC 2 audits, suited to finance, healthcare, and government.
- Exclusive Azure China operation: The only operating partner for Microsoft Azure in China; Azure users can configure CDN as an acceleration layer for storage, web apps, and media.
- Broad China coverage: Hundreds of edge nodes covering all provinces and major carriers with a self-built BGP backbone; 20ms average latency in East/North China.
- Enterprise-grade SLA: 99.95% availability commitment, 24/7 operations, and dedicated account management.
- Microsoft ecosystem integration: Shared Azure console experience with ARM templates or Terraform automation.
Product Ecosystem
CDN Acceleration (Core)
Compliant static and dynamic content acceleration in China for images, video, downloads, and APIs.
Azure China CDN
Acceleration layer integrated with Azure Storage, Web Apps, and Media Services.
IDC Hosting
End-to-end network quality combined with 21Vianet data centers.
Security and Compliance
DDoS protection, HTTPS encryption, and MLPS compliance.
Limitations
- Limited overseas nodes: Overseas coverage is limited; global acceleration lags Cloudflare and AWS CloudFront.
- Simpler product matrix: Less one-stop capability than Aliyun CDN in image processing and video transcoding.
- Higher pricing: Less price-competitive, with higher costs for small sites.
Use Cases
- Foreign enterprise localization (★★★★★): Enterprises needing compliant CDN acceleration inside China.
- Azure ecosystem users (★★★★★): Enterprises already using Azure China; see the global data center market.
- Government and regulated industries (★★★★☆): Compliant acceleration for finance, healthcare, and government.
- China UX optimization (★★★★☆): E-commerce and media platforms serving Chinese users.
- Multi-CDN architecture (★★★☆☆): Pair with multi-CDN load balancing for mixed domestic and overseas business.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go | Usage-based | Billed by actual traffic |
| Enterprise Custom | Custom quote | Government SLA and dedicated service |
Note: 21Vianet CDN pricing varies by plan and usage; see the 21Vianet official website.
FAQ
- Is 21Vianet CDN free? It is primarily usage-based with no long-term free plan; trial quotas may be available; for cost evaluation, see the website performance optimization guide.
- Is it for overseas users? Overseas node coverage is limited; pair with a global CDN like Cloudflare; see multi-CDN load balancing.
- What is the Azure relationship? 21Vianet is the exclusive Azure China operating partner; Azure CDN is built and operated by 21Vianet; see the global data center market.
- How is compliance? Holds the nationwide CDN license with ISO 27001 and SOC 2 audits, suited to regulated industries; see the website security checklist.
- 21Vianet vs Aliyun CDN? 21Vianet excels in compliance and the Azure ecosystem; Aliyun excels in feature richness and value; see Aliyun CDN.