Fastly Shares the Most Notable Internet Infrastructure Milestones of 2019, and What 2020 Might Bring for the Expansion of Platform-Independent Computing

Fastly, Inc. (NYSE: FSLY), provider of a global edge cloud platform, today released its “Behind the Screens” retrospective detailing 2019’s notable milestones in internet infrastructure, from the increased adoption of modernized protocols, to the growth in reach and capacity of global high-speed internet, and more. Fastly’s CTO and co-founder, Tyler McMullen, anticipates that these advancements, combined with the rise of WebAssembly and the extension of code portability across platforms and devices, set the programming world up for achieving broader value from serverless computing.

The State of Internet Infrastructure in 2019

This year saw a groundswell of grassroots protocol improvements, sweeping shifts toward encryption due to increased focus on data privacy, and a preview into WebAssembly’s possibilities at the edge, as well as:

• New satellites that took to the sky and submarine cables that were installed to grow capacity around the globe.
• Congestion control reimagined through BBR, and increased privacy and security of DNS with DNS over HTTPS.
• Certificate logs that grew significantly, creating greater transparency that helped curb impersonators.
• Developers who fell deeper in love with WebAssembly (Wasm) and all of its possibilities beyond the browser.
• Rust maintaining its momentum as a well-loved language, solidifying itself as an ideal language for WebAssembly and edge computing.

2020 Ushers in True Platform Independence Through WebAssembly

Walker reports that 2020 will be the first year customer experience outweighs price and product as a key differentiator. Brands must deliver those experiences at lightning speed and with steadfast reliability across a growing number of devices and platforms to keep end users happy. McMullen anticipates that, supported by these notable and ongoing infrastructure evolutions, 2020 will see the platform-independent natures of Wasm and the WebAssembly System Interface (WASI) help bring those experiences to life through more portable programming across platforms and devices.

Today, companies typically build code across many different platforms: internal servers, cloud and serverless computing, mobile phones, and even embedded devices. Meanwhile, the way programming develops software still looks like it did when there was only one platform to deploy to. Alongside the power of serverless computing, more portable programming possibilities opened up by Wasm mean developers can deliver the fast, reliable end user experiences brands and enterprises are counting on them to build.

“Imagine taking code that you’ve written, and running it not just on the place that it was intended for, but at scale, across entirely different platforms,” says McMullen. “Think laptops, watches, TVs, or a camera that's plugged into your network at home — not to mention at the edge, on and off a server, and everywhere else. If it catches on the way we believe it might, and alongside the growing serverless computing landscape, it will fundamentally change how people around the world approach programming next year.”

Fastly President Joshua Bixby adds, “We’re dreamers at Fastly, and we’ve been dreaming about making more things possible at the edge since the company was founded eight years ago. A world built on serverless computing and greater portability in programming means we can take those big ideas and combine them with the power of the edge technology available to us to further our mission: to help brands deliver the experiences their end users expect, and help them maintain the trust our customers work so exceedingly hard to build with their communities.”

To read more about the internet’s major infrastructure milestones in 2019, check out the “Behind the Screens” retrospective. Read about Fastly CTO Tyler McMullen’s thoughts on what to expect in 2020 in his latest blog post.

About Fastly

Fastly helps people stay better connected with the things they love. Fastly’s edge cloud platform enables customers to create great digital experiences quickly, securely, and reliably by processing, serving, and securing our customers’ applications as close to their end-users as possible — at the edge of the internet. The platform is designed to take advantage of the modern internet, to be programmable, and to support agile software development. Fastly’s customers use our edge cloud platform to ensure concertgoers can buy tickets to the live events they love, travelers can book flights seamlessly and embark on their next great adventure, and sports fans can stream events in real-time, across devices. They include many of the world’s most prominent companies, including Alaska Airlines, The New York Times, and Ticketmaster.

This press release contains “forward-looking” statements that are based on Fastly’s beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to Fastly on the date of this press release. Forward-looking statements may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause its actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, those regarding the expected value from and growth of serverless computing, and expectations regarding the impact of WASM and WASI on portable programming across platforms and devices. Except as required by law, Fastly assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Important factors that could cause Fastly’s actual results to differ materially are detailed from time to time in the reports Fastly files with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including in its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. Copies of reports filed with the SEC are posted on Fastly’s website and are available from Fastly without charge.

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Contact information

Elaine Greenberg
press@fastly.com