Steam, the world’s largest online gaming platform, has extended its relationship with Highwinds Network Group to include Highwind’s content delivery network. Steam’s parent company Valve Corp. has been a customer of Highwinds’ network services for several years.
Mike Dunkle, who handles source licensing and business development for Valve, said the deal would support Steam expand beyond its current size and scope. Steam reports that it delivers over 1,300 games to more than 30 million active users, with the number of peak simultaneous players quickly approaching five million. The platform offers consumers both paid and free games for PC and Mac.
“As our customer base grows internationally and we continue to post large year-over-year increases in our numbers, Highwinds remains a vital partner for us,” Dunkle said. “The global reach and massive scalability of Highwinds CDN make it an ideal solution for our game delivery needs.”
Steam is a broadband platform for the delivery and management of digital content. It and game engine Source are among the technologies developed by Valve, an entertainment software and technology company based in Bellevue, Wash. The company’s portfolio of entertainment properties includes Half-Life, Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat, Team Fortress, Portal and Left 4 Dead, accounting for over 35 million retail units sold worldwide.
