Optimizely moves experiments from the browser to the CDN with Performance Edge

Optimizely this week launched Performance Edge, a new product that enables visual-editor based website experiments to run faster by moving decision logic from the browser to the CDN. Performance Edge will be available globally as a paid add-on for Optimizely Web. Now, Performance Edge is available in early access to select Optimizely Web capabilities and customers.

According to Optimizely, companies that run over 200 experiments annually can drive a reported 14 percent or greater revenue lift, but high volume of experiments can impact site performance as each experiment adds workload to the browser. Optimizely says experiments with Performance Edge run on average in less than 50 milliseconds or faster than the blink of an eye.

“Keeping sites and apps loading lightning-fast while running more and more experiments is critical for digital companies looking to compete on experience. Over the years we’ve seen companies, such as IBM and StubHub, expand their experimentation programs by growing the number of team members and the number of experiments run on a daily basis. As these companies scale, they need an experience optimization platform that prioritizes performance, which is why we’ve built the world’s first Experiment Delivery Network,” said Claire Vo, senior vice president of Product, Optimizely. “We’re excited to announce the first product offering that takes advantage of it — Optimizely Performance Edge.”

Optimizely’s Experiment Delivery Network (EDN) technology is the foundation for Performance Edge and is powered by Cloudflare Workers, which runs code at the edge of Cloudflare’s global network with low latency, allowing experiments to be run in the browser much faster even as companies scale to hundreds of experiments.

“We built Cloudflare Workers to give developers the ability to deploy and execute code directly at the edge of Cloudflare’s global network, which spans 194 cities in more than 90 countries,” said Rita Kozlov, product manager of Workers at Cloudflare. “Optimizely’s Performance Edge product builds upon our vision, and empowers their customers to bring the experience even closer to their end users.”

Optimizely’s Performance Edge is compatible with multiple CDNs and serverless worker technologies.