Edge Network Acceleration (ENA) gives enterprises dedicated, private connectivity between branches, data centers, and Alibaba Cloud — without routing traffic over the public Internet. Built on Alibaba Cloud's globally distributed edge compute nodes and compliant network resources of carriers, ENA delivers stable, low-latency connections that replace traditional leased line deployments.
With ENA, you can:
Connect corporate branches directly over a private intranet
Link on-premises data centers (DCs) with dedicated connections
Bridge your corporate intranet to Alibaba Cloud point of presence (POP) gateways
Benefits
The table below compares ENA with traditional end-to-end dedicated circuit deployments.
| Benefit | Traditional approach | ENA |
|---|---|---|
| Security | Traffic traverses the public Internet, exposing data to interception risks. | Traffic travels over a dedicated connection built for your enterprise, bypassing the public Internet. |
| Latency | Branch offices communicate through centralized hubs, adding roundabout paths and delay. | Branches communicate directly over the corporate intranet with low latency. |
| Provisioning speed | End-to-end circuit construction takes weeks to months. | ENA builds a dedicated connection from your corporate intranet to an Alibaba Cloud POP gateway in significantly less time. |
| Geographic coverage | Coverage depends on carrier agreements and varies by region. | Access points span more than 30 cities worldwide, with multi-city redundant access available. |
| Operational overhead | You must coordinate separate procurement, installation, and carrier workflows. | ENA handles the connection to Alibaba Cloud POP gateways end to end. |
| On-site costs | Per-site hardware investment and multi-year circuit contracts required. | On-site installation costs are substantially lower than traditional end-to-end circuit deployments. |
Use cases
Hybrid networking
Connect your corporate intranet to an Alibaba Cloud POP gateway through a dedicated connection.
Best for: Enterprises migrating workloads to Alibaba Cloud that need private, stable connectivity without managing separate circuit procurement and installation.
Data center connectivity
Build a dedicated connection between your self-managed DCs for high-speed, stable inter-DC throughput without relying on public Internet links.
Best for: Enterprises with on-premises or collocated DCs that need reliable, high-bandwidth connectivity between sites.
Cross-region intranet for distributed enterprises
Establish connections between on-premises branches and Alibaba Cloud POP gateways across regions, providing a cost-effective path to a unified cross-region intranet.
Best for: Chain enterprises or organizations with multiple office locations that need consistent intranet access across geographies.
Cloud connectivity for cloud-first enterprises
Use ENA to provide high-assurance, cost-effective dedicated connections that ensure service stability for medium- and high-end customers.
Best for: Enterprises with production workloads on Alibaba Cloud that require dedicated, reliable connectivity for critical services.