While there are plenty of no-cost software products for IT managers, tackling everything from net management to security, "free" isn't a word often associated with application delivery technologies. This week, however, Velocix made headlines by announcing a free digital delivery service.

U.K.-based Velocix (formerly CacheLogic) claims its Accelerator service is the world’s first free content delivery network (CDN). It includes a 500GB per month delivery allowance for file download, video streaming and Web-site acceleration services -- a deal worth $8,000 per year, the company says.

Its point is to be disruptive: “Velocix is committed to disrupting the traditional CDN marketplace with breakthrough delivery performance, economics and control,” said CEO Phill Robinson in a statement. “Our Velocix Accelerator service exceeds this commitment in every respect, and turns the CDN sector on its head."

Attention-grabbing prices are familiar in the highly competitive CDN market, where it can be tough for providers to distinguish themselves. As demand for CDN services escalates, many players are trying to compete on price, according to Amy Larsen DeCarlo, a principal analyst at Current Analysis. 

“As CDN providers strive to differentiate their services and retain customer loyalty, new and hungry content delivery providers are targeting specific market segments to build customer share, especially among the more price-conscious small to medium businesses,” DeCarlo wrote in a recent research report. “The provider that is able to offer a clear differentiation in the market, either in terms of service or customer satisfaction, is likely to garner a larger portion of the market and better compete against Akamai, which continues to reign as the top dog.”

Velocix’s Accelerator service is aimed at entrepreneurs, start-ups and established companies looking to distribute rich media such as video, music, games and software. One early user of the service is Uploaded.TV, a social network and video-sharing portal that lets end users buy airtime on TV stations worldwide.

"Velocix Accelerator is perfect for our needs right now as we build our audience and drive awareness and adoption of our unique business model," said Adam Urban, CEO at Uploaded.TV. "Our users around the world are already benefiting from Velocix with uninterrupted video playback, and a highly responsive Uploaded.TV Web site."

Ann Bednarz is associate news editor at Network World.