Called "CDNLayer," the service will optimize the delivery of content using a network of geographically distributed server nodes for storing and streaming material.

SoftLayer's announcement describes its CDN as "the simplest and most competitive CDN solution in the market." The service costs $20 per month for 200GB of data transferred, and 20 cents per GB on top of that limit.

Over approximately the past year, SoftLayer has grown quickly, becoming one of the relatively few serious contenders for the valuable and fiercely competitive dedicated server market.

Last week, the company announced that it had opened a new data center facility in the DC area, the third data center the company has opened in the last five months. That list also includes a Dallas facility launched in March.

With all its expanding capacity, says SoftLayer, CDNLayer is a valuable expansion of the company's services that will help it cope with customer demand for enhanced delivery of rich content like video and other entertainment media.

The Internet, says SoftLayer, was not originally designed to deliver content that requires heavy transfer rates and the increasing complexity of online content can lead to slowdowns or disruptions in service when delivered using traditional means.

"CDNLayer is one more way we provide enterprise-class services to customers of any size," said Nathan Day, SoftLayer's CTO, in a press release. "Consumer demand for online video and media-rich websites is exploding. Companies and individuals in every industry, from entertainment and gaming to social networking and e-commerce, will benefit from using CDNLayer to optimize their content management and delivery."

SoftLayer says CDNLayer includes tools for improved management, assisting with the monetization of the content being delivered.