Model Metrics Delivers Mifos Technology Solution to Central Africa Through Amazon Web Services

CHICAGO, March 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Model Metrics, the leader in cloud computing services for the enterprise and an Amazon Web Services Solution Provider, today announced it has partnered with Global Business Assist and Grameen Foundation's Mifos™ Initiative to migrate the Mifos platform to Amazon Web Services to support Global Business Assist's microfinance programs in Africa.

The Mifos platform is a centralized open source technology platform that provides microfinance institutions with the technology they need to reliably and securely process, track and record the flow of funds, and maintain accountability to their borrowers and investors.

Model Metrics donated its time to work with Global Business Assist volunteer Stephen Kaufman to migrate the application from a web hosting service to the cloud. With web hosting service providers, Kaufman had encountered challenges in delivering Mifos cost-effectively, consistently and securely to micro financiers in developing countries around the world. Kaufman turned to Model Metrics for assistance in taking the Mifos platform to the cloud to provide a greater level of security and reduce the downtime required for offline testing, repairs and management.

Model Metrics utilized Amazon Elastic Block Store (EBS) to provide block level storage volumes for use with Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instances. Elastic IP addresses and Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) enables bundled Amazon Machine Images (AMI). Multiple instances mean that additional bandwidth can easily be added if needed.

"Amazon Web Services strengthens the delivery of this one-of-a-kind technology solution," said Adam Caplan, Model Metrics chief executive officer. "Amazon Web Services positions Global Business Assist for future growth and evolution so it can continue to deliver its remarkable, innovative services for the good of the people."

Kaufman, who serves as chief technology officer of a global brand development firm in addition to his work as a volunteer and board member for Global Business Assist, says, "Donors want to know exactly where their money is going, and Mifos helps Global Business Assist ensure that level of accountability and visibility. People expect a certain level of transparency. Now they can easily follow their funds to the end user, and see how it is being used and how it is being repaid."

The Mifos platform plays an essential role in helping break the cycle of poverty in developing countries by fueling the growth of microfinance institutions.

Mifos is led and driven by the Grameen Foundation, and extended by the Mifos community of microfinance institutions, IT professionals and software developers. A global community of paid and unpaid developers and IT specialists collaborate to write code, conduct peer reviews, find and fix bugs, and build new features into the platform, while a network of locally-based Mifos deployment and support specialists assist with implementation.

Model Metrics offers customers a wide range of services and solutions utilizing Amazon Web Services to help companies move to the cloud, including:

• Cloud computing strategy development and architecture advisory
• eCommerce and website hosting
• IT infrastructure enablement
• Custom application development on AWS
• Mass storage solutions

Model Metrics is an inaugural member of the Amazon Web Services Solutions Providers Program and founded the Chicago AWS user group (www.amazonchicago.com) and the Minneapolis AWS user group (www.amazontwincities.com).

About Model Metrics

Model Metrics delivers solutions and services at the cutting edge of the cloud computing industry. Since its founding in 2003, Model Metrics has become one of the most diversified and respected partners of salesforce.com, Amazon Web Services, Adobe, and Google. Headquartered in Chicago with offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Detroit, Minneapolis and Dallas, Model Metrics' customer base spans all industries and includes enterprises such as Abbott, Allstate, Aon, Cars.com, CME Group, Honeywell, InfoUSA, MasterCard, Medtronic, and Orbitz.

With a focus on mobile and call center technology, business process and change management innovation, and custom development, Model Metrics has 4,600+ customers and has completed 1,100+ salesforce.com implementations for mid-sized and Fortune 1000 companies. Its world-class application development skills using Force.com, Adobe Flex and AIR, Amazon Web Services, Google and the Apple iPhone enable the creation of custom applications featuring multimedia-rich user experiences. To learn more, visit www.modelmetrics.com or email [email protected] or call 877.542.2885. Follow us on Twitter at @modelmetricsinc.

About Mifos Project

Mifos is Grameen Foundation's award-winning open source information management platform for microfinance. It provides the industry cost-effective access to a flexible technology solution that scales and evolves to help MFIs more efficiently and effectively deliver financial services to the poor. Currently Mifos is being used in production by 10 microfinance institutions across India, Tunisia, Kenya, Philippines and Senegal serving more than 550,000 clients. Mifos is part of the Technology for Microfinance Initiative based at the Grameen Technology Center in Seattle. Committed to transforming technology from a barrier into an accelerator for microfinance, in conjunction with this open platform, Grameen Foundation provides business consulting, educational services, front-office innovations, and a worldwide community to create measurable business results and social impact through strategic technology investments. For more information, please visit www.mifos.org.

About Global Business Assist

Global Business Assist is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering the world's powerless through micro-loans, micro-business empowerment, and community development. By connecting families and business professionals in the west to entrepreneurs in developing areas of the world, we intend to help these entrepreneurs to not only feed their own families for a lifetime, but also contribute to the welfare of their own communities. For more information, visit http://www.gba.org on the web or follow us on Twitter at @empoweringpeople.

SOURCE Model Metrics