Expanded services make enterprise cloud mobilization a reality with deployment accelerators and support for any platform using any device; New Digital Sales Aid for iPad application transforms sales for customers; Cloud services leader’s mobile projects grow by 600 percent

CHICAGO – October 5, 2011 – Model Metrics, the leader in cloud computing services for the enterprise, today announced expanded services that lift the barriers to mobilizing the enterprise workforce. Based on nearly ten years of expertise at the intersection of cloud and mobility, Model Metrics is introducing a new set of capabilities including deployment accelerators and support for multiple development technologies and form factors. Today, the company also released its first accelerator for the iPad, the Model Metrics Digital Sales Aid, an application which transforms how sales organizations sell in the field.  

“Today we are removing the obstacles to businesses becoming mobile social enterprises,” said Adam Caplan, CEO of Model Metrics. “The number of mobile projects we’ve completed this year has grown by 600 percent because of our unique understanding of what it takes to mobilize the cloud and to deliver tangible business value.”

Lifting the Barriers to Enterprise Cloud Mobility
The expanded set of services that Model Metrics is announcing today focus on mitigating four primary barriers to enterprise adoption of mobile clouds based on Model Metrics’ front line expertise with some of the largest mobile cloud deployments.

1. What should our mobile strategy be?

• Model Metrics’ Mobile Strategy Offering helps enterprises develop a roadmap towards a successful mobile cloud deployment. With today’s trends of device democratization and employee-driven device support, it is more complicated for enterprises to make decisions regarding device strategy, support, and application management, among many other factors. Model Metrics guides enterprises to define their mobile use cases, re-architect business process for a mobile environment, and determine what technology and form factors best suit their needs.  

2. What technology should we use?

• The optimal development technology varies greatly depending on customer use case and complexity. Model Metrics makes it easy for customers to accomplish their mobility objectives by providing support any development technology, including:
  • Native development – Model Metrics develops both iOS and Android applications, or leverages its 2GO Cloud Platform, which can be compiled to native apps for iOS and Android devices.
  • Web technology – With the growing popularity of HTML5, Model Metrics has developed multiple HTML5 applications to resolve cross platform issues that can arise in developing applications across mobile operating systems. Model Metrics also offers support for touch-based CRM apps.
  • Hybrid – Model Metrics can use a hybrid of HTML5 and native APIs to build complex enterprise mobile applications. HTML5 solves cross platform issues while leveraging native APIs creates richer applications, including being able to access cameras, GPS and RFID functionality.

 3. Which form factors should we deploy and support?

• The reality is that many companies do not have the luxury of rolling out an application for just one mobile device. This is partly due to employee-driven device support becoming more common. This makes mobile application development more costly and risky.
• Model Metrics’s cross-platform mobile development expertise makes it is possible for applications to run off a single code base across multiple form factors built by multiple manufacturers on multiple mobile operating systems. Its user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) expertise makes it possible to define UIs for each form factor, whether a smart phone or tablet.

4. How can we gain business value and competitive advantage?

• Model Metrics is helping customers gain tangible business value from mobility through pre-built deployment accelerators that make cloud mobilization faster and cheaper. Today Model Metrics is announcing the release of its first accelerator, the Model Metrics Digital Sales Aid for iPad.
• Already in use by more than 2,500 users, the Digital Sales Aid helps enterprises efficiently deliver compelling sales presentations on the go. The application enables field sales reps to quickly feature and demonstrate key product attributes using a variety of content that is kept up to date via synchronization with an enterprise content library.
• The Digital Sales Aid can be customized directly with an easy-to-use graphical UI. This includes complete flexibility on each screen for how the application looks and feels as well as the visual features iPad applications are known for.
• The Digital Sales Aid is available today on the salesforce.com AppExchange.
• View a demo here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UU2vAElHNaTWs&v=zcO4ph6bEso
• View this customer video here: http://www.modelmetrics.com/marketing-viewpoint/how-zimmer-is-taking-their-cloud-data-mobile-on-the-ipad/

Additional Resources

• Please see Model Metrics’ accompanying announcement today regarding its mobile customer momentum here: http://www.modelmetrics.com/about-us/press-releases/

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, Apple, and Google. Headquartered in Chicago with offices across the country, Model Metrics’ customer base spans all industries and includes enterprises such as Abbott, Allergan, Aon, Honeywell, L’Oreal, MasterCard, Medtronic, NBC Universal, The Boeing Company and Walgreens.

With a focus on mobile and call center technology, social enterprise solutions, business process and change management innovation, and custom development, Model Metrics has completed 1,500+ 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 http://www.modelmetrics.com. Follow us on Twitter at @modelmetricsinc.

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Media Contact:
Kelly Indrieri, Public Relations, Model Metrics, 1.650.340.1983, kelly@kulesafaul.com

1. Mobilize the cloud to deliver business value. Eighty percent of Model Metrics’ customers have smart phone and tablet adoption plans as part of their cloud deployment initiatives, growing Model Metrics’ number of mobile projects by nearly three times in 2011. Examples include dynamic illustrations of medical products on iPads to guide surgeons in operating rooms to custom mobile apps that track product inventory. Enterprises who approach their mobile strategies with the goal to improve business processes are experiencing business return.
2. Engage communities with social technologies. In addition to leveraging social technologies such as Facebook and Twitter to more closely engage with their communities, 60 percent of Model Metrics’ customers are exploring social enterprise technologies to improve employee collaboration. Enterprises are looking for guidance on how to turn this new paradigm of community engagement into business value using the cloud.
3. Transition any business process to the cloud. From compensation and supply chain management to customer facing retail systems, the sky is the limit when it comes to what enterprises are building in the cloud. New enterprise projects this year continue to diversify and the growth of custom apps on cloud platforms continues to accelerate to touch new areas of the business, including mobilizing customer-facing business processes, budget management and vertical industry apps.
4. Design cloud business apps that drive adoption. Enterprises want customized business and customer-facing apps that reflect their brand and are designed for usability, especially when it comes to mobile apps. This requires new design methodologies specific to cloud user experience (UX) and user interface (UI). Eighty percent of Model Metrics’ customers customize their UI and UX, including designing the most efficient clickstream for their specific business process. As a result, Model Metrics recently launched Model FX, the first creative design lab focused on cloud computing, to accelerate and extend its leadership in cloud app design.
5. Deploy globally, customize locally. Sixty percent of Model Metrics’ cloud deployments have global reach in 2011, double from a year ago. This is a result of multi-national enterprise adoption of the cloud and an increase in enterprise-wide use cases. These deployments feature multi-language support, localization and customer and partner access from anywhere in the world.   

• Model FX offers specialized services from concept to development as the first creative design lab focused on cloud computing.
• Model FX is now part of the company’s core solution delivery methodology, giving Model Metrics customers access to design services and the new dedicated cloud experience lab.
• Creative services include user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, beginning with consultation and proofs of concept (POCs).
• The Model FX team has extensive experience designing for mobile platforms and for the ‘gamification of IT,’ a concept which applies game mechanics in business applications to motivate employees or customers through ‘play,’ reward and ease of use.
• Model FX creative director Bill Stone brings more than 25 years of experience, including as executive creative director at Leo Burnett, the global advertising agency.

Large hospice and palliative care provider uses Model Metrics’ cloud deployment and integration expertise to gain business visibility, cost savings and ultimately provide high quality care to its community 

CHICAGO – May 2, 2011 – Model Metrics, a leader in cloud computing services for the enterprise, today announced the success of Tidewell Hospice in using cloud computing to provide high quality care to its patients and greater community. Florida’s premier hospice and palliative care provider, serving 1,300 patients a day, worked with Model Metrics to deploy Salesforce CRM and integrate it with its electronic medical records (EMR) system. Tidewell has greatly gained business visibility from the resulting system, improving the effectiveness of its business liaisons in building relationships with physicians, hospitals and the community, and giving the company a competitive advantage in the face of healthcare reform.

Bringing technological innovation to hospice and palliative care  
Tidewell’s innovative use of technology is paving the way for hospice and palliative care centers across the country. It wanted to extend the knowledge contained in its EMR system to track its referral relationships with physicians and hospitals, as well as fundraising, events and the grief and bereavement services it offers to families and its community. Tidewell saw the potential for CRM technology to support its business process, and leveraged donated and discounted licenses of Salesforce CRM from the Salesforce.com Foundation. It turned to Model Metrics for their expertise with Salesforce and the healthcare industry to customize the system to its unique needs.

• Model Metrics’ cloud expertise and proven methodology led to a quick deployment. Translating Tidewell’s requirements into visual prototypes happened nearly instantaneously, with the system being configured and customized in just 60 days. 
• The dashboards Model Metrics created give business liaisons and their directors new insight into their relationships with physicians and long term care facilities, including referral performance by physician and admission trending. Management is now able to leverage standardized and consolidated information to direct liaisons to work more efficiently on the best referral sources that create access to hospice benefit.
•  Model Metrics integrated the cloud-based CRM system to Tidewell’s EMR system using the Informatica Cloud. Patient information from the EMR system such as census data and their transitions is automatically updated in the Salesforce system on a real time basis. 
• As a result, Tidewell has been able to save costs. The new system did not require a significant increase in headcount or operation. In addition, the business visibility and control afforded by the new system gives Tidewell a competitive advantage by being able to quickly adapt and expand into new markets as a result of the changes taking place in healthcare reform and Medicare reimbursement.

Comments on the News

• “Model Metrics represents a new breed of services provider in the age of cloud computing. Their ability to provide nearly instantaneous proof of concepts of our vision, along with their healthcare and Salesforce domain expertise, was crucial in guiding us towards a solution that brings new innovation to how we run our business,” said Dave Lafferty, EVP and CIO, Tidewell Hospice. “Cloud computing not only affords us the opportunity to manage our organization without having to maintain a large IT department or infrastructure, but also gives us nimbleness to secure our future in the face of a changing healthcare system.”
• “Tidewell Hospice is exemplary for its use of cloud computing in a unique healthcare environment,” said Adam Caplan, CEO of Model Metrics. “Through its foresight into how a cloud-based CRM system could apply to how it manages relationships with its community, Tidewell is able to focus its resources on its core mission to provide the best possible care to its patients and their families.” 

About Tidewell Hospice
Serving more than 1,200 patients daily in Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte and DeSoto counties, Tidewell is one of the largest not-for-profit hospices in the U.S. Home-based palliative care is the basic premise of the program, involving the support of physicians, registered nurses, social service counselors, certified nursing assistants and volunteers, all following a prescribed plan of care. Tidewell's services are available to everyone, regardless of ability to pay. For more information, please visit: http://tidewell.org/

About Model Metrics
Model Metrics, enabler of the Model Enterprise, 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 completed 1,500+ 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 http://www.modelmetrics.com/ or follow us on Twitter at @modelmetricsinc.

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Contact:
Kelly Indrieri
Kulesa Faul for Model Metrics
(650) 340-1983
kelly@kulesafaul.com

Vendors selected for the “Cool Vendor” report are innovative, impactful and intriguing 

CHICAGO – April 18, 2011 – Model Metrics, the leader in cloud computing services for the enterprise, today announced it has been included in the list of "Cool Vendors" in the Cool Vendors in Application Services, 2011 report by Gartner, Inc.[1]

According to the report, the evolution to new models for consumption of enterprise applications and application services forces a response in how providers offer functionality and/or services. The vendors included in this report offer the innovative technologies and approaches required to meet current market demand in cool new ways.

Delivering solutions and services at the cutting edge of cloud computing

• Model Metrics helps businesses understand how to successfully leverage cloud technologies – from custom mobile solutions built in the cloud for the iPad and other devices, to service and support solutions, customer and partner portals, and strategic business process work.
• With a focus on mobile and custom application development, Model Metrics has 500+ customers and hundreds of thousands of users of its solutions by completing 1,500+ cloud implementations for mid-sized and Fortune 1000 companies. 
• Since its founding in 2003, Model Metrics has become one of the most diversified and respected partners of Adobe, Amazon Web Services, Apple, Google and salesforce.com.

Comments on the news
“We’re excited to be selected as a ‘Cool Vendor’ by Gartner,” said Adam Caplan, CEO of Model Metrics. “We were fortunate to start building our cloud experience early on, enabling us to extend our application expertise to meet the latest customer demands, such as enabling enterprise applications on any mobile device.”

* “Cool Vendor” Disclaimer
About Gartner's “Cool Vendor” Selection Process
Gartner's listing does not constitute an exhaustive list of vendors in any given technology area, but rather is designed to highlight interesting, new and innovative vendors, products and services. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness of a particular purpose. 

Gartner defines a cool vendor as a company that offers technologies or solutions that are: Innovative, enable users to do things they couldn't do before; Impactful, have, or will have, business impact (not just technology for the sake of technology); Intriguing, have caught Gartner's interest or curiosity in approximately the past six months. 

About Model Metrics
Model Metrics, enabler of the Model Enterprise, 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 across the country, Model Metrics' customer base spans all industries and includes enterprises such as Abbott, Allergan, Aon, Honeywell, L'Oreal, MasterCard, Medtronic, NBC Universal, The Boeing Company and Walgreens.

With a focus on mobile and call center technology, business process and change management innovation, and custom development, Model Metrics has 5,000+ customers and has completed 1,300+ 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 http://www.modelmetrics.com or follow us on Twitter at @ModelMetricsInc

Contact:
Kelly Indrieri
Kulesa Faul for Model Metrics
(650) 340-1983
kelly@kulesafaul.com

 Cloud Converter(???????????)??????????????????????????(??????????)?????? 

(???? 

I just posted Cloud Converter to Google code.  It’s a bunch of Java code that:

** connects to a dirt bound database you specify — anything with a JDBC connector should work (MySQL, Lotus Notes, Microsoft SQL, Oracle)
** inspects the meta data
** creates a matching object in Force.com
** modifies the default page layout to include all of the fields and creates a custom tab for it
** moves data from the dirt to the cloud

Pretty straightforward.  The "ReadMe.txt" gives more detail.  I’ll be putting together a screen flow shortly.  Questions?  Drop me an email: rcarlberg@modelmetrics.com.

Model Metrics has released this as open source with an MIT License. 

Enjoy!

1/7 Update: This is now on Salesforce.com’s Code Share.

Cloudware — used as early as 2007 to refer to things like Google Maps, normal people will start saying it this year to refer to just about everything.

"AWS It" — putting something on AWS’s S3, EC2 or Turk instead of going the dirt computing route.

Web 11.0 — someone will surely co-opt this meaningless string of syllables in a vain attempt to lend it real significance.  Won’t be dull enough to be widely used until mid 2010.  But seriously: I had to go all that way to Web 11.0 to find one that wasn’t  in some degree of use.  Check this out: formal definitions for Web 1.0 through Web 8.0.

"He’s an Abe"* — that guy — you know the one — who keeps arguing that you need to keep data on a server in house and that you can’t really deal with the downtime imposed by an external service provider’s schedule maintenance window.**

Pie — OK, that’s not PaaS / SaaS or otherwise buzzworthy.  I just like pie.   Any you’d like to contribute? Feel free in comments.

–

* Estimated time until we get a cease and desist or whatever on the image above? 9 minutes.  Special thanks to Josh Birk for  finding the image.

** Cause you know in house servers never go down.

It’s the time of year for predictions.  Everyone has their prognostication hat on. My thoughts?  We’ll need a buzzword for all those servers we’re killing.  It should be slightly negative.

I call dibs on "dirt computing". 

From what I can tell, 2009 is not likely to be a good year for dirt computing.