Cloud services leader named to the Red Herring 100, Chicago’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work for, and as a finalist for the Cloud Computing World Series

CHICAGO – July 6, 2011 – Model Metrics, the leader in cloud computing services for the enterprise, today announced industry recognition for its growth and success. The company was selected as one of Red Herring’s Top 100 North America, one of “Chicago’s 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For” by the National Association for Business Resources (NABR),  and a finalist for the Cloud Computing World Series for Best Cloud Application.

This recognition follows a number of other recent accolades the company has received:

• Customer Ingram Micro received IDG’s CIO Magazine’s 2011 CIO 100 Award.
• Named a "Cool Vendor" in the Cool Vendors in Application Services, 2011 report by Gartner, Inc. [1
• ]Named a Strong Performer in The Forrester Wave™: Salesforce.com Implementation, Q2 2011 (Forrester Research, Inc., May 13, 2011).
• CEO Adam Caplan received the 2011 Illinois Technology Association (ITA) CityLIGHTS award for CEO of the Year and the Kellogg Alumni Rising Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
• Named a finalist for Customer Service and Call Center Consulting Practice of the Year in the 5th annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

“We are just halfway through and it’s already been a tremendous year for Model Metrics,” said Adam Caplan, CEO of Model Metrics. “With the converging trends of cloud computing, the social enterprise, and mobility, the stars have aligned for us as enterprises look for guidance and development expertise to take advantage of these technology innovations.”

Additional comments:

• “Choosing the companies with the strongest potential was by no means a small feat,” said Alex Vieux, publisher and CEO of Red Herring. “After rigorous contemplation and discussion, we narrowed our list down from hundreds of candidates from across North America to the Top 100 Winners. We believe Model Metrics embodies the vision, drive and innovation that define a successful entrepreneurial venture. Model Metrics should be proud of its accomplishment, as the competition was very strong.”
• “This year’s winners of Chicago’s 100 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For epitomize what it means to be committed to employees. Our winners excelled at employee relations, used innovation to motivate employees, implemented creative compensation programs and more. They serve as a standard for other companies to work toward,” said Jennifer Kluge, NABR president. “We are proud to honor this year’s 101 winners.”

[1] Gartner “Cool Vendors in Application Services” by Susan Tan, Matthew Goldman et al, April 7, 2011

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, 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 and iPad 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 Contacts:
Kelly Indrieri, Public Relations, Model Metrics, 1.650.340.1983, kelly@kulesafaul.com

Just yesterday, Engadget covered stories coming from both Gartner and IDC, two of the preeminent research and analysis firms in the country. Both agree that Android has exploded on the market, moving from a 9.6% market share last quarter to 17.2% market share currently.

Google’s grand vision of running multiple devices across multiple carriers is coming to fruition, as the Android devices have eclipsed Apple’s IOS in sales.

Mobile devices have been one of the industries that in spite of significant economic headwinds have continued explosive growth, especially smart phones. This is a big part of why Model Metrics develops so much for the mobile market – field workers in every industry are demanding remote access, and we’re more than happy to help.

I hate cloud computing. There, I said it. OK, maybe it’s not cloud computing I hate, it’s the buzz and hype associated with the term.

Whenever a technology acquires a sexy new term, companies that have nothing to do with it use the term in order to be associated with being hip or cool. This concept is on painful exhibit with HD Sunglasses. You mean to tell me I’ve been seeing everything in VHS-quality my whole life and all I needed was sunglasses to get my 1080p? Ridiculous, right?

And just like that, a term that used to have meaning becomes diluted, and people who aren’t early adopters become disillusioned.

Gartner has recognized this trend with cloud computing, calling the hype "deafening." This is a real problem for IT and business professionals alike who want to learn what cloud computing is and what it can do for their business. The problem is in the signal to noise ratio. Too much BS, not enough substance.

My message to people who are legitimately trying to learn is this: as someone whose career has always been in tech, cloud computing is very real. Organizations who do not embrace the technology are going to get steamrolled by those who do. If you’re not moving forward you’re getting passed – that is the way of business.

Cloud computing is by and large cheaper than on-premise applications, adapts more quickly to the needs of your business, and is far more extensible than traditional apps. It is not the answer for everything, but it can make your business much more nimble.