KPMG LLP, the professional services firm, announced today that it has built one of the largest Web sites ever in support of NetAid, a major initiative to help end the growing problems of extreme poverty around the world. KPMG, a leading Internet integrator in the marketplace, also developed e- commerce solutions for the global site as part of its support of NetAid. "KPMG is participating to help NetAid use the power of the Internet to fight poverty worldwide," said Stephen G. Butler, chairman and CEO of KPMG LLP. "As a global leader in Internet integration, we are gratified and excited to be able to deploy this revolutionary technology toward an important humanitarian goal. "It is fitting that one of the largest-scale Internet technology deployments in the world will have the potential to impact the lives of so many around the world. We're pleased that Cisco Systems and the United Nations Development Programme invited us to join them as a key sponsor of NetAid," Butler noted. KPMG announces its contribution to NetAid as Cisco Systems and the UNDP announced the first-of-its-kind, large-scale, effort to end world poverty combining leaders in technology, entertainment and social change. Akamai Technologies will serve the web site content using its Internet content delivery system, consisting of 1,500 servers in more than 90 data centers worldwide. "We have developed an unprecedented capability for the NetAid project in an unprecedented amount of time. The site is designed to handle as many as 1,000 donations per second," said Rod McGeary, vice chairman, consulting services for KPMG. "We are confident that KPMG's contribution will make the site a sustainable NetAid resource center long after the September site launch and the October concerts. "The Web site we've built will create opportunities for people to learn about causes of poverty like world hunger, contribute time and money, exchange ideas and expertise, and join with those leading the fight against extreme poverty," McGeary added. Launching September 8, the NetAid website (http://www.netaid.org), built by KPMG, is designed to accept 60 million hits an hour -- 10 times the peak received during the last Olympic games and 1998 Men's World Cup. KPMG completed the site in less than 90 days, months less than the time typically needed to construct mega-sites like this one. Facts about KPMG's NetAid Web site: -- KPMG has designed the site to support complex, distributed environments (multi-site, multi-server configurations) and to seamlessly integrate both television and Web media. -- To reach the access speeds needed, the entire site and its thousands of mirrors will be running entirely in RAM. -- The site will function as a "community of interest," with content being accrued from numerous and diverse resources. Content navigation is designed to create a positive user experience. -- KPMG has designed a content management system with standard templates for differing content providers. This will communicate a common look and feel across all media, increasing recognition and visibility for the project. -- The content management system will function in real time, and will be capable of affecting global changes across all media on the fly. -- The site will provide secure and reliable e-commerce. -- KPMG developed capability for twin databases of non-profit agencies and available resources to match resources with needs. KPMG LLP is the U.S. member firm of KPMG International. In the U.S., KPMG partners and professionals provide a wide range of accounting, tax and consulting services. As a provider of information-based services, KPMG delivers understandable business advice -- helping clients analyze their businesses with true clarity, raise their level of performance, achieve growth and enhance shareholder value. KPMG International's member firms have more than 100,000 professionals, including 6,800 partners, in 160 countries. KPMG's Consulting practice can be found on the web at http://www.kpmgconsulting.com or reached through the firm's site at http://www.us.kpmg.com. ots Original Text Service: KPMG LLP Internet: http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: Sponsor/corporate information - George Ledwith, (in the USA) 201-505-3543, or John Fidler, (in the USA) 201-505-8849, or Technical/consulting information - Elizabeth R. Brooks, (in the USA) 703-747-4010, all of KPMG LLP Web site: http://www.kpmgconsulting.com Web site: http://www.netaid.org Web site: http://www.us.kpmg.com