KPMG's Mega Web Site for "netaid": Window On The World

Of Extreme Poverty / Landmark Project Launched Today TransformsUse of Internet New York (PROTEXT) - "The global NetAid Web site launchedtoday was developed and deployed faster and has greatercapability than any site on the Internet," said Stephen G.Butler, chairman and CEO of KPMG LLP, the professional servicesfirm and the organization that built the NetAid site --http://www.netaid.org. "KPMG is pleased to participate in this landmark project,which will forever change the way the global community battlesimportant social causes," Butler said. "As a worldwide leader inInternet integration, we are gratified we were called upon todevelop and deploy this window on the world of extreme poverty -- in order for all to view, learn and change." KPMG achieved the complex task of developing a Web sitecapable of handling 60 million hits per hour in an unprecedented90 days, months less than the time typically needed to buildcomparable sites. Other mega Web sites built previously, such asthe site for the last Olympic games, have handled only hundredsof hits each second. "We're helping Cisco Systems and the United NationsDevelopment Programme by applying Internet integration and e-commerce solutions to this first-of- its-kind global fightagainst extreme poverty in the world," said Rod McGeary, vicechairman, consulting services for KPMG. "It's a matter of usingthe power of the Internet -- the medium of the future -- againstan age-old problem." The launch of the mega Web site for NetAid marks thetransformation of the use of the Internet from Web-enabledbusiness applications to Web-enabled social uses. Some behind-the-scenes facts about the NetAid Web site built by KPMG andlaunched today include: -- On October 9, 30 major artists will perform at three majorvenues in New York, London and Geneva with a television audienceanticipated in the hundreds of millions. Tens of millions arealso expected to visit the site at a rate of up to 17,000 hitsper second. -- KPMG deployed a team of 50 e-Engineers -- with combinedelectronic commerce experience of over 300 person years -- forthe development of the NetAid mega Web site and e-commercesolutions. -- Using experience gained in transforming numerous industriesthrough technological innovations -- from the newspaper andadvertising industry, to the electric utility industry and thefashion industry -- KPMG donated that experience to the not-for-profit world. -- KPMG has designed the site to support complex, massivelydistributed environments (multi-site, multi-serverconfigurations). -- To reach the access speeds needed and sustain hit rates,the entire site and its thousands of mirrors will be runningentirely in RAM. -- Processes developed by KPMG will enable NetAid.org tohandle the huge volume of e-commerce anticipated. The site iscapable of handling 1,000 transactions per second. -- KPMG's contribution was not limited to technology. Indeveloping the Web site, KPMG brought together content from avery heterogeneous set of sources, such as the UNDP, musicians,not-for-profits and corporate sponsors, and created a consistentmessage, easy navigation and a brand that extended across allmedia including the Internet, streaming video, television andeven radio. -- KPMG developed capability for twin databases of non-profitagencies and available resources, enabling future use of the siteas a resource center, matching the goals and needs of charitableentities with organizations and individuals willing to contributegoods, funds and services. NetAid is a first-of-its-kind, large-scale effort to end worldpoverty combining leaders in technology, entertainment and socialchange. Joining KPMG to provide a key technology component isAkamai Technologies, which will serve Web site content using itsInternet content delivery system, consisting of 1,500 servers inmore than 90 data centers worldwide. "The legacy of the NetAid Web site, long after today's sitelaunch and the October 9 concerts, will be the existence of anInternet-based tool to bring together the world's resources withsignificant social needs," McGeary added. "By leveragingtechnology we developed for business, society may find that whatwe have created in the NetAid site is a new millennium version ofthe space race -- a valuable human application drawn from acommercial enterprise." KPMG LLP is the U.S. member firm of KPMG International. In theU.S., KPMG partners and professionals provide a wide range ofaccounting, tax and consulting services. As a provider ofinformation-based services, KPMG delivers understandable businessadvice -- helping clients analyze their businesses with trueclarity, raise their level of performance, achieve growth andenhance shareholder value. KPMG International's member firms havemore than 100,000 professionals, including 6,800 partners, in 160countries. KPMG's Consulting practice can be found on the web athttp://www.kpmgconsulting.com or reached through the firm's siteat http://www.us.kpmg.com. ots Original Text Service: KPMG LLPInternet: http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: George Ledwith orJohn Fidler, both of KPMG LLP, (USA) 201-505-3543, 201-505-8849Web site: http://www.netaid.org Web site: http://www.us.kpmg.com

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