Grameen Foundation : What we do : Technology Programs : Mifos Initiative
The Mifos Initiative
Mifos, Technology that Empowers Microfinance
Mifos is an initiative of Grameen Foundation's Technology Center to build an open source technology platform for the microfinance industry. At its core is a world class management information (MIS) system developed and distributed by a global community of technology professionals and microfinance practitioners. Mifos provides a holistic solution and technology investment for the entire sector, enabling cost-effective access to flexible and scalable technology, a global community to extend and evolve the platform, and a local technology ecosystem to support and maintain it.
Based on a decade of experience assisting microfinance institutions (MFIs), Grameen Foundation brought together a team of expert technologists to deliver a solution that will transform technology from a barrier into an accelerator for microfinance. Mifos will enable transparency and visibility throughout the industry and provide MFIs with the precision and agility to operate more efficiently and the business and social insight to scale their outreach more effectively. Mifos is guided by a community-driven approach uniting MFIs, individual contributors, and local technology providers on one common ground. By fueling collaboration and innovation at the local level and sharing this knowledge globally, we can extend the reach of technology far throughout the sector.
How does software help the Poor? By equipping microfinance institutions to deliver innovative financial services more efficiently and effectively through:
Our current lighthouse customers, managing their operations on Mifos, are reaching more than 365,000 clients through the Mifos platform. Across the globe there are more than a dozen MFIs working independently with local IT resources to implement the freely available Mifos Community Edition with support from our community. In 2009, we will establish a local office to support our work in the Philippines and distribute Mifos On-Demand, a fully hosted Mifos offering supported by our local professional services team.
Grameen Foundation : What we do : Technology Programs : Mifos Initiative
Grameen Foundation uses microfinance and innovative technology to fight global poverty and bring opportunities to the world's poorest people. With tiny loans and financial services, we help the poor, mostly women, start businesses and escape poverty. Our global network of 55 microfinance institution (MFI) partners including our Growth Guarantee partners has touched more than 34 million people in 24 countries. In addition, we introduced and now sustain technology initiatives (Mifos and Village Phone) in Cameroon, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, bringing our total country outreach to 28.
+1-202-628-3560 www.grameenfoundation.org
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