/ Intro
Americares is a leading health-focused relief and development organization that has delivered more than $17 billion in medicines, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid to 164 countries since 1979. When they needed to enhance their digital presence to better serve their global network, they partnered with Materiell to create a solution that would strengthen their ability to respond to natural disasters, civil conflicts, and ongoing health crises in impoverished areas.
This collaboration produced a scalable digital platform that enables rapid disaster response communication while ensuring reliable access for donors, volunteers, and beneficiaries worldwide.
Americares' previous website infrastructure struggled to meet their dynamic needs as a global disaster response organization. Their content management system was labor-intensive, requiring developer intervention for easy updates, which hindered their ability to rapidly disseminate critical information during emergencies. The platform's limitations particularly affected their disaster response capabilities, where immediate communication is crucial for coordinating relief efforts. Additionally, the system needed to handle dramatic traffic spikes during disaster events while managing a large library of high-resolution photos and videos that document their global impact. The organization required a solution that would empower their staff to manage content independently while ensuring robust performance during these crucial moments, all while maintaining the security and reliability expected of a global humanitarian organization.
Materiell implemented a comprehensive WordPress multisite solution with enterprise-level hosting capabilities designed specifically for high-traffic, mission-critical websites. The development process prioritized creating an intuitive content management experience while ensuring the platform could scale instantly during emergency situations. To support rapid disaster response, we created specialized landing page templates that enable staff to quickly publish emergency information without technical assistance. The solution includes a robust staging environment for testing content updates before deployment, ensuring both speed and accuracy in communications. Our enterprise hosting infrastructure was specifically configured to handle the traffic surges common during disaster events, while our backup and security protocols protect their vital digital assets.
The new platform transformed Americares' digital operations in several key areas. Staff members now independently manage content updates, significantly reducing response times during emergencies and eliminating the previous reliance on external developers. The modern, scalable infrastructure successfully handles traffic spikes during crisis events, ensuring donors and stakeholders maintain reliable access to critical information. The streamlined content management process has particularly improved their disaster response capabilities, with teams now able to create and deploy emergency landing pages within minutes. The platform's robust media handling capabilities better showcase their global impact through high-resolution photos and videos, while the staging environment ensures all content updates maintain their high standards for accuracy and quality.
Americares required a digital platform that could serve their diverse global network while meeting the unique challenges of disaster response communication. Their previous system's limitations forced reliance on external developers for content updates, creating bottlenecks during critical emergency response periods. The organization needed a solution that would empower their staff to manage a vast library of multimedia content independently, particularly during disaster events when rapid communication is essential. Additionally, the platform needed to handle unexpected traffic surges during emergencies while maintaining performance and reliability. As their global reach continues to expand, they needed a flexible system that could evolve with their growing organizational needs, supported by a responsive maintenance and support structure.
Materiell crafted a sophisticated WordPress multisite solution that balanced user-friendly content management with enterprise-level performance capabilities. The platform's architecture accommodates Americares' complex requirements while streamlining content workflows. Custom landing page templates enable rapid deployment of emergency response communications, allowing teams to quickly disseminate critical information during disasters. The implementation features comprehensive monitoring systems, automated scaling capabilities, and robust backup protocols on enterprise-grade infrastructure. Regular check-ins between Materiell and Americares teams ensure the platform continues to evolve with their needs, while our ongoing support includes performance optimization, continuous uptime monitoring, plugin updates, and disaster recovery planning.
