Bradford Technologies, Schakra and Nasoft have jointly announced the release of Bradford Technologies’ PortalDirect, a new Uniform Collateral Data Portal (UCDP) submission service powered by Windows Azure. PortalDirect is the result of a development partnership between appraisal software provider Bradford Technologies, software developer Schakra and real estate finance technology developer Nasoft, in collaboration with Microsoft. The relationship allows Bradford to work alongside Nasoft, Schakra and Microsoft, its technology experts to enable, deliver and manage all Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD)-related appraisal services.
Based on the Windows Azure cloud computing platform, PortalDirect offers lenders and appraisal management companies (AMC) complete scalability with a virtually limitless capacity for submitting appraisals through the UCDP Portal, accelerating their compliance with the new UAD regulations. IT departments concerned with “home grown” UAD solutions now have a choice to employ a UCDP solution that is secure, highly available, scalable, and built for the future on Microsoft’s Windows Azure cloud computing platform.
“We’re thrilled to be able to offer the industry a UCDP connection built for the future. This is just the first of many services we will be offering to the industry based on the Windows Azure cloud computing technology,” said Jeff Bradford, chief executive officer of Bradford Technologies.
PortalDirect is fast and uncomplicated to set up, and provides the reliability of an enterprise-class solution. PortalDirect service consists of a B2B solution for companies that need to integrate an appraisal delivery service with their existing systems, plus a web portal that allows companies to submit appraisals to the UCDP portal. In addition, a UAD Compliance checking service that can be performed at the appraiser’s desktop prior to submission to the AMC or prior to submission to the UCDP portal is also being offered. In leveraging the Windows Azure capabilities, Bradford Technologies’ PortalDirect is able to offer unprecedented scalability in a secure, reliable and highly-available computing infrastructure to allow its clients to respond quickly to competitive challenges and business needs.
“By basing PortalDirect on the Windows Azure platform, Bradford Technologies demonstrates its commitment to serving customers with forward-looking solutions that build on the advantages of Microsoft’s comprehensive cloud platform,” said Prashant Ketkar, director of product marketing for Windows Azure at Microsoft. “We are pleased to be working with Bradford Technologies, Nasoft, and Schakra on PortalDirect.”
Windows Azure enables companies to build, host, and scale applications in Microsoft datacenters. Providing the power of cloud computing to the mortgage industry, Schakra and Nasoft will offer many benefits over traditional computing for customers in this segment, providing a platform for customers and partners interested in building on additional investments in cloud-oriented services such as data services and applications for AMCs. Nasoft and Schakra will offer services to assist with the development of new applications and migration of existing applications.
