Introducing the First Annual Sell-Side Technology Awards

Although I usually talk around a specific area or news item in my weekly letter, today I’ll be introducing Sell-Side Technology’s newest event.

As those familiar with Waters know, our sister brand, Buy-Side Technology, has had its own awards for many years now. Sell-Side Technology currently boasts two awards programs─the Waters Rankings, determined by readers' votes; and the American Financial Technology Awards, a call-for-entry, panel-judged awards, specifically for the sell-side end-user community (banks and brokerages). I am happy to announce that the Sell-Side Technology Awards will focus exclusively on the sell-side, third-party technology vendor community, and, like the Buy-Side Technology Awards, is a call-for-entry program, judged by an eight-person panel.

With declining budgets, a shift in emphasis from in-house or proprietary technology, moves to hosted services, and a continuing barrage of regulation that demands both innovation and flexibility in financial technology, the third-party vendor community has never been more relevant to the sell side. Whether it's through outsourcing services, trading platforms, compliance and market-surveillance tools, connectivity networks, or even down to the telephones used on the trading floor, third-party providers have had to be just as nimble and adaptive over recent years as the clients they serve. These awards will reflect and reward both the diversity and strength of competitive excellence that continues to exhibit itself among sell-side-focused vendors.

Held on 23 April 2013 in New York, the awards will follow the North American Trading Architecture Summit. In the coming week, we will be releasing all relevant information on the categories we're including, venue details, and information on how to enter.

A website will be live shortly, but as a heads up, this will be heading your way any day now.