Is the Word ‘Analytics' Being Used Too Freely? (In a Word: Yes)

Last Thursday at the swanky Metropolitan Club in Manhattan, we officially recognized the winners of this year's Waters Rankings. The luncheon marked the 13th iteration of this event, and I do believe that they are notable because we only tally votes coming from end-user firms.

You can find all the winners from the 30 categories here. But the way that I like to look at these awards is as a sort of pulse of the industry ... what's hot and where are banks investing their IT dollars?

One thing that was easily noticeable ─ and this isn't a surprise, just further verification ─ is that vendors helping firms deliver greater analytics and insights into their trading operations are seeing the greatest investment and interest. But I also wonder whether or not the term "analytics" is becoming just as overused (or definitionally obfuscated) as "big data" or "cloud".

Most every news release that involves data management, order management, execution management, TCA, market surveillance, portfolio management and/or risk will almost invariably use the word "analytics" ─ or some derivation ─ in the lede paragraph. This is not to say that they aren't providing some sort of an analytics engine, but what separates the best from the rest? Well, I'd venture to say that these Rankings ─ again, voted on by banks and asset managers ─ provide some clarity into that question.

As firms continue to grapple with big data-related challenges and as they work to corral massive unstructured datasets, the vendors winning the RFP battle will be those that can clearly demonstrate that they are providing true value from their analytics, rather than a fancy report that yields nothing but out-of-context numbers.

That's my guess, anyway. I can't help but wonder if CIOs and CTOs are just as tired as the word analytics as they are of big data. We might not be there yet, but analytics should never be used as a throwaway. In a competitive marketplace, true trading insight will continue to serve as a key differentiator.

Still to Come

The last two months of July and the whole month of August tend to be slow as many like to take some time off. But the markets don't close even as some of us check out mentally thinking of sandy beaches, rugged hiking trails or just a comfortable couch.

Obviously, we here at WatersTechnology ─ which is comprised of Sell-Side Technology, Buy-Side Technology, Inside Market Data, Inside Reference Data and Waters magazine ─ will continue to produce (we hope) valuable stories throughout the summer. Tim Bourgaize Murray, Dan DeFrancesco, John Brazier and I are also culling together ideas for features to produce for the fall months, so if you have any ideas, don't hesitate to reach out.

Finally, in mid-August (probably August 10) we'll be opening our call for entries for the Buy-Side Technology Awards, so put that on your radar. Send me an email if you have any questions on how to enter or what sets an entry apart.

Some Random Thoughts

* Later this week I'm flying down to Raleigh to enjoy some tasty North Carolina brews while soaking in some southern sun. I'll be available via email, but I might not be as responsive as usual ... and I've been told that my responsiveness isn't all that impressive to begin with.

* Why am I to believe that a fight between Superman and Batman would be an even fight? Unless there's kryptonite involved, Superman is unstoppable on planet Earth, while Batman is a rich dude with cool artillery. Don't get me wrong, I've always liked Batman much more than Superman (as long as said-Batman isn't played by Christian Bale), but the Caped Crusader would get destroyed in a hand-to-hand battle with Superman.

Anyway, the trailer for "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" is just...wow...

* Speaking of great trailers, "The Revenant" preview looks outstanding, as well. Then again, throw Leo DiCaprio on a horse with a musket and I'm on board.

* According to the co-founder of luxury lifestyle website Discover&Deliver, CIOs and CTOs don't make for good CEOs. From Computing, which is part of the Incisive Media family of publications:

[Isabel] Rutland had hired former Net-a-Porter CIO Richard Lloyd-Williams as the company's CEO back in 2014, but along with her business partner Stephanie Mahl, decided to let Lloyd-Williams go last month, claiming that he was unable to make the transition to becoming a CEO. He follows former Tesco CEO Philip Clarke as another CIO who didn't make their mark as a CEO.

What do you guys think? Does Isabel have a point?