Buy-Side Technology Awards 2016: Service to the Industry Awards—BISAM, IHS Markit and RIMES Technologies

In 2008, when BISAM won its first performance measurement and attribution category, not many people outside of its core market of France—with perhaps a handful of London-based buy-side firms—were familiar with the firm. But, according to Bénédicte Godet, BISAM’s head of marketing and communication, that all changed shortly after 2008, which also coincided with dramatically reduced timeframes/lead times around its various sales cycles. BISAM now has operations in the US, the UK, Europe and Asia Pacific, and an enviable client list of some of the industry’s most celebrated long-only names (see pages 50 and 54). 

IHS Markit, formerly Cadis, has also dominated its chosen category—best buy-side data management product—winning it each year for the past decade, although back in 2007, the firm’s future was anything but certain. Known then as Citadel Associates, the firm experienced internal upheaval due to an acrimonious boardroom split, which almost proved terminal. But, after renaming the firm Cadis, it turned the corner and executed possibly the most sensational comeback in the history of the third-party technology industry, culminating in its May 2012 acquisition by Markit (see pages 40 and 46).

RIMES Technologies just can’t stop winning BST Awards: It has won the best data provider category for the past decade, plus the product of the year award and the best overall technology provider category. Its mix of outstanding service levels, astonishing client-retention rate and its focus on providing customized data feeds/services for every one of its 300-plus clients has clearly struck a chord across the buy side (see pages 59 and 74). 

This year, for the first time, Waters acknowledges exceptional consistency over the last decade in the BST Awards by way of three “service to the industry awards.” There are three recipients: BISAM, IHS Markit and RIMES Technologies.