Buy-Side Technology Awards 2015: Best Buy-Side IBOR Platform—SimCorp

This category will continue to evolve in the coming years, changing the definition of what an IBOR entails. Copenhagen-based SimCorp has worked to create tighter front-office integration with the IBOR, allowing access to intra-day data on positions and exposures, while incorporating risk and performance analytics for portfolio managers.

“Data warehouse projects have a tendency to be very expensive and carry a high risk of failure, due to the customization of data models required with existing solutions,” says Gernot Schmidt, launch manager for the front office & middle office at SimCorp.

The development of an integrated data warehouse as part of Dimension, the firm’s flagship portfolio management and accounting platform, helps to reduce the time and costs associated with introducing a standalone warehouse by up to 90 percent, Schmidt says.

As market volatility remains high and portfolio managers require real-time views of positions and cash, they’ll also require a thorough understanding of their risk exposures in order to fully view the impact of market movements, in real time, according to Schmidt. The introduction of web-enabled dashboards allows users to more easily view the information contained in the IBOR and distribute that information, in real-time, to stakeholders, both internally and externally. 

SimCorp has a long-term plan when it comes to its IBOR service that extends through 2018, Schmidt says. This includes the support of alternative asset classes, including syndicated loans, direct investments, private equity, and infrastructure investments. 

SimCorp has a long-term plan when it comes to its IBOR service that extends through 2018. This includes the support of alternative asset classes, including syndicated loans, direct investments, private equity, and infrastructure investments.

“Institutional investors are monitoring fees more closely than in the past and are taking active steps to reduce them,” he says. “This has led to reduced margins, especially for traditional products and asset classes, increasing the need to look for alpha in alternative investments.”

As asset managers’ needs change, so too will IBORs. What won’t change is SimCorp’s place at the forefront of that evolution.