Victory Lap: 2016 AFTAs and Waters Rankings Winners

The American Financial Technology Awards and Waters Rankings honored this year the work of 33 vendors and 14 end-users in the financial industry, giving in total 59 awards. 

It was the year that the AFTAs changed its 10-year long tradition to exclusively award end-users. For the first time, a vendor award list was created as the industry becomes more and more interrelated, with end-user firms relying on third-party platforms to handle a series of issues.

Therefore, 11 new vendor categories were introduced, while two new categories for both the buy and the sell side were created to honor the work of their IT teams. 

Here are the winners for both programs:

WATERS RANKINGS
Announced: July 14

Trading Services

• Best Broker-Dealer ─ UBS Neo
• Best Agency Broker ─ Bloomberg Tradebook 
• Best Crossing Network Provider ─ TradingScreen
• Best Sell-Side Clearing Provider ─ The Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC)
• Best Reconciliation Management Provider ─ Electra Information Systems
• Best Algorithmic Trading Provider ─ Convergex

Trading Tools

• Best Sell-Side Order Management System (OMS) Provider ─ Bloomberg Trading Solutions
• Best Buy-Sider Order Management System (OMS) Provider ─ Eze Software Group
• Best Portfolio Management System Provider ─ RiskVal Financial Solutions 
• Best Execution Management System (EMS) Provider ─ Eze Software Group
• Best Performance Measurement and Attribution System Provider ─ BISAM
• Best Transaction-Cost Analysis (TCA) System Provider ─ Markit

Data Management

• Best Enterprise Data Management (EDM) System Provider ─ Eagle Investment Systems
• Best Reference Data Provider ─ Thomson Reuters
• Best Corporate Actions Solution Provider ─ Thomson Reuters
• Best Low-Latency Data Feed Provider ─ ICE Data Services
• Best Data Analytics Provider ─ FactSet

Compliance Risk Management & the Back Office

• Best AML Compliance Solutions Provider ─ NICE Actimize
• Best Market Risk Solution Provider ─ RiskVal Financial Solutions
• Best Credit Risk Solution Provider ─ Moody's Analytics
• Best Market Surveillance Provider ─ Nasdaq
• Best Reporting System Provider ─ Vermilion Software
• Best Accounting System Provider ─ SS&C Advent

Infrastructure & Connectivity

• Best Cyber-Security Provider ─ Eze Castle Integration
• Best Trading Floor Communication System Provider ─ IPC Systems
• Best Data Center Provider ─ Equinix
• Best Network Provider ─ BT
• Best Mobile Solutions Provider ─ Morgan Stanley
• Best Cloud-based Services Provider-Thomson Reuters
• Best Cloud Infrastructure Provider ─ Eze Castle Integration

AMERICAN FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY AWARDS (AFTAs)
Announced: December 5

Vendor categories

• Best Middle-Office Initiative: Data management, reconciliation and clearing ─ Indus Valley Partners 
• Best Middle-Office Initiative: Risk, compliance and performance ─ UBS Delta 
• Most Innovative Third-Party Technology Vendor: Risk, security and compliance ─ Axioma 
• Most Innovative Third-Party Technology Vendor: Communication, operations and data management ─ Asset Control 
• Most Innovative Third-Party Technology Vendor: Trading and analytics ─ ChartIQ 
• Best Third-Party Technology Vendor IT Team ─ Vela Trading Technologies 
• Best Partnership or Alliance ─ MTS Markets & Bloomberg
• Best Communication Infrastructure Provider ─ IPC Systems 
• Best Use of the Agile Methodology ─ StatPro 
• Best Front-Office Initiative ─ Broadridge 
• Best Back-Office Initiative ─ SmartStream
• Best Trading Infrastructure Provider ─ Trumid Financial 
• Best Collaboration Initiative ─ MTS BondsPro & Bloomberg

End-User Categories

• Best Global Deployment ─ Northern Trust 
• Best Infrastructure Initiative ─ Northern Trust
• Best IT Integration Initiative ─ Bank of America
• Best Cloud Initiative ─ LaSalle Investment Management 
• Best Cross-Asset Trading Initiative ─ UBS Neo
• Best Mobile Strategy Initiative ─ Pershing NetX360 
• Best Risk Management Initiative ─ JP Morgan Asset Management 
• Best Compliance Initiative ─ JP Morgan Chase 
• Best IT Team ─ JP Morgan Asset Management 
• Best Reporting Initiative ─ Credit Suisse Client 360
• Best Data Management Initiative: Sell Side ─ Deutsche Bank DQ Direct 
• Best Data Management Initiative: Buy Side ─ Rotation Capital 
• Most Cutting-Edge IT Initiative: Sell Side ─ Credit Suisse CPA 
• Most Cutting-Edge IT Initiative: Buy Side ─ Blackstone
• Best Analytics Initiative: Sell Side ─ Morgan Stanley SPG Access
• Best Analytics Initiative: Buy Side ─ JP Morgan Asset Management (Sparta)

Individual Categories

• Best Third-Party Technology Vendor CIO or CEO ─ Steven O'Hanlon (Numerix)
• Best Technology Executive, Sell Side ─ Bob Greifeld (Nasdaq)
• Best Technology Executive, Buy Side ─ Scott Murray (Northern Trust)