The Investment-Funds Market Today
Increasing variation in instruments - and increasing
volumes together with decreasing margins put pressure on the funds industry to
standardise processing. When combined with the relatively high manual effort in
funds processing, the need for an industry initiative was overwhelming. A recent
estimate (from Feri Fund Market Information
Limited) suggests that volumes will
increase by 50% over the next 5 years.
SWIFT Gets Involved
SWIFT has sponsored initiatives to standardise funds
information transfer requirements. Currently, they support standards for two
initiatives - Funds templates - based on their traditional FIN messages - and
more recently the SWIFTNet Funds solution based on SWIFT's new XML standards.
SWIFTnet Funds
The SWIFTNet Funds solution offers some very attractive
advantages to potential participants. Substantial effort has been put into the
development of new Funds specific standards. These standards are based on UNIFI
(ISO 20022) - SWIFT's open XML standards - and consequently benefit from a
common well-defined structure. The new solution operates on SWIFTNet - a highly
secure and reliable network.
INCENTAGE Involved
INCENTAGE now has a strong focus on accelerating the adoption by the funds industry of this important initiative. We have been working closely with SWIFT on the new XML based standards, on connectivity to SWIFTNet – and on business analysis of the issues facing funds participants. We have a deep experience of XML – having worked on XML projects since the standard became popular – and having completed research for universities. We also have very deep experience of SWIFT at all levels – having worked
closely with them over the past decade.
INCENTAGE helps Funds industry participants to:
- Provide fully integrated solutions of the highest quality
without the need to program
- Minimize the effort involved in participating in the SWIFTNet
Funds solution.
- Avoid the headache of changing (improving) standards. INCENTAGE
keeps you to date with emerging standards - and assesses the
impact for you.
- Provide fully integrated solutions that are always at the
forefront of standards and technology
- Benefit from our experience with SWIFTNet and the SWIFT
Standards XML.
- INCENTAGE is a member of the SPIFA group for funds processing
standardisation.
- Benefit from INCENTAGE's experience and know-how in general
application integration
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Comprehensive Standard
This initiative is the first from SWIFT
to focus so directly on the needs of the funds industry. As a result a comprehensive set of focused messages have been defined. In the first phase, the messages listed in this table have been agreed
and released. More messages to cover
transfers and further reporting are already planned for the next phases in 2004
& 2005.
Need For Changes?
Potential participants in this initiative will need to
make sure that their own processing systems can provide and process the data
required for the messages which are appropriate to them. With INCENTAGE, they
need not worry about the syntax. INCENTAGE can go to the source of the data - be
it on a database, in MQ messages or on proprietary systems - and transform that
data into fully valid messages. It can also highlight missing data, enhance
incompatible data and consolidate diverse data.
Example
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INCENTAGE OMS Solution |
As an example, a customer may have an Order management
system which already has most of the information required for Subscription,
Redemption and Switch messages in the new Funds initiative. Using INCENTAGE,
they can get that data in its existing format - and then transform it to the
appropriate XML message using the INCENTAGE Funds functionality. In addition,
the SWIFTNet connectivity options of INCENTAGE can be used to transport the
messages to the appropriate counterparts using SWIFTNet.
Investment Protection
SWIFT will supply the market with more and more message
types, which will cover specific requirements of the funds business.
INCENTAGE participates on committees for the promotion of SWIFTNet Funds and is
committed to supporting the initiative in full. So, all customers who use
INCENTAGE to participate in the early phases will be upgraded for the later
phases with minimal effort.
Not Just Funds XML
Even thought SWIFT will provide many useful and critical
applications, it will remain necessary to communicate with systems on other
networks and supplied by other service providers. INCENTAGE provides you with
the flexibility to have a true single window. You will be able to connect to
FIX, proprietary networks or in-house systems in a flexible rules driven way
while also benefiting from the services provided on SWIFTNet.
For more information please contact
us. Download
pdf version of this solution description.
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