BISYS says it has established a Distribution Solutions business to support the distribution strategies of its fund management clients.
“Our clients, regardless of size, face similar challenges as they compete for assets,” explains Bill Tomko, president of BISYS Investment Services. “Our strategic response was to assemble what we believe is the industry’s most complete suite of product, marketing, and sales support services. We expect these services will enable our diverse clients to maximize their distribution opportunities and generate tangible results with access to the expertise and resources that have historically been available for only the largest asset managers. BISYS Distribution Solutions has raised the industry standard for third-party distribution support.”
BISYS says it provides strategic planning, competitive intelligence, programme development and tactical sales execution services, and these will be part of the distribution package offered to clients. “Based on my experience with most outsourcers and their respective service offerings, BISYS has advanced well beyond the traditional back-office outsourcing role with its front-line distribution support and expertise,” says Neil Bathon, president of Financial Research Corporation (FRC), a BISYS subsidiary. “And we welcome the opportunity to integrate FRC’s market analytics, advanced research, and customized consulting services as value-added components of BISYS Distribution Solutions. BISYS is the only mutual fund service provider offering the power of FRC’s distribution and marketing expertise as a component of its core offering.”
But the service will go beyond information and analytics to include distribution support. BISYS is a recordkeeper and administrator of small and mid-size 401(k) plans in the US, a large independent distributor of life insurance and, through its offshore fund administration platforms, helps fund managers maintain 700 distribution relationships. “BISYS Distribution Solutions supports our domestic and offshore mutual fund clients, as well as separately managed account and alternative investment managers, with an unrivaled suite of distribution-related services,” explains George Evans, president of business development for BISYS Investment Services. “Our commitment to distribution support and to ultimately increasing our clients’ asset growth and profitability also reinforces BISYS’ fundamental position as a strategic resource for our investment management clients and not a competitor.”
BISYS is also promising “alliances” to fill any gaps in its own product portfolio. “Asset managers realize their distribution efforts are vital since product capability and performance simply are not enough to attract today’s investors,” says Bob Kennedy, the newly appointed director of BISYS Distribution Solutions. “To support our clients’ distribution efforts, we assembled a package of proprietary and best-of-breed products and services that support virtually every distribution opportunity and task, from strategic assessment and segmentation to tactical implementation of wholesaling programs. BISYS now offers the expertise, the tools, and the resources that we believe will proactively support our clients’ near- and long-term growth goals.”