Netik, the STP solutions provider, announced today that it had launched CiQ, a web-enabled investment information portal designed to provide online portfolio analysis, reporting, compliance monitoring, performance measurement, and automated trade support for investment managers and other institutions overseeing large investment portfolios.
“CiQ is the first product that automates all key elements of the investment process and integrates this with online information delivery over the Internet via a standard Web browser,” says Mike O’Leary, Chairman and CEO of Netik. “We are pleased to announce this product today and are very excited to be filling an industry need that has existed for some time.”
CiQ uses Netik’s relational DataWarehouse that was first implemented in 1996. “Our DataWarehouse is especially designed for the securities and investment industry,” notes O’Leary. “The information content of the DataWarehouse is very rich and covers everything from customer relationships to multi-currency rate of return performance attribution. The database is also very scaleable since we have implemented the system at both smaller institutions and at several of the very largest financial institutions in the world.”
“With the launch of CiQ, we are offering a product that is aimed specifically for the mid to smaller size investment managers in addition to continuing to serve the larger institutions,” continued O’Leary. “The mid to smaller market tier has historically not had many good system alternatives and we believe that CiQ will be especially attractive to this market segment.”
“Our desktop user interface has always been easy to use and very intuitive,” says Colin Close, Netik’s Executive Vice President in charge of CiQ’s development and overall product management. “What is especially innovative with CiQ is that we have now have incorporated several very powerful trade modeling, compliance, and performance measurement inquiry capabilities into our desktop as well. We believe that the ability to provide these integrated investment services though a ubiquitous web browser is unique and should be especially attractive to investment professionals, who can now review there accounts whenever and wherever they want to – at the office, from home in the evening, or when they are on the road.”
“Our InterView product provides the backbone data warehouse technology and web portal application on which CiQ is built,” added Colin. “We will continue to offer a high-end version of CiQ for larger institutions as we have done in the past with InterView but are delighted to now be able to offer a more shrink-wrapped version of the product to smaller organizations as well.”
O’Leary concluded “At Netik we recognise that in today’s Financial Services market place the dynamics are changing, consumers are becoming more demanding and discriminating making it an increasingly competitive time for investment managers. Today clients need to see that their manager is better than the rest. This is dictating a need for managers to differentiate themselves in the quality of their analysis, presentation and communication. CiQ is a product that helps investment managers do just that.”