Taking the Bore out of IBOR

Startup Stock PhotoExecutive Summary

For those firms trading in the Global Markets, the past few years have been a time of fantastic innovation and investment growth amidst the implementation of ever more demanding regulatory responsibilities for fear of largely as-yet-unknown penalties. Two ideals have remained true; (1) we trade with the intent of positive financial returns, and (2) we perform operational processes supporting these investments with the intent of mitigating risk wherever possible. While trading decisions can be largely relative to market conditions in the short term, risk neutralization in the trade support lifecycle for the long-term is requires careful consideration of design and breadth of scope. The value and success of this risk mitigation is directly enabled by the context of the information (e.g. the data) along with the security, validity, and availability of the information (e.g. infrastructure technology). Knowledge is information in context and perhaps the best and most important example of this intersection of technology, operations, investment support, and data governance is the Investment Book Of Record (IBOR).

The IBOR-related papers that you’ve read before have probably focused on the general drivers and the architecture options for establishing an IBOR. However, finance is not general and consistent, ever-more-rapid technology innovations are rendering traditional architecture options as suboptimal (we won’t go so far as to say obsolete) and challenging operational processes that have largely remained untouched for decades. Here we put the IBOR in context, outline the attributes/features that make it valuable, outline how existing operational functions are enabled by the IBOR given its central role and how various investment process functions are empowered by it, and also go beyond the traditional buy-side focus to address the heart of the subject: why a central position management solution is equally relevant to Funds, Fund Administrators, Investment Banks, and Custodians. The situational uniqueness presented herein is the simultaneous importance of both internal and external information communication needs. Finally, we also talk about the way forward for a firm that may be looking to put a solution like this in place and outline criteria for measuring success , along with an eye towards what the future may hold. Our intent is to tie in these approaches for the enablement of cross-practice excellence at any given financial firm engaged in trading or a related need of operational, accounting, and regulatory support.

 

Nairobi – the Newest Tech Hub

david k donovan nailabAs of late, Nairobi Kenya has earned a nickname as “Silicon Savannah”.  The capital city of Kenya is rapidly establishing itself as a tech hub in the developing world. Upon initial inspection, it may not seem like Nairobi lends itself to being a startup epicenter. However, due to the city’s adaptable bankings system, wealth of recent STEM graduates from Nairobi colleges, it’s not really a surprise that this city is becoming an ever expanding metropolis for e-commerce.

This is not to say that the city doesn’t face any problems with the explosion of the tech sector. The city has its fair share of problems regarding security, governmental bureaucracy and lengthy waiting periods for corporate registration are all legitimate deterrents for young startups. However, in spite of these obstacles,  Nairobi persists as a hotbed of tech-based entrepreneurial activity.

Furthermore, with the rising popularity and accessibility of mobile phones and devices, the market for these tech based companies is expanding. Currently, Nairobi houses 242 startups and almost 2,000 investors. But what is it that incited this growth in tech companies? and what is fueling such rapid growth?

In addition to internationally-known companies like IBM designating Nairobi as a new headquarter, the Kenyan government has stepped in to provide incentives and assistance for those companies looking to base their startups there. For example, only two years ago in 2013, the government paired with and incubator Nailab and started a 1.6 million dollar tech venture that would allow entrepreneurs access to monetary resources, information and connections to people within the industry in a position to help them develop.

The program supported by this partnership lasts for three to six months, and the subsequent graduates have resulted in a number of important and visible tech companies, who may not have otherwise come onto the scene so strong without the initial aid and mentorship so evident in this kind of program. In addition to an actively supportive atmosphere for these new ventures is a very clear opportunity within the mobile sector.

Between 2010 and 2014, internet penetration expanded from 14 percent to 43% of the Kenyan population having access to the internet. In addition to this significant increase in internet access, currently 82% of Kenyans own a cell phone, which is a HUGE market.

In addition to the explosion within the digital and mobile markets in Nairobi and the rest of Kenya, Nairobi is a quickly expanding city in Kenya, and is seen as  a fast growing city to watch throughout Africa! Not just in Kenya.