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We understand that the Capital Markets environment is volatile with the need to balance high demand for functionality, consistent delivery with constraints on cost. We also understand that technology is evolutionary and that change is inherent to it.
Our experiences allow us to bridge the gap between the business and technology. Our goal is to provide firms with a clear understanding of the value of IT, and means to improve it.
Eikos Partners recognizes that in many cases the capabilities of the technology and the needs of the user or client are not clearly understood by the stakeholders at the beginning of an initiative. Our use of Agile techniques allows us to work closely with IT and the business, to refine ideas and define the product, using a series of short cycle deliveries. This iterative process delivers real world components that become part of the entire effort, saving time and effort, as well as getting the delivery right the first time.
We believe a key factor in todays web-centric world, is to ensure solutions engage the user, and provide a positive experience in the interaction. Our process separates the building of business function from the styling and display structure of its delivery. We use experts in human ergonomics to define how function will be delivered and to create an environment that matches the users expectations.
We use tools that are aligned with our Agile approach, and technologies, such as Silverlight which provides for a rich user experience while avoiding deployment issues and costs. Our multi-year experience with Silverlight, and our delivery of solutions using the technology has allowed us to build up a library of display objects which can assume business functions, and interaction style.
Our client problems commonly require us to use the information and services that already exist in their systems infrastructure, but wish to do it in such a way as to not impede future change.
Eikos Partners has built a 3 tiered framework. We use this framework to not only deliver client solutions, but also to build rapid “proof of concepts”.
The Widget Layer delivers the displayable components, either within a display framework, or independently.
The Common Application Layer provides connection to the services of the backend, as well as interconnecting widgets that have interdependence.Finally, the Web Services Layer marshals the interaction with the systems infrastructure (internal and external) that provides data, processing and services.
Using the framework, we have many of the components necessary to provide the foundation of a solution, reducing time to delivery as well as costs.
Mike has had an extensive career in providing innovative technology solutions to the volatile business areas of the financial industry. He has developed a well-defined process for capturing business requirements, and matching the pace of change that provides flexibility that increases ROI, and identifies and manages risk of the entire program.
Throughout his career he has been in the vanguard of technology, being a leader in the application of object- oriented design, and agile development to real-world business problems. His business knowledge covers the spectrum of current issues, including
- SOA and messaging architectures,
- Hybrid and Derivatives Trading,
- Cross-Product Enterprise Risk Management & Analysis
- Cross-Product Straight Through Exception-based Processing
- Credit Derivatives
- Hedge Fund Trade Processing
Mike has a track record in managing multi-year, multi-faceted, global projects to success in leading edge areas of financial institutions. He has a well developed understanding of the linkages between the stages of any program and how to manage the risks that are inherent to any major IT effort, particularly ones of strategic impact on a firm.
Major initiatives that he has delivered are:
- Bond & Index Trading System for a Hedge Fund
- Cross-Product Service base architecture for a global banking firm.
- Developed a Basle II technical strategy and implementation plan for a global financial institution.
- Design of an architecture to replace Credit Risk systems for a global banking firm.
- Development of a middle and back-office trading services systems platform for a major Hedge Fund service provider.
- Developed a SOA- based migration plan for the Trades, Settlement, Positions & Balances area of a major Investment Bank.
- Architectural schema for a global bank using a consistent SOA model using a set of XML message definition templates.
- Delivery of a global, multi-tiered, global procing and netting system for cross-product credit risk, for one of the major derivative trading firms.
- Development of a hybrid derivatives trading system for a global investment bank.
Mike founded and ran a major consulting firm serving the financial industry, its clients being a complete cross-section of top tier firms. Prior to that he had senior management roles in leading edge technology firms.
Brian has extensive knowledge of the financial markets and the application of technology to it. He was responsible for systems and infrastructure for the Capital Markets and Investment Banking areas of Chemical Bank, and later Chase Manhattan Bank. He was accountable for all facets of IT services to the business, including financial management. During his career he had major roles in the building and managing of:
- Front, mid and Back-Office systems for all asset classes, cash and derivative.
- Global Risk Management systems for Market and Credit.
- Global Infrastructure covering server centers, networks, desktops, applications and information services delivery and support.
- Global Application Architecture, including SOA and enterprise messaging.
- Trading Floor & Investment Bank technology, distribution systems, and services for over 4000 global seats
- Transparent cost allocation to the seat level.
- Merger Program Management.
In 2001 he formed Slater Associates, which provides consulting support to tier 1 global financial services firms. Brian has well-developed connections across financial institutions and the firms that service and sell to them. The firm’s projects include:
- Cost Management program for market data services and infrastructure for a major global brokerage.
- Strategy development for information distribution for a major market information provider.
- Product definition, packaging and distribution channel selection & negotiation for a major financial intermediary.
- Organizational analysis of IT structure at a global Investment Bank.
- Vertical Market Strategy Development for the Banking Industry, for a major technology and services firm. Building a customer driven product strategy for a major software provider to the derivatives market.
Brian also runs an organization for 20 Global Financial Institutions to interact and exchange experiences and information on current issues affecting IT in the wholesale businesses.
David has had an extensive career in providing innovative technology solutions to the volatile business areas of the financial industry. He has developed a well-defined process for matching the pace of change that provides flexibility that increases ROI, and identifies and manages risk of the entire program.
Throughout his career he has been at the forefront of technology, being a leader in the application of object- oriented design, and agile development to real-world business problems. His business knowledge covers numerous areas;
- SOA and messaging architectures,
- Derivatives Trading,
- Cross-Product Straight Through Exception-based Processing
- Credit Derivatives
- Hedge Fund Trade Processing
David has a well developed understanding of the linkages between the stages of any program and how to manage the risks that are inherent to any major IT effort, particularly ones of strategic impact on a firm. Achievement over the years are:
- Credit Derivatives Trading System for a Hedge Fund
- Cross Product Trading/Risk System for a Hedge Fund
- Development of a front-office, middle and back-office trading services systems platform for a major Hedge Fund service provider.
- Developed a SOA- based migration plan for the Trades, Settlement, Positions & Balances area of a major Investment Bank.
- Delivery of a global, multi-tiered, global pricing and netting system for cross-product credit risk, for one of the major derivative trading firms.
David was a partner in a major consulting firm serving the financial industry, its clients being a complete cross-section of top tier firms. Prior to that he had worked at several investment banks utilizing leading edge technologies.
David holds a BSc. in Mathematics from Manchester University in England.
Founded by application server professionals dedicated to enabling the real-time Web, Kaazing is to traditional application servers what application servers were to the client-server solution.
The Kaazing team is pushing the boundaries of web application development and deployment by making massively scalable, real-time two-way web applications reliable and affordable.
Kaazing’s mission is is to enable companies to develop and deploy dynamic, real-time applications over the Web. Kaazing’s business strategy is to deliver superior quality, the fastest, most scalable and flexible full-duplex real-time Web communication solution available.
More information can be found about Kaazing at kaazing.com
Worldflow is a delivery driven consulting and software company focused solely on the finance sector. We have successfully managed and implemented many projects for Investment Banks, Hedge Funds and Asset Managers and built a strong reputation for delivering complex projects in a pragmatic, cost effective and timely manner.
Worldflow is an entrepreneurial and rapid-turnaround solutions partner, with a ‘hands on’ reputation across all areas of finance and banking, whose aim is to help create greater market transparency, improve controls and stay at the forefront of development in the electronic financial markets.
Worldflow services have been developed to address needs arising from market changes (e.g. consolidation), regulatory directives (risk and data management), and operational effectiveness (control).
More information can be found about Worldflow at worldflow.net
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IT management and the businesses that it supports are challenged as never before to deliver function, while at the same time providing measurable value. The alignment of the strategies, and goals, of the firm with those of IT has a direct impact on this.
Providing an ongoing governance mechanism to measure change and progress, and to feed it back through the decision process will ensure the best use of capital, real or intellectual. Without a means to measure program progress and the risks involved can lead to failure, rendering the entire process ineffective.
These are all real world issues requiring a real world response, not based on theory, but based on proven approach. Throughout our work we apply the understanding of the levers that affect IT investment and its ROI.
The firm's partners have worked in significant roles in major financial firms, as well as in the consulting industry, and understand the complex issues involved in managing IT. This gives a wide perspective on the issues and approaches the industry faces. The partners understand the high-level management issues and the day-to-day operational ones, from an IT perspective as well as the businesses.