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SAGE Group SA’s Prospero Recognized in Aite Group Study

Lausanne, 20/11/12 – SAGE Group SA’s financial software, Prospero, has been recognized in an industry study of vendors that are successfully competing in the rapidly changing global private banking sector.

“SAGE Group SA’s Prospero differentiates itself on its ability to provide one solution with front-to-back straight-through processing that is agile, modular, simply deployed, and results in a quick return on investment,” says the report.

The September 2012 study – “Evaluating Global Private Banking Platforms: Change May Create Opportunity” – compares vendors based on self-reported vendor information and independent analysis by the Aite Group.

Driving the study was the Aite Group’s recognition that significant changes are underway in the wealth-management industry. Specifically, the regulatory environment is more aggressive, wealth is shifting, and wealth-management firms are becoming more competitive.

To manage these changes, wealth-management firms have two choices, says the Aite Group: Implement broad platforms that provide functionality across banking and investments, or implement investment-focused platforms.

One firm helping wealth-management firms do just that is SAGE Group SA, whose flagship financial software, Prospero, integrates front-, middle- and back-office systems via many different modules.According to the Aite Group report, Prospero is notable for its architecture, capabilities, and deployment.

 
For example, Prospero utilizes application programming interfaces APIs to integrate with legacy, third-party vendor, and external clearing and custodial systems. A user-defined report generator allows customization, and most modifications can be handled directly by users without further development. Prospero’s front end is also fully Web-enabled. “The system is completely flexible,” says SAGE Group SA CEO Jean-Luc Freymond.

SAGE Group SA has also taken a blended front-to-back approach over time. Middle-to-back office capabilities are all live, including portfolio construction, order management, portfolio management and reporting, risk management, portfolio accounting, and core banking. According to the report, “SAGE Group SA has released a completely new risk management module based on risk optimization” and “SAGE Group SA is notable for the integration of its core banking system with its front- and middle-office software.

“In regard to deployment, SAGE Group SA offers Prospero on a hosted (SaaS) basis – cutting-edge technology that Freymond says makes deployment easier. Approximately 30 percent of its clients utilize this option. SAGE Group SA is also placing considerable efforts in this increasing important area of mobile access, as no financial platform can compete today without providing it, says Freymond.

These features clearly appeal to a variety of clients. SAGE Group SA’s ever-increasing client base includes the international hubs of large, global private banks, particularly in the mass-affluent and high-net-worth segments. Clients of all sizes, can benefit from SAGE Group SA’s experience with international hubs.

In sum, the report concludes that “SAGE Group SA is able to provide a full platform…with simple deployment at low cost.”

“I am very happy to be called out in the Aite Group report, and am confident that we will see more such recognition as our client base continues to grow,” says Freymond. “Competition is fierce, but we have clearly differentiating factors that make us leaders. Our market success has proven this, and explained both our differentiating factors and agility to deploy: We have doubled our client base during the most severe financial crisis.”

To receive a complimentary copy of this report or for additional information, please contact: SAGE at www.finartis.com or info@finartis.com