19 March 2008

Microsoft has launched the Institutional Client Platform (ICP), a solution for buy- and sell-side firms that uses customer relationship management (CRM) and client analytics to provide greater visibility into client activity across financial product silos.

The ICP enables firms to provide improved client service by seamlessly integrating the entire communication infrastructure including instant messaging (IM), e-mail and the trader’s turret system. The platform is designed to bring together all front-, middle- and back-office activity into a single view of the customer, to provide valuable insight into a customer’s trading positions across the various product silos, and enabling firms to cross-sell additional suitable products.

This launch phase of Microsoft ICP focuses on distribution and includes such services as client on-boarding, event management, CRM, client classification, client analytics and integrated communications.

Leading financial services technology providers worked with Microsoft to develop and implement ICP including GaleForce Solutions, which provided support in the CRM area, Information Management Group, which will be responsible for client analytics functionality, IPC Systems, which will manage the integration of the communication infrastructure and Lab49, which will be responsible for the delivery, integration and customisation of the platform for customers of ICP.

UK stockbroker, Execution, was the first company to implement ICP; going live in September 2007. “Since implementation, we have benefited from improved client relationships, more efficient research production and distribution, and better client accounts management through business intelligence,” said Mark Adams, development manager at Execution. “More importantly, the whole enterprise has benefited from an integration of our CRM and communication systems.”

The ICP platform utilises Microsoft Dynamics for its CRM capabilities, Microsoft Office Communications Server for the integration of communications, and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server, Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server, Live Search and Microsoft SQL Server for client analytics functionality. Together, these technologies provide an integrated sales desktop that any client-facing staff within a financial institution can leverage.

“With Microsoft ICP, we wanted to provide institutional client-facing staff with a solution that would provide a 360-degree view of their clients’ activity across the product silos,” said Ian Warford, director of securities and capital markets at Microsoft EMEA. “They are now able to identify quickly the more profitable clients, suggest additional products and improve overall customer service.”