For the past twenty years, we have been providing research databases and production software covering all aspects of investment research production and communication. Along the way, we have picked up extensive business knowledge. Whilst we will try not to tell you what you want in a research production system, we will understand exactly what you mean when you tell us what you need.   

We do not believe that the best way of providing research technology solutions is via a single software package or ‘platform’. Research is different from trading. Success in a trading platform might be gauged by how exactly it matches and fits in with the other systems which make up the trading environment.

If you are interested in competitive advantage and in differentiating your research product on the basis that this will lead to increased commission flow however, the last thing you might need is a research production system that is exactly the same as that used by your competitors.

Sure enough, it is the quality of your analysts’ output and the skill with which your salesmen disseminate information to your clients that has the greatest effect upon commission flow but analysts and salesmen work better with better technology for producing and communicating research.

In the past, I have designed comprehensive research systems for:-

UBS Warburg

ABN Amro

HSBC Investment Bank

Bridgewell Securities

Given our comprehensive existing research technology assets, we almost invariably produce new software or changes to existing software in less elapsed time than it takes a client to specify, acceptance test and implement that software on a production basis.

We want our clients to get whatever they want from their research technology so we agree to provide unlimited research related new software or changes to existing software within the annual cost that we agree with the client. The cost is generally related to the number of analysts a client employs and compares favourably with our competitors’ charges.

In an increasingly technology led business, we want to encourage our clients to innovate by providing a flexible and robust research technology environment that expects change at short notice and without the risk of blowing the budget.

Investment Research Systems Ltd. does not have an expensive office in the City (or anywhere else). All of us work from home or very close and we communicate with each other and our clients mostly on-line. We find this makes us very productive.

Another way of looking at this is to imagine that we have a virtual presence everywhere twenty four hours a day. Although we tend to do most of our work during daylight hours, the fact that we are constantly within reach of our development systems means that in case of need, we can respond immediately at any time to any support problem. This applies all year and as demonstrated recently, we can just as easily support our clients’ systems from up a mountain as from East Anglia.

We enjoy designing new software more than we enjoy support work so we design our systems to require minimal support. That said, all support work we do is included in the annual cost as is everything else.