Exporting market data from trading terminals is a popular usage, which can often lead to compliance issues. A client of AIM Software faced such a compliance issue: the firm was forced to implement a compliant solution within a short timeframe, for the spreadsheets it was using in the front-office, risk, compliance and back-office functions.

The client now uses GAIN Data Portal to provide a central repository of reference data, that can be directly accessed by spreadsheets, or by any application from any place in the organization – and importantly, in a compliant manner.

www.aimsoftware.com

A TYPICAL SITUATION...

Exporting data into spreadsheets is a

popular way of using trading terminals,

and users have often leveraged this

capability to solve their daily challenges.

The problem is that in most cases,

exporting the data can breach the data

vendor’s usage agreement. Non-

compliant usages include: sharing

market data in an Excel file with a

colleague, or storing a snapshot of time

series, or running a risk model in Excel

based on fresh market data.

Surveys show* that 28% of terminals are

installed on the desks of non-trading

investment functions—in risk,

compliance or the back-office—hence

greatly increasing the compliance risks

associated with exporting data from

these terminals.

With the multiplication of spreadsheets,

the overall volumes of data requested

increase, breaching data limits in place

with the data vendor, who would then

typically investigate the reason of these

high-volumes.

.. TURNING INTO A DATA

COMPLIANCE ISSUE

In the case of our client, the data vendor

identified quickly that spreadsheets

were using the market data in a non-

compliant and were responsible for the

high volumes.

Faced with this situation, the firm was

required to rapidly demonstrate that it

had a plan to return to a compliant

situation, whilst limiting the impact on

daily operations.

THE SOLUTION

Looking at different alternatives

including internal development, the firm

selected AIM Software due to the

company’s expertise in data vendor

feeds, including Bloomberg Data

License Per Security & BackOffice,

Thomson Reuters, IDC or SIX Financial

Information VDF.

The chosen solution is a centralised

system based on the GAIN Data Portal,

that executes pre-defined requests,

stores fresh market data in a central

repository, and makes it accessible via

spreadsheets in the easiest way possible

for the end-users.

After an initial installation of the system,

the client created the table structures

required by the existing spreadsheets,

and the related data requests—both

directly in the tool‘s web user interface.

The client could then adjust the existing

spreadsheets so they can connect to the

predefined table structures in GAIN

Data Portal, and then at any time access

the data they required.

THE BENEFITS

The firm now has a compliant solution

to continue using spreadsheets, fueled

with up-to-date market data—whilst at

the same time, providing enough

flexibility to the business users to

request data on demand, via pre-

defined adhoc requests.

In addition, the firm gained a central

platform enabling full control over data

usage. Next steps include better insight

and control over data costs, enabled by

this new platform.

Data Compliance & Usage Access to market data from Excel, in a compliant way

CASE STUDY

Central repository of market

data, accessible via Excel or

any application, from any

place in the organization

■ Central control over data requests and

data consumption

■ Direct access to data from Excel or

Tableau using OData interface

■ Business Users are autonomous in

accessing the data they need, from

Excel or via a web interface

■ Foundation for further data usage

optimisation and cost control

*: The Market Data Company, 2016

GAIN

Data Portal

Further

AccessesFurther systems can

access on demand the

market data

Excel

SpreadsheetsAccess GAIN directly

within Excel to work with

up to date market data

Direct access to

Business UsersExtract market data on-

demand - adhoc

Web UI

API

Data

Vendors

Thomson Reuters

Bloomberg

Data License / Per

Security

Further Vendors

IDC

SIX FI VDF, IPS

DATA MANAGER VIEW

Full control over request execution

Authorized users can access the tool via

an intuitive web user interface to define

request templates and manage the entire

execution of defined requests. This

provides full control over the requests

executed, hence full control over the data

usage and associated costs.

EXCEL INTEGRATION

Direct access from Excel

Excel spreadsheets can directly access

data from the central database in GAIN.

End-users can refresh their spreadsheets

directly within Excel.

USER VIEW

Business Users are autonomous in accessing the data they need

Authorized business end-users can run

predefined requests and extract data on

demand, from anywhere in the

organization via a Web UI.

GAIN Data Portal executes pre-defined

data feed requests, store the acquired

market data in a central repository, and

make the data accessible from

spreadsheets (and other applications

within the organization) —with ease of

access for the end-users.

GAIN Data Portal Facilitate the access to market data. Keep full control over usage

www.aimsoftware.com

AIM Software is the fastest growing and award-winning provider of EDM software products to the

financial sector, with distinct standard products specifically designed for the data needs and business

processes of financial institutions. Over 90 of the world’s leading asset management and asset servicing

firms rely every day on AIM Software’s GAIN to power their core business data needs.

"Beyond EDM" • Products, not Toolkits — Compared to traditional approaches based on EDM toolkits,

AIM Software’s approach based on products ensures faster projects, lower lifecycle costs and tangible

business outcomes. For further information, please visit www.aimsoftware.com

Beyond EDM

MORE INFORMATION?

Contact us at info@aimsoftware.com

■ Light web application

■ Direct access from multiple users via web browser

■ Quick central installation: Setup, connection to provider, setup of first

tables and configuration usually within a day (if prerequisites are fulfilled)