AI Issue 9 2017

30 Acquisition International - September 2017 Exclusive winner of the Best in Financial Technology accolade, within the 2017 Global Excellence Awards, is Bluecoat Software. We interviewed the firm’s Managing Director, Mark Skelding to get the lowdown on the firm’s award-winning financial technology platform, which is targeted towards financial advisers and mortgage brokers. luecoat Software provides the award- winning financial technology platform, FinPlan. It is a comprehensive practice management solution for both financial advisers and mortgage brokers. FinPlan is an end- to-end, workflow-based solution, that enables firms to control all aspects of their work, whilst meeting the compliance obligations set out by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Based in central London, Bluecoat Software offers a UK-wide solution for the Financial Services industry. The firm’s Managing Director, Mark Skelding introduces the firm’s objectives and what differentiates them from their competitors. “Our services are primarily deployed to industry professionals, many of whom are non-technical. Whilst users may be unaware of how a technology platform operates, or the specific challenges that need to be overcome, they demand a solution that is easy to use and that works efficiently as well as reliably. Our core objective is to enable industry professionals to work smarter and more effectively, by delivering them an easy-to-use, premium quality software application, with the best-in-class technology and ongoing support. “FinPlan is designed to save time. It is easy to use and provides a secure environment to do business in. It offers better ways of working, but does not impose cumbersome practices on its users. We don’t just provide software. We work with clients to create a strategic partnership. The firm’s bespoke implementation process, ensures that clients receive the benefits from a properly deployed application. We work hard to ensure that they understand the system and that it is configured, so that they can work efficiently. “We are the first practice management consultancy in the UK invited to appear in the Technology Edition 2016/2017 of The Parliamentary Review, in recognition of our specialist expertise.” Mark is then eager to share with us how it feels to be selected as the exclusive winner of the Best in Financial Technology accolade, within the 2017 Global Excellence Awards. He then provides an interesting overview of the wider industry and how this affects the firm’s work. Company: Bluecoat Software Name: Mark Skelding, Managing Director Email for demo: [email protected] Web Address: bluecoatsoftware.com Address: 90 Long Acre, Covent Garden London, WC2E 9RA UK Telephone: +44 (0)845 226 0720 The Best-in-Class Technology B 1709AI01 “It is a great honour. I would like to thank all our clients who have given us invaluable feedback, throughout the design and development phases of the project. It is an honour to be recognised by our peers and the industry in general.” “System security is hugely important. There is a continuous ‘arms race’ between those seeking to illegally gain access to personal data - via the hacking of insecure websites - and those charged with protecting the data. We understand our responsibility, as a software platform supplier, to protect unauthorised access to data. We have implemented a range of procedures to continuously review and assess the current effectiveness of system security, including continual internal code reviews, regression testing and regular external penetration testing.” Working on a fast-paced market, Mark turns to underline the firm’s techniques used to stay ahead of emerging developments and how they ensure that all staff are equipped to provide the best possible service to clients. “An area that we invest in heavily, is the provision and maintenance of the secure cloud infrastructure and our data-hosting environment. Secure data and efficient access to the platform remain an essential requirement for our current and future strategies.” “We work in an industry that is fast-paced and always moving forward. We can provide a stimulating and challenging environment for the firm’s staff to work in, but our primary goal is to provide the very best level of service, backed up by an excellent product. We continue to expand our team, to meet the needs of our rapidly growing client base.” In closing, Mark spills the beans on what the future holds for the firm and shares his views on the wider global corporate landscape. “In all industries, the continual and rapid innovation within technology and communication offers significant opportunities to evolve existing business practices. There are many exciting projects currently under review, and platform security will continue to be a hugely important part of our future development strategy. Bluecoat Software sees the further development of our existing portal technologies being significant and as such,