RFA, the leading global provider of institutional-quality cloud, cybersecurity and data management tools to the investment management industry, recently conducted a survey of over 400 institutional investors. It gathered excellent insight into how institutional investors view digital transformation at their firm, especially following a year where it was so important to be digitally forward. For example, about 52 percent of firms surveyed have completed or were in the decision making or implementation phase of their digital transformation journey.
Q1 2021 hedge fund letters, conferences and more
RFA Releases Results of First Annual Global Investment Management Digital Transformation Survey
- Over 400 hedge funds, private equity firms, allocators, and asset managers polled on a variety of digital transformation topics.
- The transition to cloud, cybersecurity concerns, and modernization of financial technology determined to be key focus areas for institutional investors.
NEW YORK, LONDON - April 27, 2021 – RFA, the leading global provider of institutional-quality cloud, cybersecurity and data management tools to the investment management industry, today announced the results of its first annual Global Investment Management Digital Transformation Survey. The survey polled 400 global institutional investors representing hedge funds, private equity firms, allocators, and traditional asset management.
Firms were polled for their insights into a variety of digital transformation themes, such as the modernization of financial technology, the transition to the cloud, and concerns around cybersecurity. Key insights from the responses include:
- About 52 percent of firms surveyed have completed or were in the decision making or implementation phase of their digital transformation journey.
- Nearly 91 percent of respondents prioritized the modernization of IT and legacy systems, as well as business process optimization, over the monetization of new offerings for their digital transformation program, emphasizing the need for operational efficiency.
- Almost half of respondents cited “cybersecurity concerns” as one of their top three drivers and potential challenges in accelerating digital transformation.
- Approximately 30 percent of respondents indicated cloud migration is a key priority in 2021.
Making A Post-COVID Digital Transformation Journey
"Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, institutional investors globally were largely at a level of low maturity in their digital transformation journeys" said Yohan Kim, Chief Executive Officer of RFA. “However, now the need for agile, innovative and data-driven solutions is a ‘must-have’ for firms to stay competitive. For many investment managers, making a post-COVID digital transformation journey will be a worthwhile investment of significant time and resources, especially as collaboration becomes a key focus as workforces continue to remain in remote or hybrid workplaces.”
"Many firms will need to rethink which technologies are integral to their business, which ones can reduce costs, and which will drive the operational efficiency of their digital transformation,” said George Ralph, Global Managing Director and Chief Revenue Officer of RFA. “There is an opportunity for firms to create value, or ‘digital alpha’, through greater investments in digitizing their operations and technology functions. As a global leader with decades of experience providing technology solutions to institutional investors, we at RFA are well-placed to be a specialist partner for designing and implementing the custom solutions necessary for digital transformation.”
About RFA:
RFA is a unique IT, financial cloud and cyber-security provider to the financial services and alternative investment sectors. RFA's goal is to redefine the future of technological support through R&D, DevOps, data services, automation and machine-learning, providing clients with tomorrow's edge, today. RFA offers bespoke solutions to clients that are system-agnostic, secure, transparent, best-in-class and supported by holistic advice and creates customized strategies for each client to get business processes and workflows to run with greater speed, security, ease of use and utmost efficiency.
Headquartered in New York City and London (EMEA), RFA serves over 900 clients globally with additional facilities in Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts, California and Luxembourg. RFA brings together a seasoned executive team and a committed group of over 250 highly skilled consultants, architects, and engineers.
For more information on RFA, please visit www.RFA.com.
