Hedge IT Blog

Taking a page from the Cloud Forum (quite literally), today we look at the top three winning reasons hedge funds are gravitating towards the cloud.  Not surprisingly, these reasons center around increased efficiencies, improved technology environment and cost savings.

Scalable, Flexible and Available
The cloud offers firms the option of scalability without the serious financial commitments required for infrastructure purchase and maintenance. With cloud services there is no vendor lock-in or implied commitment beyond duration so firms have the flexibility to easily evolve their IT environment.

Another benefit is the ability to seamlessly add more users and/or computing resources to match the firm’s requirements. A hedge fund private cloud can deliver the infrastructure, bandwidth and network resiliency to accommodate business requirements for high speed access, storage and applications.

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It's no secret that cloud computing is the hottest topic in the world of investment technology right now (we've certainly been talking about it frequently!). We often hear from our hedge fund clients that they are very interested in this technology, but feel they still have additional learning to do before making an informed decision as to whether it is the right option for their firms.

So, as part of our ongoing effort to provide educational content to our loyal Hedge IT readers, we have compiled a list of the most commonly used cloud computing terms. We hope this A-to-Z "dictionary" will serve as a valuable reference guide for you in your exploration into the world of cloud technology!

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More than 100 hedge fund technology and operations professionals attended our recent Hedge Fund Cloud Summit in New York, and we're pleased to report that the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

Not only was the Cloud Summit the first event of its kind, but it was also where we debuted Eze Castle TV! Some of our attendees were brave enough to face the camera and tell us what they thought of our event. Watch the video below to see what they had to say!

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As any regular Hedge IT reader knows we are passionate about cloud computing and its use at hedge funds. We are also committed to being a constant source of information and education.

So…drumroll please… We are excited to unveil the newest member of the Eze Castle Integration thought leadership family – Cloud Forum!

On the Cloud Forum you will find rich information:

• What is Cloud Computing
• Cloud Architecture
• Operating in the Cloud
• Cloud Security
• Cloud Computing Dictionary A-Z
• Cloud Resources: Articles, Videos and Events

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The atmosphere in the room was one of excitement and anticipation. Not something you’d expect for a conference dedicated to cloud computing? Think again.

We hosted our first-ever Hedge Fund Cloud Summit earlier this week at the Sofitel New York, bringing together over 100 operational and technology professionals from the investment industry for what truly was an exciting day.

Event hosts Bob Guilbert and Vinod Paul kicked off the afternoon by offering their perspective on the changes within the hedge fund market relative to cloud computing and why it has steadily become a reliable technology option for firms of all sizes and strategies. Five years ago, most hedge funds were involuntarily relying on traditional on-premise infrastructures marked by intricate Comm. Room build-outs and heavy upfront capital expenditures. The average cost for servers, storage, networking and other equipment? Two hundred to five hundred THOUSAND dollars.

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The security threat landscape continues to evolve, and security through obscurity is no longer (and probably never was) an ideal approach to protecting the sensitive data of the hedge fund industry. A recent study by IBM found that cyber threats are expanding with 62% of managers believing that cyber threats are an increasingly serious risk to business.

The report found a 27% rise in cyber security vulnerabilities between 2009 and 2010 and noted that “early in 2011 officials at the International Monetary Fund revealed that it had been targeted by a sophisticated cyber attack – a threat that was considered so serious, the World Bank severed the computer ties through which the two organisations shared information.”

Another example cited was that “in June 2011 a black-hat hacker group known as LulzSec (or “Lulz Security”) targeted the website of the CIA in the US using a denial-of-service attack. This was the latest in a string of similar attacks against a range of government and public sector bodies.”

While these two examples occurred at large organizations, the risks facing smaller firms (read: hedge funds) are just as real. To that end, we recently had eSentire into our Boston office to speak with a group of hedge fund CTOs about the security landscape and their managed security technology. Feedback on eSentire’s offering and approach was positive and the spark for this tech spotlight article.

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On most days if you asked what I was doing on that exact day two years prior I wouldn’t be able to tell you, but today is different. Today is the second birthday for Hedge IT, our sweet, informative blog. So I know exactly what I was doing two years ago – I was writing and posting our first Hedge IT article, aptly titled “Welcome to Hedge IT.”

Sticking with the theme of ‘welcome to…’ and giving a node to our upcoming Hedge Fund Cloud Summit, today’s post is a welcome to the changing world of IT – now that the business world is going to the cloud.

Paradigm shifts are commonplace in the IT world. When talking to an IT veteran about cloud, he/she will likely reflect on the move from centralized computing (mainframes/mini-computers) to decentralized computing (Windows NT/Novell) and now back to centralized computing with the cloud.

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It’s the most talked about trend in technology these days. Then again, can it even be considered a trend anymore? Cloud computing has evolved into a credible technology solution for hedge funds and other financial services firms, allowing them to reduce their upfront capital expenditures and focus their priorities on investment decisions and other operational tasks.

But with so much buzz in the industry about the cloud, it seemed fitting to organize an event dedicated solely to this topic. Alas, it’s finally here.

In just two short weeks, Eze Castle Integration will be honored to host the 2012 Hedge Fund Cloud Summit – a half-day conference in New York City designed to dive deep into the critical areas of cloud computing that hedge funds and investment firms are compelled to think about on a daily basis.

The Cloud Summit will bring together more than 100 of the investment industry’s best and brightest technology and operations professionals and will feature expert speakers from some of the leading hedge funds, prime brokers and technology application partners in the industry.

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Opalesque TV recently sat down with Vinod Paul (of Eze Castle Integration!) to discuss how cloud computing is altering the technology landscape in the hedge fund industry. The conversation covered a lot of ground including:

• Public vs. Private vs. Hybrid Clouds
• The Migration from Traditional IT to the Cloud
• Impact of Reduced Costs in the Cloud
• Real-world Examples of Cloud Utilization
• Examining the Technology Environment for Startups
• Scalability with the Cloud
• Cloud Security Best Practices
• The Future of the Cloud

Watch the video now.

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Here at Eze Castle, we believe knowledge is power.

Having an understanding of your firm’s technology needs will take you far, particularly when it comes to satisfying increasingly technology-savvy investors. But gaining that knowledge can sometimes be a challenge for fund employees who are pressed for time and busy focusing on strategic goals.

We’ve made it our mission to be a constant source of information for our hedge fund clients and partners - our Hedge IT blog is a prime example! In addition to our wealth of blog posts, we have a dedicated Knowledge Center devoted entirely to helping educate investment professionals on what’s new and exciting in hedge fund technology. Below are a few of our most popular knowledge centers, easily configured by category to help you find exactly the information you’re looking for.

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