Celent predicts that global IT spending on buy-side order management systems will reach US$168 million by 2007.

In a new report, " ," Celent examines the buy-side OMS marketplace. The report identifies the major trends, and profiles the leading players.

Adoption of order management systems is highest among large financial institutions, and these firms frequently have more than one solution installed. Multiple solutions are the result of legacy systems, acquisitions, varying demands on trading in multiple asset classes, and firm preferences. Small to medium-sized firms are likely to hold off on rapid adoption until industry standards solidify, and the prices of order management systems lower due to an increasing number of providers. Figure 1 shows new IT spending on Trade Order Management Systems, which should reach US$168 million by 2007.

"In the United States and the UK, there are over 9,000 registered investment advisors, and only 1,500 have bought OMS systems from leading providers. A significant number do not generate the trading volume to warrant the purchase of an order management system," said Denise Valentine, a Celent analyst and author of the report. "Interdependency in the industry is such that true automation of trade execution and settlement requires greater participation in the trading network."

Although the journey continues to be a slow one, trade industry protocols are moving toward standardization, and asset managers chip away at internal straight-through processing. In the regulatory environment of today, which calls for greater transparency and stricter, documented internal controls, improved technology in the front-office is a logical conclusion," said Valentine.

A Table of contents is available online.

All Members of Celent Communications research service can download the report electronically by clicking on the icon to the left. Non-members should contact info@celent.com for more information.