Misys is to stop work on its m-link B2B portal for independent financial advisors and shift development to the AssureWeb system acquired during the recent £75 million takeover of rival network DBS.
Misys has announced the creation of a "centre of excellence" to deliver technology solutions for IFAs and product providers, based at the existing AssureSoft operation in Cheltenham.
The core IFA portal, which will deliver full cycle electronic trading on a range of life, pensions and investment products, "will be based on the on-line strengths of the existing AssureWeb platform but will use the advanced off-line working capability of m-link" says Misys in a statement.
This will allow close integration with desktop point of sale systems for IFAs, the company says. A decision on the name of the new portal will be made later this year. Development work on the m-link server in London will now cease.
A new management team, led by Helen O'Dea, will spearhead the continued development of the portal, integrating with the new end-to-end desktop software, mi-solution, scheduled for launch before the end of the year. O'Dea will be joined by Elsie Bonnett as operational services director, David Child as commercial director, David Redbond as development director, Ian Teague in finance, and business development director William Watling.
Ivan Martin, chief executive, Misys financial services division, comments: "Assureweb and m-link combined can create a fully functional IFA portal that will deliver significant benefit to the industry. This is the first phase of the integration plan, which we have delivered well ahead of our initial 4-6 week timetable."