The project, delivered on-time and on-budget, is part of Banco General's initiative to automate the firm's wealth management operations. Key project goals included: integrating workflows of Banco General's Private Banking unit and BG Valores brokerage subsidiary on a single platform; providing access to remote brokers; and enabling real-time electronic trading via FIX (Financial Information eXchange).

Over 50 Banco General users benefit from Charles River IMS' automated portfolio management, trading, and compliance monitoring, as well as seamless integration with accounting and other back-office providers. Users include 39 remote BG Valores brokers who leverage the Charles River Anywhere browser-based workstation to remotely monitor and manage portfolios, compliance, trades and post-trade information in real-time for wealth management clients. The Charles River FIX Network enables Banco General to route orders electronically to its primary offshore broker.

"Charles River IMS has increased our efficiency and reduced operational risk, creating a unified platform and delivering remote capabilities to service both our Private Bank and BG Valores clients," said Carlos E. Samaniego, Assistant Vice President, BG Valores. "We now have fully-integrated order capture and trading workflows, and FIX trading capabilities. We can also validate compliance anytime - across all asset classes and domestic and international orders - whether trading Panamanian Bolsa de Valores securities, fixed income instruments, hedge funds or mutual funds."

Supporting BG Valores' remote brokers was a key project goal. With Charles River Anywhere, brokers can quickly originate client-directed orders and access account information in real-time. "Charles River understands the wealth management business," said Samaniego. "They have delivered the best technological solution, training and support to meet our operational needs, as well as tools to help build client relationships."

Banco General also streamlined its processes for trading equity and options orders with real-time global electronic FIX trading through the Charles River Network. The firm connects to its brokers via Charles River's low-cost, internet-based Virtual Private Network option. Charles River's FIX Network Services provides Banco General with complete FIX software administration, connectivity management and support for each sell-side broker and trading destination. The Charles River Network is fully integrated with Charles River IMS and includes over 120 buy-side firms, 440 broker-dealers, and has 3,700 live broker/client FIX connections.

"Charles River helps wealth managers, like Banco General and BG Valores, support high volumes of high-net worth, SMA, UMA, UMH and discretionarily-managed portfolios," said Spiros Giannaros, Vice President-Sales, Americas, Charles River Development. "Many of our wealth management clients have rolled out Charles River Anywhere to their Financial Advisors because it increases their efficiency by making account information available 24x7 - anywhere."