BNP Paribas and Bloomberg AIM improve integration for front-to-back office models

BNP Paribas’ Securities Services division, a prominent custodian overseeing USD 13.7 trillion in assets under custody, has recently strengthened its multi-asset servicing capabilities further by integrating with Bloomberg AIM, a well-known buy-side order and investment management technology platform. This enhanced feature allows for more direct and standardized data connectivity between Securities Services’ global fund accounting solutions and Bloomberg AIM, ultimately benefiting mutual buy-side customers by facilitating front-to-back data integrations.

This move is in line with the bank’s strategy to enhance its open-architecture approach, aiming to optimize the integration between clients’ portfolio management systems and BNP Paribas’ middle- and back-office functions. Following the initial integration with Bloomberg AIM in May 2023, the solution has been successfully improving real-time post-trade workflows by incorporating BNP Paribas’ middle office outsourcer data. The direct connectivity ensures faster data availability, with a secure transmission protocol guaranteeing data integrity and accuracy. Through automated trade instruction capturing and status updates, clients can enjoy enhanced transaction lifecycle transparency with minimal manual intervention.

The extended model now allows for direct uploading of fund accounting data into Bloomberg AIM, offering mutual buy-side clients a comprehensive view of their portfolios and transactions used in calculating Net Asset Values. This streamlines their start-of-day reconciliation and control checks, simplifying the onboarding process for new clients, funds, and share classes, thereby reducing involvement in the implementation phase.

Several EMEA and APAC-based clients with assets under management ranging from USD 10 billion to USD 98 billion have already benefited from this upgraded integration. Investitori SGR, an Italian asset management firm within the Allianz Group, is one of the key clients reaping the rewards of these improvements.

Emanuele Vizzini, General Manager at Investitori SGR, emphasized the advantages of the collaboration between BNP Paribas and Bloomberg in terms of adaptability and efficiency regarding middle-office and fund accounting data integration. Pam Samrai, Head of Buy-Side Post Trade Product at Bloomberg, highlighted the significance of providing seamless front-to-back operating models for the buy-side industry. Through this partnership, clients can expect increased operational efficiencies, better data governance, and enhanced oversight and control over the investment process.

Valérie Boléa-Waeterloos, Open Front Office Strategy and Integrated Models Lead at Securities Services, emphasized the importance of offering a seamless front-to-back office model to asset managers for maintaining efficiency in a competitive market. This long-term collaboration with Bloomberg ensures that clients can develop an integrated model that caters to their current and future needs, underscoring BNP Paribas’ commitment to delivering lasting solutions that support clients’ connectivity within the post-trade landscape.