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Mashups: Are Asset Managers Missing the Boat?

by Lindsay Geimer

In September's Industry Analysis brief, I wrote about the prevalence and versatility of mashups on the Web, and the relative scarcity of similar functionalities on asset managers' Web sites.

In the broadest sense, a mashup is a combination of two (or more) Web applications into a single, hybrid tool. Many of the early mashup applications, like Quake Map, overlay mapping technology (usually Google Maps) with information about events occurring or resources available in a certain location. As mashups have become more popular and improved technology has made them easier to create, usage has become broader and more innovative. One example is the TuneGlue Music Map, which provides a visual representation of relationships between musical artists and others who either preceded or followed them in a certain style of music, and paints an evolutionary picture of a musical genre over time. A user can click on any artist, find information about the artist's albums, and purchase music through an embedded retail application, powered by amazon.com, all without ever leaving the TuneGlue site.

Despite the myriad potential applications, mashups have yet to be embraced by the asset management industry. Asset managers could leverage this technology through:

• Distribution Partners: Overlaying a mapping tool with detailed information about key distribution partners (address, top producers, competitors, etc.) in each of the firm's sales territories.
• Fund Holdings: Similar to Quake Map, using interactive mapping software within fund profiles to display geographic locations, along with news and market information (market capitalization, share price) feeds, for individual holdings.
• Literature Orders: Within fund profiles, integrating HTML pop-up displays of literature offerings that feature embedded literature fulfillment features, allowing advisors to add literature to an online shopping cart.

The possibilities are endless. Mashups have the potential to change the way that people interact with the Web. e-Business teams should be working to take advantage of the opportunity that they present.