Symphony blog

Disney. Starbucks. Coca-Cola. Some iconic brands inspire such intense loyalty that they become part of enthusiasts’ identities. Perhaps the most compelling example in modern memory is Apple: millions of people around the world are deeply devoted to the company’s products, and their dedication (and willingness to pay a premium for their hardware) has made Apple one of the most successful companies in history. Yet, Apple’s technology is based on an exclusive ecosystem. To be an Apple user, generally speaking, you must buy an Apple device (or in some cases, several of them…between me, my wife, and my kids we have 6). This contrasts with Google’s Android model, whose operating system integrates with a variety of smartphones and other devices.

With an eye on all things ESG in 2022, we used our ESG platform to identify five ESG themes that will make an impact in the upcoming year. We outline how dynamics between governments, companies and investors will define how these themes may develop throughout the year.

In the spirit of fostering open standards and interoperability to empower our community, I am pleased to share that we now support the FDC3 standard, and plan to extend its open source interface in order to offer more versatile integrations between desktop applications and Symphony. The richer FDC3 API will offer an array of options for streamlining and enhancing new and existing collaboration workflows for professionals in the financial industry.

As the vast selection of collaboration tools available to institutional traders continues to grow, coupled with the accelerated adoption of emerging technologies, many firms are struggling to address the knock-on effect this is having on trader workflows. In the seventh episode of Cloud9’s podcast series examining developments in the voice trading landscape, Cloud9’s Chief Operating Officer Jim Miller and Symphony’s Chief Product Officer Michael Lynch examine how fragmented workflows can be solved by consolidating trading tools with voice capabilities and how Symphony’s recent acquisition of Cloud9 is playing a key part in alleviating challenges.

The apparel industry has long been known for its resource and labor intensity. Some companies, like Nike and Hanes, have sought to improve the narrative for themselves. This week Lululemon’s sustainability efforts grabbed the headlines and attention of our ESG platform along with Samsonite and Puma. We also flagged the supply chain disruption in the industry due to the COVID outbreak in Vietnam.