MutualFundWire.com: Principal Funds Upgrades Software to Increase Efficiency
MutualFundWire.com
   The insiders' edge for 40 Act industry executives!
an InvestmentWires' Publication
Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Principal Funds Upgrades Software to Increase Efficiency


Press Release

SunGard today announced that Principal Funds, the mutual fund business of the Principal Financial Group, has upgraded to InvestOne Enterprise, SunGard’s next-generation investment accounting and reporting technology platform. In addition, Principal Funds has contracted for SunGard’s InvestOne Enterprise Exception Manager Module, which allows InvestOne Enterprise to process exceptions automatically based on user-defined business rules.

Principal Funds currently has over $56 billion in assets (as of 12/31/06) and has been an InvestOne application service provider (ASP) customer since 1991. With the upgrade, Principal Funds migrated over $33 billion in assets from a previous version of InvestOne and deployed $22 billion in new assets to the InvestOne Enterprise platform. Principal Funds acquired the additional assets in the 2006 acquisition of WM Advisors.

The upgrade to InvestOne Enterprise has helped Principal Funds improve fund accounting and operational efficiencies by taking advantage of features designed to streamline back-office operations, including a customizable browser-based Dynamic Desktop with role-based workflows and extended reporting capabilities. Once the InvestOne Enterprise Exception Manager Module is implemented, Principal Funds will be able to process accounting exceptions on a more proactive basis by employing customized rules.

“In the short time since our upgrade was completed, InvestOne Enterprise has enhanced the efficiency of our organization. We have begun realizing benefits through the easy-to-use interface and workflows built specifically around our business model,” said Layne Rasmussen, vice president and controller, Principal Funds. “In addition to helping improve the way we work, the SunGard staff managed a seamless integration that was completed on time and on budget.”

InvestOne Enterprise is an evolution of the industry-leading InvestOne accounting system into a configurable, enterprise solution based on an extensible and scalable service-oriented architecture. InvestOne Enterprise features a platform-independent architecture that is available on an ASP or installed basis, message-based integration with third-party systems and data sources, a meta data-driven architecture, and extensive Web-based administration features for easy system configuration and maintenance.

“With InvestOne Enterprise, SunGard combines the product’s award-winning, next-generation technology with a proven and disciplined implementation methodology, helping enhance the value we can deliver to our customers,” said Doug Morgan, president of SunGard’s investment systems business unit. “We take great pride in our history of supporting Principal Funds and look forward to extending this relationship long into the future.”

About Principal Funds

Principal Funds is a leading provider of mutual fund solutions for individual investors and retirement plans, with approximately $56 billion in mutual fund assets under management1. Principal Funds has special expertise in providing asset allocation solutions, and is the 5th largest manager of lifecycle funds in the nation based on target-date and target-risk mutual fund assets under management (according to Financial Research Corporation). Principal Funds are distributed through a nationwide network of independent financial professionals affiliated with brokerage and financial planning firms.

About the Principal Financial Group

The Principal Financial Group® (The Principal®)2 is a leader in offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement and investment services, life and health insurance, and banking through its diverse family of financial services companies and national network of financial professionals. A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal Financial Group has $256.9 billion in assets under management3 and serves some 17.6 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com.

Before investing, you should carefully consider a fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact your financial professional, visit www.principalfunds.com, or call 800-247-4123 to obtain a prospectus containing this and other information. Read the prospectus carefully before investing.

A mutual fund's share price and investment return will vary with market conditions, and the principal value of an investment when you sell your shares may be more or less than the original cost.

Principal Investors Fund, Inc. is distributed by Principal Funds Distributor, Inc., member of the Principal Financial Group®. Principal Funds Distributor, Principal Shareholder Services, Principal Management Corporation, and Principal Investors Fund, Inc. are collectively referred to as Principal Funds.

About InvestOne Enterprise

SunGard's InvestOne Enterprise is one of the industry's most trusted investment accounting solutions. InvestOne Enterprise helps meet the needs of a range of financial institutions, including many of the world's largest banks and financial services companies. A real-time, multicurrency system supporting straight-through processing, InvestOne Enterprise helps organizations account for virtually any kind of security held in nearly any kind of fund—from hedge funds and funds of funds to pension funds, mutual funds, bank commingled funds, offshore trusts, and more specialized funds.

About SunGard

With annual revenue exceeding $4 billion, SunGard is a global leader in software and processing solutions for financial services, higher education and the public sector. SunGard also helps information-dependent enterprises of all types to ensure the continuity of their business. SunGard serves more than 25,000 customers in more than 50 countries, including the world’s 50 largest financial services companies. Visit SunGard at www.sungard.com.

Trademark Information: SunGard, the SunGard logo and InvestOne are trademarks or registered trademarks of SunGard Data Systems Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries. All other trade names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

1 as of 12-31-2006

2 "The Principal Financial Group" and “The Principal” are registered service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.

3 As of December 31, 2006


Printed from: MFWire.com/story.asp?s=13631

Copyright 2007, InvestmentWires, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Back to Top