MutualFundWire.com: Fidelity's Internet Publishing Focuses Fund Info
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Wednesday, June 16, 1999

Fidelity's Internet Publishing Focuses Fund Info


The market wants information yesterday. Performance is king in the marketplace today, and people are demanding more and more timely dissemination of information in order to re-balance, chase hot money, gloat, moan or simply research. No matter that almost all fund companies and advisors stick to the fundamental investor advice that mutual funds are a long-term investment, keep that portfolio diversified, and be patient.

Related Links
  • Devonshire Custom Publishing
  • Data-2-Dev Demo
    • Investors are doing what they want and in order to do that, they need information, whether on a web site, or delivered through their financial intermediaries and fund websites. So that advisor, planner or fund company needs to process and deliver that information in a timely fashion in turn.

    That's where Devonshire Custom Publishing's website comes in, offering a new product, the Data-2-Dev system that allows fund companies to enter fund performance and portfolio information into custom-tailored templates which are then arranged into custom-tailored print and electronic publications. The data entry/update process is quite straightforward and step-by-step; a demo is available at the Devonshire website.

    The fund data, whether performance, holdings, fees etc, can be entered manually or by uploading files into the database and viewed or proofed at any point, then customized for brokers, investment advisors, plan sponsors, plan participants and whoever else needs up-to-date fund information.

    Devonshire also creates data feeds to supply voice response systems, workstations and transmissions over the Internet.

    Over 25 companies are using the services of Devonshire at this point, including Strong, Janus, Invesco, Nvest, Prudential, Pioneer, Loomis Sayles and Prudential funds.

    "Considering today's Internet explosion, Data-2-Dev is vital. It's smart, efficient, user-friendly and multi-functional to both parties involved," said Kim Murphy of Janus Institutional Marketing.

    Devonshire, formed 15 years ago as Fidelity Publishing, and renamed on May 1, 1999, is the publisher of the Mutual Fund Guide, the main printed source of information on Fidelity Funds, and is part of Fidelity Capital, which invests in a broad range of businesses for Fidelity Investments.

    Although the company says that clients do bring up the association with Fidelity, and concerns about possible conflicts of interest -- Ellen Hoffman, president of Devonshire, told the MFWire that these concerns are easily quelled.

    "Fund companies have to understand that we're a separate organization (from Fidelity Investments) and all the data that's collected is on a need to know basis for employees," said Hoffman. "Furthermore, we started working with other fund companies because Fidelity wanted to provide non-Fidelity funds in their 401(k) offering, and needed the performance and portfolio information for plan participants and sponsors. So we are helping the fund families sell their funds, and there is really no conflict of interest."


    Printed from: MFWire.com/story.asp?s=24279

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