Offers credit-card access to financial planning and asset-allocation tools. SunGard has launched a "software as a service" or SaaS version of WealthStation, its web-based front-office application, to help independent advisors get up and running without the trouble and expense of running the application in house.

Wayne, pa.-based SunGard anticipates a sharp increase in the number startup investment advisories as a result of the turmoil experienced by financial firms -- especially those of the big-name variety -- in recent months, couple with a general surge in demand for unbiased investment advice from shell-shocked investors.

As needed

"It is more important than ever for advisors to be agile in their service offerings and dedicate more time to acquiring, retaining and serving clients," says Kevin Rafferty, president of SunGard's wealth-management business.

The SaaS -- or "on demand" -- version of WealthStation supplies "the technology and tools that advisors need to plan and execute investment strategies for their clients in an on-demand environment, without requiring a large capital expenditure," adds rafftery.

The SaaS version of WealthStation gives advisors credit-card access to more than 60 financial planning modules including SunGard's asset allocation software. Users also get automatic upgrades "in a secure environment with full disaster-recovery backup," according to a SunGard press release. In a move similarly aimed at helping its institutional clients minimize overhead costs, SunGard recently released a web-based version of its Charlotte trust and investment management system. Wayne. Pa.-based SunGard provides IT and software services to about 25,000 institutional clients around the globe. -FWR

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