IMD/IRD Awards 2018

A Level Playing Field

It used to be the case that many of the Inside Market Data and Inside Reference Data Awards would be taken home by a small number of the largest data providers. This year, it was a much closer race, with a greater variety of winners and only three vendors—Thomson Reuters, S&P Global Market Intelligence and SIX—picking up more than two awards apiece.

From “newcomer” categories designed to recognize startups and new products, to our IMD Hall of Fame, the awards run the gamut of rewarding the latest innovation and experience gained from a long career helping others solve data management issues.

This year’s inductee into the IMD Hall of Fame is Ben Mendoza, founder and chairman of UK-based data inventory and cost management platform provider MDSL, who recognized the principle that you can’t manage something if you can’t measure it, and singlehandedly set about mapping data services usage to consumers. The company that began in his attic with five staff now numbers more than 250 across three continents, with another 100 at Telesoft, which MDSL merged with last year after being acquired by private equity firm Sumeru Equity Partners.

Winners and competitors alike deserve congratulations. But, by way of parting words, let us say this: it’s not about the winning or the taking part, it’s about providing customers with excellence in products and services. Make your clients winners, and you’ll be a winner every day.