SIRCA explained

SIRCA
Type:	Not-for-profit organization with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission
Founded Date:	1997
Founder:	Michael Aitken
Location:	Sydney, Australia
Key People:	David Sharp, CEO; Gail Pemberton-Burke, Chair
Area Served:	Global
Focus:	Data Science, E-Science, Open Innovation, Computational finance, Enabling Technologies
Homepage:	www.sirca.org.au

SIRCA is a provider of online services to support finance and other data-intensive research at universities, Government and financial market participants world-wide.^[1]

History

SIRCA was incorporated in 1997^[2] as a not-for-profit company to host and manage share price data from the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) for a small group of collaborating Australian universities.

In its early years, SIRCA collaborated with the ASX and other research partners on a number of landmark studies including:

• ASIC review of the research on the past performance of managed funds [2002] ^[3]
• The ASX-SIRCA Benchmarking Study [2003]^[4]
• The Importance of Market Integrity [2004] ^[5]
• Identity Fraud in Australia [2003]
  A report for financial intelligence agency AUSTRAC which found it to be $1.1Bn problem.^[6]

Today, SIRCA serves over 50 universities including 37 member universities in Australia and New Zealand^[7] and over 20 from North America, Europe and Asia.

Services

SIRCA in partnership with the Australian Financial Markets Association produces the Australian Financial Markets Report (AFMR) - an annual report with comprehensive coverage and statistics on all Australia's financial markets including equities, futures, bonds and over-the-counter securities. In 2012, these markets collectively turned over collectively turned over more than $125 trillion in 2011-12.^[8]

SIRCA technology underpins the market leading Thomson Reuters Tick History database.^[9] This is used by most leading financial institutions around the world as a source of historical tick and end of day data for a variety of functions, including the back testing of algorithms to support automated trading strategies, and for a range of risk and compliance related tasks.

Governance

SIRCA is a registered as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee with the Australian company regulator Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC). SIRCA’s governance is overseen by a Board of Directors,^[10] and Executive.^[11]

See also

• Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)
• Thomson Reuters
• Reserve Bank of Australia
• Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre

External links

• Official SIRCA Website
• Technology Spectator, "A smarter approach to innovation" 28 Aug 2012

Notes and References

1. Web site: Surveillance and Compliance at NASDAQ OMX. 2012-09-15.
2. Web site: SIRCA incorporation records at the Australian Government's Company Regulator: ASIC . 2012-09-15.
3. Web site: A Review of the Research on the Past Performance of Managed Funds. 2012-10-08.
4. Web site: Taking Stock, ASX News October 2003 . 2012-09-15.
5. Web site: The Importance of Market Integrity: An analysis of ASX self regulation by James Rydge and Carole Comerton-Forde. 2012-09-15.
6. Web site: Australian Institute of Criminology, Emerging trends. Feb 2011 . 2012-09-15.
7. Web site: SIRCA University Partnerships . 2012-11-01 .
8. Web site: 2012 Australian Financial Markets Report. 2012-11-01.
9. Web site: Thomson Reuters Tick History. 2012-09-15.
10. Web site: SIRCA Board. 2012-11-01.
11. Web site: SIRCA Executive. 2012-11-01.