SEI's ETF Platform Trades Over 50 Percent of All U.S. ETF Assets

Innovative Order-Taking Platform Creates Greater Transparency, Efficiency in a Paperless Environment

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Aug 23, 2010, 10:00 ET

OAKS, Pa., Aug. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SEI (Nasdaq: SEIC) today announced that it supports authorized participant (AP) trading for over 300 Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). This operational outsourcing business represents 53 percent of the U.S. ETF market. Instrumental in SEI's order-taking process is its ground-breaking straight-through-processing platform. The platform is designed to create increased levels of efficiency and transparency by connecting the APs, sponsors, distributor, custodians, and transfer agents in one straight-through electronic process. The growth points to the ongoing traction of the ETF sector and SEI's commitment to delivering innovative outsourcing services to this rapidly-evolving market.

SEI's system creates a centralized location for submitting and reviewing ETF creation and redemption transactions, while significantly increasing the speed and convenience of order entry. With this system, orders that were typically manual are now automated, processed in a controlled environment, and can be completed in seconds. Order affirmations are received electronically almost instantaneously, without the need for manual validation of the transaction. The system also enables new levels of flexibility for users, allowing participants to easily replace an order prior to cutoff times and access their historical records.

Another benefit of the electronic system is the increased transparency it gives to sponsors. Rather than waiting until the end of the trading day to understand their market positions, sponsors can now log in throughout the day to monitor their activity and obtain a more accurate snapshot of their business activity on a continuous basis.

"SEI's ETF processing platform is an important advancement in the technology that supports our business and the ETF industry in general," said George Pereira, Senior Vice President of Charles Schwab Investment Management, SEI's latest ETF client. "By reducing order processing time and by increasing transparency, SEI improves the efficiency, effectiveness, and experience of Schwab and our AP trading partners. This new platform is an example of the innovation that SEI is known for and is a testament to their market leadership."

Eliminating manual intervention, SEI's processing platform employs multiple checks and balances related to the size of the order and the fund symbol to prevent erroneous trades and other errors from occurring. Fund parameters and exceptions set by the sponsors are incorporated into the system and automatically assist the AP with the trade input. Orders are also acknowledged through an instantaneous PDF affirmation, followed by an electronic confirmation process.

"With the growth of the ETF sector this decade, it was clear that a more sophisticated, flexible, and convenient processing system was needed," said John Alshefski, Senior Vice President, SEI's Investment Manager Services division. "As the leader in the space, we have been investing the time and capital necessary over the past several years to build a better platform, not only for the benefit of sponsors, but also for the over 40 APs with whom we have relationships. The ETF marketplace has also been evolving, and our expertise has allowed us to support a widening array of index products, including '40 Act, '33 Act, and long-short ETFs. We're excited to be a catalyst for positive change and to provide ETF sponsors with innovative capabilities."

In addition to AP processing, SEI's ETF outsourcing solution includes fund administration, accounting, investor servicing, and distribution support globally through its US and European locations.

About SEI's Investment Manager Services Division

SEI's Investment Manager Services division provides comprehensive operational outsourcing solutions to global investment managers focused on mutual funds, hedge and private equity funds, exchange traded funds, collective trusts, and separately managed, as well as institutional and private client, accounts. The division applies operating services, technologies, and business and regulatory knowledge to each client's business objectives. Its resources enable clients to meet the demands of the marketplace and sharpen business strategies by focusing on their core competencies. The division has been recognized by Buy-Side Technology as "Best Fund Administrator" and by HFMWeek as "Best Funds of Hedge Funds Administrator." For more information, visit http://www.seic.com/enUS/im/343.htm.

About SEI

SEI (Nasdaq: SEIC) is a leading global provider of outsourced asset management, investment processing and investment operations solutions. The company's innovative solutions help corporations, financial institutions, financial advisors, and affluent families create and manage wealth. As of June 30, 2010, through its subsidiaries and partnerships in which the company has a significant interest, SEI administers $380 billion in mutual fund and pooled assets and manages $149 billion in assets. SEI serves clients, conducts or is registered to conduct business and/or operations, from numerous offices worldwide. For more information, visit www.seic.com.

SOURCE SEI