| “The I-4 Corridor that runs through Greater Orlando is the
mecca of the financial software industry – with representation from
four of the big six U.S. software players, and one of the top
international players, plus major financial services institutions
and insurance companies. Combine that with a financial savvy and
multi-language workforce and you get a location that’s a global hub
for the industry.” |
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— Terry Vannoy
Co-Founder, Optria
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The push for going green takes on new meaning in Metro Orlando,
as the region has emerged as a national leader for the financial
services and financial technology industry. Led by top industry
players that have major divisions and operations based or housed in
Orlando – Fiserv, Harland, FIS, BNY Mellon, Charles Schwab and
Chase – this ‘most wired U.S. city’ is home to over 50,000
financial services and financial technology workers. Perhaps even
more noteworthy is the fact that Orlando is among the top metros in
the nation when it comes to employment growth in this industry.
From 2003 to 2007, Orlando’s financial service employment grew 13
percent, while FiTech employment grew 30 percent.
Dominating industry growth here are companies in the key
segments of software development, banking and finance, investments
and insurance. Companies such as Fiserv and BNY Mellon have
expanded numerous times, bringing in sister companies and
subsidiaries. Additionally, Florida is second only to New York in
the number of FINRA securities licenses that are critical to
companies such as BNY Mellon and Schwab.
The industry is bolstered overall by a world-class telecom
infrastructure, a strong and ever-growing technology base (which
includes more than 1,400 software and information technology
businesses), and a swelling number of knowledge and multi-language
workers coming from our community colleges and universities. The
University of Central Florida, now the second largest university in
the country, grants more than 900 economics, accounting and finance
degrees annually and boasts top-ranked engineering and computer
science programs.
Rounding out Orlando’s competitive edge for the industry is its
central location with global access – one that provides easy air
access to nearly all major U.S. and international financial
centers.
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