Welcome to FX Week's e-FX awards 2012

The deadline for 2012 entries has now passed. We plan to announce the shortlist in June, and the awards will be presented at the close of FX Week USA in New York on 10th July 2012.

The past year has seen a never-ending trail of innovation in electronic foreign exchange as banks, brokers and technology vendors have been brushing down their platforms, or indeed launching new offerings, to ensure they compete in the ever-changing FX marketplace.

The spectre of new regulation for trading and processing of over-the-counter derivatives, coupled with the increasing interest on the part of end users in slick functionality and innovative user interfaces, means no provider can afford to stand still if they want to remain in the game.

As in previous years, the e-FX awards will recognise innovation and excellence across the industry, and we expect this year's entries to be more competitive than ever. To cater to the changing dynamics of the e-FX business, we have adjusted some of the criteria for the individual awards, and introduced several new categories:

• Electronic broking initiative of the year (formerly Best electronic broker)
• Best FX prime broker (formerly Best bank post-trade services provider)
• FX options initiative of the year
• Best e-FX platform for corporates

For full details of this year's categories, please click on the Categories tab to the left.

We have also refreshed the judging panel for 2012, and I am delighted to welcome Victor Anderson and Javier Paz to the panel. You can read their biographies on the judges page to the left.

As was the case last year, the expertise and insight of our judges will be combined with an in-depth due diligence process, in which every shortlisted entrant will be asked to provide client references who can testify to the quality and innovation of their technology. These references will be interviewed by FX Week journalists on an off-the-record basis, and awards will only be given to those entries that are backed up by excellent client testimony.

It is important to note that the entire judging process is conducted off-the-record, and no information submitted to FX Week will be reproduced or replicated. Only once the winners have been decided will we conduct on-the-record interviews for the purposes of the awards coverage in July.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you in advance for your support of the e-FX awards, now in their ninth year, and I look forward to receiving your entries. If you have any questions about the awards process, please don't hesitate to contact me at joel.clark@incisivemedia.com

To download the application form, click here.

Best regards,

Joel Clark
Editor, FX Week