Public pension funds and endowments operate in one of the most complex and scrutinized environments in the investment industry. Governance requirements are rigorous, resources are constrained, and technology decisions are expected to endure for decades rather than years. These realities were front and center at the recent Investment Operations Forum 2026 in Ohio, where Rimes proudly participated as an event sponsor alongside approximately 100 attendees representing more than 30 pension systems, primarily state pension plans with select endowments and private pension funds.
The conversations reinforced a clear message: data is foundational to the future of institutional investing, and getting it right is critical to unlocking operational resilience, transparency, and growth.
A Market Defined by Collaboration and Continuity
One of the most striking aspects of the Investment Operations Forum 2026 event was the level of collaboration across institutions. These organizations speak frequently, share references, and rely heavily on peer insight to guide technology and vendor decisions. With limited internal resources, the ability to learn from trusted counterparts is essential.
At the same time, public pension funds move deliberately. Decision-making processes are governed by layered approvals, long budgeting cycles, and a mandate to minimize risk. Technology change often requires months, and in some cases years, of planning and validation. In this environment, continuity of engagement and long-term partnerships are far more important than quick wins or short-term innovation narratives.
Rimes has built its business around serving exactly this reality: working alongside asset owners over time, aligning to their governance models, and providing platforms that evolve with their needs.
From Legacy Systems to AI-Enabled Cloud Platforms
Data strategy dominated the discussion at Investment Operations Forum 2026. While artificial intelligence continues to attract industry attention, most asset owners are still in the early stages of adoption, often limited to narrow use cases such as internal copilots. Instead, the immediate priority for many institutions is far more foundational: replacing legacy databases and siloed data stores with modern, cloud-based enterprise technology.
These organizations recognize that advanced analytics, automation, and future AI initiatives depend on having trusted, well-governed data at the core. Without a unified and transparent data foundation, innovation remains out of reach.
Rimes specializes in delivering enterprise data management capabilities that centralize, validate, and control critical investment data across public and private markets. By providing a single source of truth, Rimes enables teams to reduce manual processes, increase confidence in reporting, and spend more time on value-added activities.
Supporting Growth Without Adding Complexity
Another recurring theme was the need to support organizational growth while operating within fixed resource constraints. Investment teams are expanding their mandates, increasing exposure to private assets, and adding new strategies, often without proportional increases in staff or technology budgets.
This dynamic creates demand for platforms and services that simplify operations rather than introduce additional layers of complexity. Attendees responded strongly to discussions challenging the notion of a fully integrated front-to-back platform. As highlighted in a presentation by Cutter, such platforms rarely exist in practice and often come with significant cost, rigidity, and implementation risk. Large providers such as BlackRock, SimCorp, and State Street were cited as examples of broad approaches that can struggle to meet specialized operational requirements.
Rimes approach as a focused specialist resonated with this audience. Recognized alongside the other sponsors as a robust enterprise data management platform, Rimes enables asset owners to modernize their data architecture without committing to costly, monolithic systems. This modularity allows institutions to integrate best-in-class solutions while maintaining control and flexibility.
Private Markets as a Technology Catalyst
Private investments continue to be a major driver of technology decisions for public pensions and endowments. The complexity of private asset data, from capital calls to valuations and performance, places significant strain on legacy systems and manual workflows.
Rimes supports private market strategies by normalizing and governing disparate data sources, enabling consistent performance, risk, and exposure reporting across the total portfolio. For institutions focused on scaling private investments responsibly, a strong data foundation is no longer optional.
Building Long-Term Partnerships with Asset Owners
The Investment Operations Forum 2026 event reinforced the importance of trust, credibility, and sustained engagement.
As public pensions and endowments look ahead, the need for reliable, transparent, and future-ready data platforms will only increase. Rimes is committed to supporting these institutions with technology that aligns to their pace, governance, and long-term objectives.
Take the Next Step
If your organization is evaluating how to modernize investment data, support private market growth, or move away from legacy systems without taking on unnecessary risk, Rimes would welcome the opportunity to continue the conversation.
Contact the Rimes team to schedule a personalized demonstration and learn how our enterprise data management solutions can support your operational and strategic goals.