IRESS continues as the main planning software supplier for 45 per cent of planners, while Coin is the second-most widely used at 23 per cent, an Investment Trends survey shows.
AdviserNetgain led in overall satisfaction as industry level satisfaction hit a four-year high, with 55 per cent of planners now rating their main planning software as 'good' or 'very good', up from 52 per cent last year.
Investment Trends senior analyst Recep Peker said IRESS continued to be the market leader with its Xplan and VisiPlan planning software, with 37 per cent of Australian planners using Xplan (up from 34 per cent last year) and 5 per cent using VisiPlan as their main planning software.
When its legacy software (VisiPlan and ProPlanner) and white-label relationships were taken into account, IRESS was the main planning software supplier for 45 per cent of advisers.
Coin was the second-most widely used, with 23 per cent of planners using it as their main planning software, with this figure steady with last year's result.
The third most-used planning software was Midwinter at 7 per cent (steady with last year's result), followed by AdviserCentral at 6 per cent (up from 4 per cent) and AdviserNetgain at 4 per cent (up from 2 per cent).
Investment Trends' April 2012 Planner Technology Report was an in-depth study of Australian financial planners and their technology needs. The study was based on a survey of 1412 advisers concluded in April 2012.
Peker said that, as an industry, planning software providers "increased satisfaction fastest with integration with platforms, the production of comprehensive financial plans, and ease of use and improved user interface design playing major roles".
"This is reflective of the development work undertaken in these areas over the last 12-18 months," he said.
Among primary users of software - independent of relative size - AdviserNetgain received the highest average overall satisfaction rating, achieving particularly strong ratings for user interface, integration with platforms and production of client review reports.
It also received the highest rating for 'value for money'.
Coin recorded the fastest increase in overall satisfaction from 2011, with notable gains in satisfaction with the production of comprehensive financial plans, ease of use and integration with platforms.
