The survey, based on a webinar with 50 RIAs and advisors, found that 75 per cent said creating integrations between systems was where they most wanted to see tech vendors focus their research efforts.

Today, Family Wealth Report carries an interview with John Philpott, chief executive of Interactive Advisory Services on these issues, which can be viewed here.

The need for integration outweighed a desire for new mobile and tablet apps, which were cited by 20 per cent as a priority, as well as the development of client portals, mentioned by 6 per cent.

Meanwhile, roughly a third of RIAs said technology was the biggest issue for them today, followed by staffing and compliance . Competition did not rank so highly as a concern, with only 13 per cent citing this as a challenge.

In terms of business strategies this year, 67 per cent of RIAs said they would be relying on marketing to expand their practices, while 15 per cent said they would look at growing through a merger or acquisition. Social media also featured in growth plans, with 11 per cent saying they planned to become more involved with this.

IAS will be hosting another webinar focused on growth on 28 March, for which advisors can register at the firm’s website.