Hedge fund IT provider, Agio Technology, announced the results of its two-month iPad Challenge, an in-environment use test of the iPad by active hedge fund managers who evaluated the impact of Apple’s iPad on their jobs.

“Our practice is built on providing technology responsibly. We are not interested in the newest and greatest, we are interested in what works for the dynamic and unique hedge fund space.”

Agio provided 14 hedge fund managers in 5 firms nationwide an Apple 3G iPad, pre-loaded with Agio’s recommended top 10 financial apps for hedge funds, and access to Agio’s Enterprise-level follow-the-sun support desk. The program is a direct result of Agio’s commitment to vigorously proving innovative technology through hands-on testing and 24/7 expert engineering support, and its support of an Apple-based environment.

Highlights of the survey include:

• Ninety percent said that working with an iPad increased their overall mobile usage, with 10 percent saying they now use mobile devices “all day long”;

• Ninety percent said the iPad made them more efficient at completing their tasks with seventy percent saying they would recommend their firms provide iPads along with other mobile devices;

• Apps showed growth opportunity moving from 3rd place pre-challenge to 2nd place post-challenge in the activity ranking of emails, apps, and web;

The Bloomberg app was the most eagerly anticipated and most used app of the Challenge with The Wall Street Journal and Thomson Reuters apps coming in 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Other apps that were downloaded and used during the course of the Challenge included Financial Times, RDP Lite, Kindle, and travel apps among others.

Participants commented to Agio’s support team that they eagerly await the release of a fully-functioning version of the Bloomberg Anywhere app for the iPad. One hundred percent of the participants would be open to beta testing financial-related apps in the future.

“Our practice is built on providing technology responsibly. We are not interested in the newest and greatest, we are interested in what works for the dynamic and unique hedge fund space,” said Agio’s CEO Bart McDonough. “Our clients and the hedge fund community at large has shown that they trust us and are on-board with our methodology by participating in campaigns like the iPad Challenge. You can expect more of these types of programs from us in the future. It’s what we believe in and what we’re about.”

For complete results of the Agio iPad Challenge and the Top 10 Apps for Hedge Funds article visit www.agioIT.com.