The ISB (Information Service Broker) project came up as a result of the Phare programme for the promotion of the capital market development in the Czech Republic. The project co-ordinator was the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic and the supplier was the Italian company SIA S.p.A. (Societa Interbancaria per l´Automazion – Cedborsa S.p.A.). The ISB Portal operator was the Securities Centre, since 7th July 2010 CSD Prague.

The ISB Portal has been conceived as an information web portal with the functions of receiving and distributing information connected with the ownership of securities at the register and statistical information levels from and to market members. All kind of communication is carried out solely in electronic form.

As for its purpose, the ISB Portal has been designed to facilitate the supply of information services to issuers, state authorities, state administration authorities and subjects to which the powers of such organs have been delegated. Also, the ISB Portal offers information services to investment companies and funds. The ISB may be used as well by other individual or institutional investors who can find free-of-charge information in the Public Part of ISB Portal, and in case they are registered, they can acquire information in the ISB Confidential Part for a consideration.

The main purposes of ISB are as follows:

• Electronic supply of information
• Single access point for all users
• Information secured through certificates
• Reduced costs of information supply
• Quicker availability of information