ASIC to Launch New Professional Registers Search to Streamline Info Searching

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) will launch a streamlined version of the Professional Registers Search (PRS) in late June this year, following a 'user-first' design approach to make the experience more intuitive for users.

The streamlined PRS will allow users to view all professional registers databases in one search, making it easier to confirm that the company they are dealing with is licensed by ASIC. The survey tool on the homepage is gathering feedback on user experience, which is used to improve the search function.

ASIC plans to launch the first version of the PRS at the end of June, at which time a wide range of ASIC registered entities previously searched in ASIC Connect, including Australian Financial Services (AFS) licensees and AFS Authorized Representatives, will be moved to the PRS. However, other registered entities in ASIC network will not be affected and users are able to search by company name.

ASIC also plans to continue updating the PRS by the end of the year.

As Australia's corporate, markets and financial services regulator, ASIC says it is working towards its goal of becoming a digitally enabled and data-informed regulator by 2030, and the PRS Project is a core part of the digital transformation, which is the regulator's "digital front door."