"What's out there that we can buy right now?" was the question Freddie Mac's Ed Albrigo threw out to attendees in his keynote address opening the 9th Annual Mortgage Technology Conference in Miami.Mr. Albrigo, vice president in charge of Freddie Mac's enterprise planning office, said the government-sponsored enterprise was prepared to purchase out-of-the-box technology solutions that minimize needed customization. He said Freddie Mac, like the mortgage lenders it serves, needs to come quickly to market with new products at a time when the capital markets are awash in funds. That means, he said, that Freddie Mac no longer has the luxury of involving itself in lengthy projects requiring a high degree of customization. He said the mortgage industry as a whole is governed today by three realities: consolidation, fierce competition, and compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and other regulatory pressures. Freddie Mac can be found online at http://www.freddiemac.com.
