This article addresses the new Global Investment Performance Standards (GIPS) from a technology perspective.  GIPS is the latest of a series of significant events that affects the software systems that investment firms use to measure performance.  As GIPS offer a worldwide standard for performance calculation, measurement and presentation, the importance of the software systems used increases dramatically.  GIPS will also change the way in which software vendors develop systems, as many systems will need dramatic enhancement to meet the needs of investment firms who want to be compliant with the new standards.  The reader will obtain an understanding of the effects that GIPS will have on performance systems, and how to evaluate the state of their current performance systems in light of the new standards.  In addition, the reader will obtain an understanding of how GIPS fit within technological trends in software development.