QuantHouse, which develops software for low-latency market data delivery and alpha generation, has added a connectivity offering. Although the addition of the QuantLINK service enables QuantHouse to offer a product which combines its market data delivery, proximity hosting and global order routing, it remains to be seen whether it will bring in new customers or just keep existing ones happy.
In the first of a new series of articles written by industry thought leaders, Rockwell C. Bonecutter, Accenture’s North America Green IT lead, runs down five ways of making a winning case for green IT.
Having already launched its first foray into low-latency infrastructure monitoring for the financial markets, network performance vendor NetQoS is now said to be considering the development of a product specifically for monitoring the delivery of financial market data. Given that there is no single protocol that dominates in market data, NetQoS may have identified a viable commercial opportunity.
Contact center outsourcing providers are suffering from thinning margins and lower contract volumes as the economic downturn bites, leading to an increasing appetite for diversification into adjacent business processes. These vendors should look to move into higher value business process outsourcing areas and develop a more long-term strategic approach, without which they are unlikely to succeed.
Although it is hoped that the plans mapped out in the Chancellor's pre-budget report will have a positive effect on the economy, there are major challenges ahead and not only at an economic level. The decision to drop VAT by 2.5% on a wide range of goods will challenge businesses and their business management systems, particularly financial management and enterprise resource planning applications.
As growth has slowed in the security software and appliance market, the security SaaS sector has become more compelling. Symantec has staked a claim for early leadership by acquiring MessageLabs, which has been a key success story in security services. This move into managed services will enable Symantec to sustain growth, but potentially poses a risk to its other channels and modes of delivery.