Logica Data Architects, the wholly-owned Waltham, Massachusettes subsidiary of London-based consultancy Logica Plc, is in the process of installing its integrated LTD Logica Transaction Director at Merrill Lynch & Co, the world’s biggest brokerage firm. Linking Merrill’s regional branch offices with host applications running on IBM 3090s, DEC VAXs and other minicomputers, it has replaced […]
Logica Data Architects, the wholly-owned Waltham, Massachusettes subsidiary of London-based consultancy Logica Plc, is in the process of installing its integrated LTD Logica Transaction Director at Merrill Lynch & Co, the world’s biggest brokerage firm. Linking Merrill’s regional branch offices with host applications running on IBM 3090s, DEC VAXs and other minicomputers, it has replaced the previously installed IBM data switching system, CCAP, which required significant customisation and various supporting applications: other benefits to Merrill Lynch include terminal handling for the branch offices to control traffic, and a traffic interface between host machines. Logica says the LTD, which supports X25, bisynchronous, asynchronous and SNA protocols, provides higher network availability through the Tandem Computers NonStop VLX-based fault-tolerant hardware, while the software is designed to minimise system downtime. Moreover, Merrill’s project manager, who wishes to remain anonymous, says that LTD’s application identification codes allow users to communicate directly with applications without first having to log on to the network, while the transaction identification codes can check transactions stored in branch offices, then direct them to host applications automatically. Logica is charging Merrill Lynch a licence fee of $11,000 a month for LTD; the cost of software customisation was not disclosed.
