Trading Technology MSP Fixnetix Teams with Custom Connect on Microwave Line in Europe

Touted as a technology enabling the fastest trading in the world, managed service provider (MSP) Fixnetix is offering a microwave line between London and Frankfurt in tandem with Custom Connect MV. The companies have formed a strategic alliance to provide faster and more comprehensive technology for low latency market data, trading and risk control services.

Fixnetix and Custom Connect are working together to provide microwave access, a low latency trading technology, between London and Frankfurt. The technology affords 2.375 microseconds one way for the NYSE Euronext, NYSE Liffe, Xetra and EurexColocation data centers.

Through the partnership, Fixnetix has signed an exclusive agreement to become a reseller of available bandwidth as well as providing a data service over the link. This will include forthcoming latency upgrades and will cover additional exchange colocation facilities in London and Europe as well.

"Fixnetix is pleased to offer microwave access as the latest technology for the fastest trading in the world," said Hugh Hughes (News - Alert), chief executive of Fixnetix. "We have chosen Custom Connect MV as the right partner in helping us respond to global customers seeking the strongest managed outsourced model for scalability and costs."

Custom Connect specializes in the design, construction and support of ultra-low-latency microwave connections. The company focuses mainly on high-frequency trading firms that realize significant benefits from latency improvements. They offer a 99.50 percent service level agreement for the MicroWave link, which is unusual and typically only offered with traditional fiber connections.

The partnership with Fixnetix will benefit the MSP, which offers its services across multiple asset classes to a variety of industry sectors. These include global banks, hedge funds and proprietary trading groups looking for ultra-low-latency trading, market data, hosting, infrastructure connectivity and risk management solutions.

Fixnetix has 33 colocation and proximity hosting centers throughout Europe, the U.S., the Asia-Pacific region and Africa, with trading access in more than 79 markets. They are known for their real-time low latency filter, iX-eCute, which is a field programmable gate array (FPGA). This is meant to solve issues with pre-trade risk, compliance and ultra-low-latency execution, and features a microchip that enforces pre-market risks at nanosecond time frames while also preventing an impact on latencies.