Global Extranet

StrataNet

Latency Matrix

ULL Layer 1

Exchange Colos

eFX Hubs

Data Centers

Security & Compliance

Direct Market Data

Exchange Partners

Time-as-a-Service

Storage-as-a-Service

Automated Delivery


Overview: Trading Infrastructure

  • Trading Infrastructure consists of the delivery of direct market data and order entry, colocated server access, bespoke networks, time services, and client and counterpart connectivity. These services are available either individually or as a holistic managed service.
  • We provide the leading, next generation suite of cloud infrastructure solutions to the global financial community. These products make up a Global Extranet: an ecosystem of leading-edge products and services to enable interactions between market participants at the lowest latency
  • Network automation allows for tailored clients environments at scale
  • Managed services of physical servers/storage at exchange venues
  • Global fully resilient and diverse low latency backbone linking all key financial centers
  • All Options managed fiber, based on point-to-point circuits
  • Deterministic guaranteed low latency performance
  •  Evergreen policy, continuous upgrades to the fast routes

Highlights

Subscription-based pricing model based on a number of venue connections and types of financial instruments, venue connectivity data (e.g., order entry vs data only), latency speed (e.g., ultra-low vs low), and storage needs.
  • Trading servers and infrastructure are physically located in data centers at or near exchanges, and provide high-speed connectivity to the exchanges’ trading engines
  • Options manages, maintains these servers at 63 data centers for +100 exchanges, dark pools, and ECN venues globally on behalf of its clients
  •  Flexible, white-glove, managed server model supporting the latest bare metal servers, cards and operating systems, and managed, monitored and operated by in-house team of engineers, market operations and NOC staff globally
  • Options contracts directly with carriers to manage dedicated fiber connections for market data and order routing up to 100 Gbps
  • Connected to all major exchanges, dark pool and ECN venues globally
  • Delivered over resilient, fastest path routes
  • Utilizing ultra-low latency switching technology to provide sub microsecond delivery in data centers
  • Providing investment bank grade security certification & processes (SSAE 18/ SOC 1 & 2)
  • Supported by industry expert operational teams, deployed in region 24×7 and when any market is open globally
  • Highly deterministic and standards-based operations that heavily leverage advanced network automation to build out and deploy
  • Holistic resiliency practices
  • Carrier and physical diversity on all routes

Description

  • We provide an ultra low latency and low latency connectivity network consisting of direct data center server connectivity and market data feeds
  • Services include connectivity to exchanges, order entry, and client and counterpart connectivity, all with a bespoke, white glove approach

Next-gen data center connection

  • Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN) has emerged as the standard for network virtualization and cloud data centers
  • We serve a valuable function in providing virtualized private networks for clients that are already running over low latency trading networks
  • Allows clients to completely replace their infrastructure with a faster network and reducing cost of ownership
  • Facilitated Fixnetix acquisition and boosts cost synergy potential in M&A

Advantages / Capabilities

  • Connected to all major exchanges, dark pooland ECN venues globally
  • Delivered over resilient, fastest path routes
  • Utilizing ultra-low latency switching technology to provide sub microsecond delivery in data centers
  •  Providing investment bank grade security certification & processes (SSAE 18 / SOC 1 & 2)

Network Key Numbers

  • 63 data centers
  • Layer 1 + Layer 3 network switches
  • 5ns multicast order entry – dedicated access
  • 50ns unicast order entry – dedicated access
  • 89ns multicast market data – shared access
  • 52ns unicast order entry – shared access
  • 24/7 support across regions
  • 8 global major cities with ops centers

Unique Network Backbone

Lowest Latency
Maintained through evergreen approach
Deterministic Latency
Unprotected links to ensure predictable latency
High Resiliency
Resilient carriers, paths and entry points to datacenters
High Bandwidth
100G North America, 100G & 40G Europe, 10G Asia
Direct Circuit Availability
Better vendor support and tertiary routing to locations
High Network Availability 
Primary, secondary and tertiary routing

What is Options Infrastructure?

Telemetry monitoring and analytics 
  • Accurate and precise time synchronization is an essential component of the financial markets ecosystem – Options meets the needs and all if its clients’ regulatory obligations (e.g. MiFID II & Reg NMS) through a diverse and fully resilient PTP infrastructure
Customer dashboarding and real-time reporting on network status
  • Provides daily readouts on latency and server availability for full customer monitoring of server readiness
Direct market data
  • Lowest latency and most reliable raw market data directly from the major liquidity sites across the globe
  • Available instantly on a one-click basis on client dashboard
Dedicated private connectivity to public and private cloud environments
  • Deployment of Options’ managed applications across low latency network “backbone”
Storage as-a-service
  • Highly performant, globally resilient storage is an essential component of ensuring data may be accessed, replicated and utilized at a pace matching the market, at any volume
  • Supported by proprietary PURE storage fabric
Physical + virtualized server infrastructure
  • Full suite of infrastructure services including Unix, DBA, WA, and Networks
  • Best-in-class resilient design and implementation
ULL Layer 1 connectivity to exchanges utilizing a one hop architecture
  • Shared or dedicated infrastructure providing flexibility of deployment
  • Fully engineered and optimized design ensuring lowest latency profile (proven on Options’ test bench)
Resilient, consistent, and scalable implementation across 60+ datacenters
  • 30+ years of experience, 440+ service professionals
  • White glove management and maintenance