Banks Trial Arcontech's CityV

RNS Number : 0746V

Arcontech Group PLC

27 October 2010

 



ARCONTECH GROUP PLC

("Arcontech" or the "Group")

Banks Trial Arcontech's CityVision for Linux

Arcontech, the real-time market data technology specialist has today announced the Linux version of its CityVision market data distribution and vendor contribution platform.  The new version has completed rigorous internal tests and is currently being installed for user acceptance testing.

The latest CityVision version recognises market demand for Linux, particularly from North America and in larger investment banks where Microsoft Windows is not popular in server rooms and Solaris is not seen as a strategic operating system.

As with the Solaris version released last year, Arcontech's innovative use of its own real-time micro kernel has enabled re-use of the proven code base of the CityVision for Microsoft Windows™ and CityVision for Solaris™ versions by providing an abstraction layer from the underlying operating system. This approach reduces both the effort required and the risk of introducing programming errors, since core logic does not need to be reworked.

Interoperability between all three operating system versions has been ensured meaning that migration is simple and can be achieved without system downtime. This is due to CityVision's fully dynamic hot-standby feature, where parts of the resilient system are taken off-line and upgraded to a new operating system while the other parts continue to service the load. Once re-synchronised, the other parts are upgraded similarly.

Performance also benefits from micro-kernel software engineering.  According to Andrew Miller, CEO of Arcontech, "Taking full advantage of multi-threading and multi-processing capabilities of Linux together with modern multi-core processors, we are seeing exceptional throughput and reduced latency, even in virtualised environments. This is important with the ever increasing fully-loaded cost of CPUs; CityVision users can get better performance with fewer boxes."

The Linux version of CityVision can, of course, be co-located with existing Linux systems.  This can further reduce hardware requirements and the need for additional operating system skills and resource within market data service departments.

Andrew Miller added: "We're seeing strong interest in Linux deployments with several new contracts dependent on its availability.  This is another example of us staying ahead of the competition in terms of features, reliability, availability and flexibility."

Notes for Editors

About Arcontech Limited

Arcontech Limited is the key trading subsidiary of Arcontech Group Plc (AIM: ARC).

Founded in 1979, Arcontech is real-time software specialist providing products and bespoke systems for collection, processing, distribution and presentation of time-sensitive financial markets data.

Arcontech is independent of any data vendor (such as Thomson Reuters or Bloomberg) and has thrived due to timely delivery of dependable, cost-effective solutions to the financial community based on its award winning CityVision product suite.  Its diverse clients range from National Government, Banks and Data Vendors through to Internet Bookmakers.

Arcontech installed its first digital market data products in 1983 and has continually developed new, innovative systems and products, adopting leading edge technology, proven in the marketplace. Key areas of expertise include:

Ø Market data infrastructure and real-time distribution

Ø Multi vendor data contribution

Ø Platform integration and alternative trader desktop technology

Ø Consulting and custom development

CityVision

CityVision (Arcontech's market data platform), supports collection, aggregation and redistribution of market data in real-time from multiple sources to multiple destinations. Sources can include exchanges, MTFs (Multi-lateral Trading Facilities in MiFID speak) and internal data from spreadsheets, pricing engines and trading systems of pan-European investment banking community.  Destinations include multiple vendor contributions, dealing desk displays, Microsoft Excel, real-time streaming web updates and on-line trading applications.

CityVision is fast, flexible, fully resilient, scalable and secure, with a full authentication and entitlements system. The system is extensible to receive instruments in any asset class, from hundreds of contributors and to provide controlled re-distribution.

CityVision can interoperate with other systems (such as Reuters RMDS and Tibco Rendezvous) via existing de-facto standards (such as Market link SSL and FIX) and via its own comprehensive APIs. This means it can provide cost effective solutions to add value to or replace incumbent systems.

 

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