Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE:ICE) has announced a range of planned capacity and security enhancements to its Secure Financial Transaction Infrastructure (SFTI). The enhancements will go live next year and will be introduced in response to client demand for access to market data and as a result of growing transaction traffic, ICE said in a statement.
Increase in US connectivity speeds
Changes include an increase in the capacity of SFTI’s US network, from 40Gbps to 100Gbps, which should happen in mid-2016. Before that, however, in January, ICE plans to expand the fiber-based connectivity between three of its access centers in the country, with a view to providing users with a faster service and higher resiliency. The changes will also reduce the complexity of connecting to multiple marketing venues, the statement read.
Wireless option for US, Europe
Between January and March next year, the exchange network will also launch in the US a wireless connection network to cover a selection of its access centers and the company’s data center in Mahwah, New Jersey, and it will also increase the connection speeds for the Mahwah center. So much for the US.
In Europe, also between January and March, ICE will offer the users of SFTI direct wireless connectivity between its British Basildon data center and the access centers in Slough, also in the UK, and Frankfurt, in Germany. This, ICE said in its statement, will provide clients who want to use a wireless alternative to the SFTI fiber network with a reliable, consistently available, and cost-effective option.
“We are committed to continuing to enhance SFTI in response to the needs of customers”
In a comment on the updates, ICE Data Services President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Lynn Martin said: “ICE has invested to further enhance the SFTI infrastructure, which is the most extensive connectivity infrastructure offered by any global exchange group. We are committed to continuing to enhance SFTI in response to the needs of customers who rely on our technology for mission critical operations, including compliance with regulatory mandates and ensuring security and resiliency.”
SFTI is a private multi-user network aimed at providing these users with timely and secure access to more than 120 global bourses as well as content service providers, striving to minimize the risk of failures occurring during this connection. The venues that SFTI provides access to include, besides ICE and NYSE, a number of alternative trading systems, clearing and settlement platforms and market data providers.
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