Sell-Side Technology Awards 2013: Best Data Center Provider to the Sell Side ─ NYSE Technologies

NYSE Technologies, the exchange's vendor arm and operator of the datacenters, made waves when it announced their construction in 2008 and again when they opened in 2010. Among the 145 clients at the two centers are most of the world's largest banks, making NYSE Technologies a shoe-in for the inaugural Sell Side Technology award.

The New Jersey datacenter, home to all of NYSE Euronext's US equities and options hardware, is constructed to a Tier 4 guided design, rated at approximately 150 watts per square foot, and positioned on two utility power grids. Its footprint spans over 28 acres in Mahwah, located off the 100-year flood plane in northern New Jersey. The Basildon datcenter, home to the European cash and derivative markets and a number of third-party markets, is a Tier 4 facility on 16 acres outside of London.

"The state-of-the-art facility is suitable for demanding trading firms and offers fair and equal access to firms of all sizes, guaranteeing that all participants have the same performance at the infrastructure level, attracting both buy-side and sell-side participants in a way that other technology vendors simply don't-or can't," says Ian Jack, NYSE Technologies' global head of the Secure Financial Transaction Network (SFTI), which links all the facilities.

Mahwah and Basildon are the main cogs of the Global Liquidity Center Network, which also includes hubs in Toronto, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
Two outstanding features of the datacenters are flexible power options and security. Customers can take up to four 20-kilowatt racks, with a range of connectivity options. The security, built into every aspect of the buildings' designs, makes Fort Knox look like a local credit union. Electronic scanners and a moat are two of the many guarded gateways at Mahwah.

NYSE Technologies is planning to add additional connectivity options this year. It recently built out its Meet Me Rooms and opened up carrier access. It will also be offering microwave and millimeter wave (MMW) access to both locations. The current co-location offering, which includes connections to trading and market data through SFTI, is being expanded to add more options.

Two outstanding features of the datacenters are flexible power options and security. Customers can take up to four 20-kilowatt racks, with a range of connectivity options. The security, built into every aspect of the buildings' designs, makes Fort Knox look like a local credit union.

NYSE TECHNOLOGIES REACTION

"The community needs to find ‘needle-moving' ways to significantly restructure the legacy operating costs of technology and information, in order to operate profitably in today's capital markets. This requires firms to look at shared environments and platforms that deliver state-of-the-art, highly secure technology and information environments for capital markets participants to operate much more efficiently and dynamically. Our award-winning datacenters and SFTI managed cloud offerings create a robust destination for the capital markets community. Our open, purpose-built facilities are carrier-neutral and provide a comprehensive range of global connectivity options, now including microwave technology, high-performance trading software, and mission-critical information services. The investment we have made in this infrastructure means the capital markets community is able to come together seamlessly, cost-effectively and with better performance to maximize returns."

Jon Robson, CEO, NYSE Technologies