Managed services offer direct exchange connectivity and low-latency data feeds.

Demand for ultra-low latency market data delivery is leading to innovative technology solutions, especially those based on the cloud.

“Volatile markets and increased competition have created the need for faster execution across all asset classes such as equities, futures, options and FX, and trading strategies such as statistical arbitrage, exchange-trade fund arbitrage, and algorithmic trading options. Faster delivery of market data plays a vital role for success,” Mark Casey, president and CEO at CFN Services, told Markets Media.

CFN Services, a provider of managed high-frequency trading enablement services, operates the low-latency Alpha Platform, a high performance global cloud that accelerates trading performance for automated traders across key liquidity venues in the equities, options, futures, derivatives, and FX markets.

CFN delivers CME market data and order execution via the Alpha Platform, providing direct market data and order routing for trade execution at CME, NASDAQ, NYSE, Direct Edge, and BATS over ultra-low-latency routes from 350 Cermak, Chicago, eliminating the need for trading firms to purchase stand-alone low-latency circuits.

A managed trading infrastructure offers unique advantages such as low cost of ownership by leveraging shared infrastructure, seamless integration of best of breed financial ecosystem providers without the dedicated IT staff, latest generation technology for superior trading performance and acceleration of the trading platform development cycle for faster deployment, said Casey.

As part of its offerings, CFN also provides 24/7 network monitoring and colocation of equipment at key exchange locations.

“Managed trading infrastructure services provide buy-side customers with accelerated global market data delivery and trade execution, lower TCO, and scalability to react quickly to dynamic market and trading strategy changes,” said Casey. “The managed services include direct exchange connectivity to matching engines, proximity hosting, and management of trading servers and low latency switching architecture.”