Ever used your phone to find the way with an interactive map, ‘googled’ a film to settle a point with friends whilst out for dinner, updated your status on a social networking site over the weekend or paid for your takeaway using your phone? These are simple examples, scratching the surface of the powerful processing and communication capabilities delivered by a wide array of mainstream smart phones.

With such powerful processing and communication possibilities available, it is not difficult to feel that communication technologies have gone past a tipping point, where consumer devices have become more able to provide the basis for complete and cost effective communication platforms compared to expensive bespoke corporate information technology and telephony infrastructures. In trading markets, we have seen regulators, most notably the FSA in the UK, start to seriously acknowledge the role mobile communication has in daily trading activities, putting in place new recording regulations in line with current dealer board and turret rules.  

Clearly, the commercial world still has very specific and critical needs, which must be fully understood and effectively addressed in a reliable and secure manner. There have been positive moves to rationalise costs of managing corporate infrastructures through globalisation and outsourcing. Although until now, unified communications has been a method of providing connectivity, linking what were once isolated and specific capabilities to providing a more connected set of communications tools, but perhaps addressing the symptoms rather than the root limitations. 

Developments in delivering email, instant messaging, video and voice over a shared Local Area Network (LAN), using what are now mature and well proven internet protocols, provides scope for more flexible communication platforms based on Multimedia over Internet Protocol (MoIP) principles. In today’s commercial environments, MoIP driven platforms allow strong leverage of cloud computing, service based architectures and on-demand pricing models for complimentary commodities, such as data storage, to provide greater efficiencies and most importantly cost savings.

In line with our personal use of communication devices and smart phones, trading has developed from a linear ‘point-to-point’ process to one which is more of a trading community, where geography and location are no longer barriers. In such an environment, it is important to consider the move to MoIP enabled smart trading platforms as a key to staying in touch and remaining competitive.

With the next generation platforms based on MoIP derived architectures, it is also possible to provide ‘state-of-the-art’ communication solutions on a ‘pay-as-you-go’ basis. For trading organisations, this allows new desks or even satellite trading offices to be quickly deployed or retired depending on activity levels.

Finally, in the same way that smart phones have taken the lead, empowering the consumer with a far richer and personalised range of communication options and tools on the move, smart turrets will enable its user, taking on the role of their communication personal assistant, exploiting the full advantages of MoIP.  

Paul Metcalfe

Head of Voice Trading Solutions

Orange Business Services

Trading Solutions