The group, which includes EFA International and EFA Software Services, is exploring opportunities to sell its asset including interests in two offshore subsidiaries, ADR Management Ltd. and EFA (Cyprus) Ltd.

The group provides solutions across the spectrum of capital markets activity, from clearing and settlement, order-routing and trading, through to integration and professional services. EFA's Horizon product was selected by Deutsche Bourse subsidiary Xlaunch as the technology foundation for B2B and OTC trading exchange sales. Other customers include some 35 smaller stock markets across the Middle East and in Iceland, Bermuda and Hungary.

Basis100 acquired the EFA Group in January 2002 and created a new capital markets solutions division to market its products, but it has failed to deliver consistent and predicatable earnings. In September, the Toronto-based company axed half the staff in the division, laying off a total of 82 personnel, including 17 contractors.

At the time, Basis100 was forecasting revenues for the division for 2002 to be approximately $18 million with an overall contribution margin of $4.6 million, including a $2 million restructuring charge to be taken in Q3.

In a statement, Gary Bartholomew, chairman and CEO of Basis100, says: "Basis100 will not continue to fund this subsidiary as, even in its current downsized state, it remains unable to generate sufficient cash to cover its costs and achieve a cash flow neutral position."

Basis100’s core businesses of Lending Solutions and Data Warehousing and Analytics solutions remain healthy and expect to deliver revenues in line with guidance, says Bartholomew. In addition, the BasisXchange technology, currently in use by CanDeal, is not affected by this event, as it is a core Basis100 technology.