The agreement will allow users to connect directly to the cash equities trading venue via FIX through Fidessa's connectivity network or through its trading platform, without the need to establish a new connection.

Mr. Yoichi Ishikawa, Executive Officer, PTS, kabu.com Securities Co., Ltd said:' We are extremely pleased to be joining the Fidessa network. With Fidessa's help it will be easier for clients to access our PTS venues. As the Japanese equity trading landscape is quickly changing to accommodate a diverse group of execution venues, kabu.com is keen to work with Fidessa to attract liquidity from both on and offshore institutions.'

Kabu.com is unique among the Japanese PTSs in that it is the only platform in Japan to offer an auction trading system similar to that of the exchanges. With the help of broker-dealer sponsors including Credit Suisse, UBS, Morgan Stanley, Mitsubishi UFJ Securities, BNP Paribas, and Nikko Citigroup; kabu.com has been able to build a deep pool of liquidity for trading Japanese equities.

Hiroshi Matsubara, Marketing Director for Fidessa in Japan, commented: "Japan is seeing the rapid emergence of alternative execution venues including PTSs, broker dark pools and crossing networks. Fidessa is committed to covering all institutional alternative execution venues that emerge in Japan, especially in the context of the launch of arrowhead by TSE, which is expected to stimulate interactions between execution venues and accelerate fragmentation of the Japanese market."

Fidessa recently announced the readiness of its platform for the launch of TSE's arrowhead, which is expected to go live in January 2010.