The combination of Kx's ultra high-speed processing with Panopticon's leading visual analytics makes it possible to visualize vast quantities of trade data in real-time.

The new interface will enable financial institutions to analyze data, and visualize patterns and trends far quicker than before. This is because the human eye can identify and process visual information far quicker than columns of numbers (such as Excel spreadsheets). Users will be able to process, analyze and visualize vast quantities of trade data in near real-time, using Panopticon's exceptionally fast interface to Kx. The ability to drill down very quickly, and switch between a visual and numerical representation of data is extremely valuable in recognizing whether anomalies are just blips - which can be ignored - or patterns which offer valuable trading opportunities or represent potential risks.

The first to benefit from the combined speed and visual analytics provided by the partnership will be Kx and Panopticon's shared clients, in particular investment banks, hedge funds, mutual fund operators, and exchanges. A number of functions, including high frequency and algorithmic trading, risk management, trader surveillance, and fraud detection will be able to take advantage of the interface. Panopticon's new native connector for Kx's kdb+ will support visual analysis in applications such as back testing of automated trading strategies.

Simon Garland, Kx chief strategist, explains: "There were two key reasons for the partnership. The first is that Panopticon, I believe, is unique in its ability to provide visualization of the enormous volumes of real-time and historical data which Kx processes. The second is the companies' shared approach to clients, which is to provide them with sophisticated tools. The interface provides a toolkit for intelligent users to come up with new and creative ways of analyzing data, helping them to quickly see trading opportunities."

Willem De Geer, Panopticon's Managing Director, stated, "Kx is ideal for processing very large quantities of real-time and historical data. A platform combining Kx and Panopticon's real-time data visualization capabilities is perfect for analyzing trading history and market price movements. This is a natural partnership; we already share a number of major banking clients who have asked Panopticon and Kx Systems to work together in order to introduce a more efficient approach to analyzing algo-trading strategies, managing risk and spotting patterns."