NorthPoint, a leading business and technology consulting firm for the buy-side, announced that it has seamlessly integrated its NorthPoint Order Management System (OMS) with ICE Link, the leading and most widely adopted Credit Default Swaps (CDS) trade workflow and connectivity provider.
Traders and Operations staff can now automatically send their CDS trades to ICE Link for affirmation as part of their trade entry process. The real-time, two-way communication with ICE Link allows users to see an up-to-the-minute status of their trades complete with a "success" or "failure" message and detailed information about each status. This automation eliminates the need to re-key trades into another platform thereby reducing errors and streamlining processing.
More importantly, users of the NorthPoint Order Management System will be ready to process CDS trades for electronic settlement once it becomes available for the buy-side. This automated integration with ICE Link also allows same-day clearing of CDS trades in accordance with the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
Johan Glozman, NorthPoint Partner/Vice President said: "this integration is a win-win situation for our clients. Day one, they receive the benefits of auto affirmation and straight-through processing to DTCC. Once clearing has been enabled for the buy-side, we just have to flip a switch and clients can start clearing through the same platform that they are already familiar with - without the cost and risk of having to build yet another integration point."
"We are pleased to work with NorthPoint in connecting our mutual clients to the ICE Link Auto Affirmation service. Clients who automate their ICE Link connectivity in this way for the trade date processing of cleared OTC trades gain significant reductions in operational risk and cost," according to Clive de Ruig, Global Head, ICE Link."