Rapid Addition Launches Next Gen Platform Technology for Electronic Trading

Rapid Addition balances the trade-offs between buy versus build with the launch of its next generation trading technology platform. RA Platform 3.0 takes performance, control and configurability to a new level and gives customers the flexibility to rapidly deploy and adapt electronic trading workflows.

The latest offering from Rapid Addition was designed in close collaboration with several leading financial institutions to provide a high-performance core electronic messaging platform that also gives firms the ability to incorporate their own unique value. RA Platform 3.0’s modular framework lets customers quickly define and deploy their own business rules for risk, smart order routing and other critical trading processes.

Engineered to be both message protocol and asset class agnostic and able to support order-driven and quote-driven markets, RA Platform 3.0 makes achieving multi-asset, single platform trading infrastructure a practical reality for sell-side firms and asset managers.

‘Helping firms quickly adapt and thrive in a competitive environment is central to our philosophy’, says CEO Mike Powell. ‘Platform modernisation is on everyone’s agenda as electronification spreads to all asset classes. Firms struggle with the trade-offs between cost, time to market, and competitive differentiation when deciding whether to buy or build. Our aim is to provide the industry with a scalable foundation technology that takes care of common requirements, alongside a flexible framework that helps firms tailor services to meet the specific needs of their target clients.’

Electronic trading requires high performance both in terms of latency and throughput. RA Platform 3.0 utilizes Rapid Addition’s state of the art FIX engine for optimised low latency software performance but can also be deployed with proprietary FPGA technology for ultra-low latency in the most performance sensitive use cases. By closely integrating software and hardware, RA Platform 3.0 provides an optimal blend of performance and control.

Through working with its customers, Rapid Addition also identified that firms struggle with the cost and complexity of managing dispersed, multi-location trading infrastructure. Platform 3.0 is designed to make implementation, control and monitoring of such environments far easier with several new features that simplify roll-out, automate testing and allow for globally aggregated views of order flow and risk positions. Along with the ability to deploy either on-premise, in the cloud, or across hybrid environments, RA Platform 3.0 helps firms manage cost of ownership and gives them the flexibility to adapt as their technology strategy evolves.