HPR’s Omnibot Switch Hits Trading Markets

HPR (Hyannis Port Research), provider of advanced capital markets infrastructure (CMI) technologies, announced the launch of Omnibot, a first-of-its-kind networking device that integrates market access, risk management, data and latency capture functionality into a multi-application switch. Through the combination of FPGA-based risk hardware and a network switch within a single device, HPR has introduced a “net-zero” latency solution by performing risk checks in parallel with switching.

Since launching in 2011, HPR has built a reputation for offering the industrys leading pre-trade risk and market access solution through its Riskbot platform, an award-winning, FPGA-based technology that is used by nearly 100 of the industrys leading brokers, clearing firms, market makers and quantitative hedge funds. Riskbot performs over 60 risk checks for accessing 80+ global markets with latency as low as 90 nanoseconds, depending on regulatory demands.

Offered as an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) solution, Omnibot is the next generation of Riskbot. Omnibot merges electronic trading, risk and data applications into a network switch offering full connectivity through thirty-six 10GbE (Gigabit Ethernet) ports and/or an unprecedented four 40/100GbE, built-in, cross-connect/inter-connect ports. This allows firms to radically simplify links between networking, application, storage and data applications, providing east/west switch fabric that is critical for next-generation data center technology.

Omnibot represents a dramatic leap forward for financial institutions, for the first time bringing a telco-class device with market risk, data delivery and interconnect logic coded onto an FPGA platform, said HPR CEO Anthony Amicangioli. The larger sell-side firms are in an asymmetric technology race when compared to the advanced technology of the market makers who have their roots in high frequency trading. Omnibot is the first in a series of products and technologies we are introducing to level the playing field.

Omnibot leverages HPRs revolutionary Unimus framework, a highly-unified technology that underpins the firms entire solution set. Unimus marries HPRs telecom, cloud and capital markets microstructure expertise in both hardware and software to create a single platform on which a users entire CMI stack can be built.

Amicangioli continued: Most market participants struggle with capital markets infrastructure that is an aging patchwork of antiquated vendor technologies and coding languages. Meanwhile, the progressive cloud and IaaS providers, who have built tech-centric businesses from the ground up, will soon mount an overwhelming challenge if the incumbents fail to get their technology stacks in order. Omnibot and Unimus help todays market participants better compete by simplifying and unifying their back ends and positioning data center architectures on par with cutting-edge technology firms. This yields superior performance, fewer systems and lower costs.