CLIENT OVERVIEW

Amplify Trading provide access to trading and clearing services. They combine educational training programmes along with trading infrastructure support for successful trainees and existing alumni traders.

Like many businesses during lockdown, Amplify Trading recognised the importance of investing in its staff, providing a springboard for growth post pandemic. 

Amplify Trading had difficulty updating and aggregating clients’ real time risk exposures across different markets, desks, and desktop applications to provide a real-time update of P&L for traders.

In addition, particularly in a remote working environment, traders had problems accessing risk systems remotely via a virtual private network (VPN). Typical issues include the time taken to log in to the VPN or resizing a desktop layout to make it viewable on mobile. Making it impossible for traders to work and be productive when remote.

However, remote working has become the default practice, and is expected to remain in place even after lockdown restrictions ease. Being able to access key information remotely whilst on a mobile device or travelling, working from a hotel or airport lounge has become a must. Staying on top of information via multiple devices provides more confidence and less risk.

Secure trading on the move

Amplify Trading have deployed ipushpull’s Microsoft Excel add-in and Web App, where real-time P&L, risk and other live data can be shared securely via the ipushpull platform direct to mobile devices, email, chat services, and web browsers.

User adoption was fast and seamless as they found both the Excel and Web App environments intuitive. Live data is aggregated from disparate systems and then pushed out to permissioned users. They can also access via a mobile device or web browser.

Using end-to-end encryption, the solution offers next-generation cloud security, enabling simple, secure access to live risk data remotely. Granular permissions give a high degree of data access control as well as read only mode, ensuring no risk of data breaches or keying errors.

Traders reaping the benefits of real-time data and notifications

Clients can now see live risk screens remotely and set custom email or text alerts based on their own limits or parameters. SMS alerts also allow for updates during periods of restricted internet access, delivering an automated trading assistant that ensures that traders never miss a market move.

Amplify Trading identified that it was lacking the available expertise in-house to upgrade the existing client environment with such a flexible but controlled solution. Furthermore, they needed a clear strategy on how to meet client’s growing demand for remote access, and other applications, to meet the increasing information requirements. In addition, the solution provided off-the-shelf compliance with the required regulatory controls for data security and audit trails.

The use of a third-party provider allowed Amplify Trading to focus on their core service while ipushpull focused on the underlying distribution technology and connectivity issues. Moreover, the move to cloud-based delivery meant that the customer was futureproofed with a flexible modern technology and a more agile solution to respond to changing market conditions and evolving workflow practices. Furthermore, the client found that using a proven off-the-shelf product resulted in lower project risk that significantly accelerated the time-to-market of the solution.

Separately, internal workflows became more efficient as clients were continuously updated with relevant risk and P&L notifications and alerts, internal mid- and back-office staff spent less time chasing traders and any issues are resolved much more quickly.

Where to next?

ipushpull’s ability to deliver live data across multiple channels has provided Amplify Trading with future proofing for innovation and the ability to respond in a more agile manner to changing market conditions and their clients’ expectations.

Moreover, Amplify Trading has eliminated the potential operational risks of having to build and maintain client interface layers internally, while the total cost of ownership of technology has been reduced and a more solid foundation for an improved, scalable service has been delivered.