Morgan Stanley, Trading Technologies Ink Deal

Under a new strategic agreement, Morgan Stanley's Client Listed Derivatives group will make Trading Technologies X_Trader platform available to its customers as well as its internal trading desks on a global basis.X_Trader provides direct access to major derivatives exchanges around the world and will be made available to Morgan Stanley's clients via TTNet, Trading Technologies' hosted solution.

"This is a global opportunity and it covers all three continents," says Tim Geannopulos, EVP of global sales at Trading Technologies. "Morgan Stanley is a huge player in this industry and they will be using our network hosting facility instead of hosting it themselves...it's an opportunity to better support and deploy our software."

Clients of Morgan Stanley and internal traders will have direct access to Trading Technologies X_Trader order entry software platform and technology solutions such as its FIX connectivity and high-speed exchange gateways. "Based on the client preference they will they connect through a private line or through the Internet," says Geannopulos.

"I think Morgan Stanley sees that we have a lot of traction in hedge funds and commodity trading advisors (CTAs) around the world," says Geannopulos. "In addition, I think a lot of Morgan Stanley prospective and current clients were asking for Trading Technologies."

He adds that X_Trader is licensed on a per screen and per server basis, with Morgan Stanley paying Trading Technologies for each user. Trading Technologies is getting ready to add yet another big firm in a similar deal in the next month or two, says Geannopulos.