Reuters 3000 Xtra
Encyclopedia
Reuters 3000 Xtra is an electronic trading platform
typically used by professional traders and investment analysts in trading room
s. It provides real time streaming price date on exchange traded stocks, warrants, options, futures, indices, bonds, commodities and foreign currencies as well streaming news and comprehensive economic indicator
s and financial data. Originally designed as an information system, later versions also introduced trading functions allowing orders to be placed on a number of electronic exchanges and with other dealing desks.
The client software connects to the Reuters servers over a dedicated link via a one of the proprietary feed servers, such as Reuters Market Data System (RMDS) or Triarch. One of the early attractions for dealers was the integration with Microsoft Excel and the instant messaging
facility for sending messages to other dealing desks.
It went on to became the de-facto platform on traders desks in banks
and financial institution
s due to the breadth of the information available despite the significant cost and dedicated infrastructure that is required. Its main rival was the Bloomberg Terminal
although both systems were often put side by side on traders desks.
from those earlier systems that were developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
operating system. The server would have dedicated links back to Reuters global network. The client software was a Windows based application. Live connection to Excel spreadsheets was provided via the Reuters Power Plus Pro
utility. The system was enhanced through a number of different versions over the years and from version 5 onwards it was qualified for Citrix thin client delivery which became a common way to access the software.
Electronic trading platform
In finance, an Electronic trading platform is a computer system that can be used to place orders for financial products over a network with a financial intermediary. This includes products such as shares, bonds, currencies, commodities and derivatives with a financial intermediary, such as a...
typically used by professional traders and investment analysts in trading room
Trading room
A trading-room gathers traders operating on financial markets.The trading-room is also often called the front office.The terms dealing-room and trading-floor are also used, the latter being inspired from that of a open outcry stock exchange....
s. It provides real time streaming price date on exchange traded stocks, warrants, options, futures, indices, bonds, commodities and foreign currencies as well streaming news and comprehensive economic indicator
Economic indicator
An economic indicator is a statistic about the economy. Economic indicators allow analysis of economic performance and predictions of future performance. One application of economic indicators is the study of business cycles....
s and financial data. Originally designed as an information system, later versions also introduced trading functions allowing orders to be placed on a number of electronic exchanges and with other dealing desks.
The client software connects to the Reuters servers over a dedicated link via a one of the proprietary feed servers, such as Reuters Market Data System (RMDS) or Triarch. One of the early attractions for dealers was the integration with Microsoft Excel and the instant messaging
Instant messaging
Instant Messaging is a form of real-time direct text-based chatting communication in push mode between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared clients. The user's text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet...
facility for sending messages to other dealing desks.
It went on to became the de-facto platform on traders desks in banks
Banks
Banks or The Banks may refer to:* Bank, a financial institution- Placenames :Australia* Banks, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra...
and financial institution
Financial institution
In financial economics, a financial institution is an institution that provides financial services for its clients or members. Probably the most important financial service provided by financial institutions is acting as financial intermediaries...
s due to the breadth of the information available despite the significant cost and dedicated infrastructure that is required. Its main rival was the Bloomberg Terminal
Bloomberg Terminal
The Bloomberg Terminal is a computer system provided by Bloomberg L.P. that enables financial professionals to access the Bloomberg Professional service through which users can monitor and analyze real-time financial market data movements and place trades on the electronic trading platform...
although both systems were often put side by side on traders desks.
History
The 3000 Xtra system was first released in 1999, but in many ways was a continuation of previous Reuters products that included Equities 2000 (released in 1987), Dealing 2000-2 (released in 1992) and 3000 Series (released in 1996). It inherited a lot of design features such as much of the user interfaceUser interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
from those earlier systems that were developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Technical
The system was designed to use private network links to Reuters to get live prices from global stock, commodity, futures, derivative and bond markets as well as foreign exchange price makers. The client terminal would connect to a local server typically hosted on site by the financial institution run on a UnixUnix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
operating system. The server would have dedicated links back to Reuters global network. The client software was a Windows based application. Live connection to Excel spreadsheets was provided via the Reuters Power Plus Pro
Power Plus Pro
Power Plus Pro is a piece of financial software produced by Reuters in the form of an addin for Microsoft Office Excel. It is a real time data engine which will push new data into Excel when it receives notification of these updates from a Reuters TIBCO bus. This is commonly live market data, such...
utility. The system was enhanced through a number of different versions over the years and from version 5 onwards it was qualified for Citrix thin client delivery which became a common way to access the software.
See also
- Bloomberg TerminalBloomberg TerminalThe Bloomberg Terminal is a computer system provided by Bloomberg L.P. that enables financial professionals to access the Bloomberg Professional service through which users can monitor and analyze real-time financial market data movements and place trades on the electronic trading platform...
- Electronic Communication NetworkElectronic Communication NetworkAn electronic communication network is the term used in financial circles for a type of computer system that facilitates trading of financial products outside of stock exchanges. The primary products that are traded on ECNs are stocks and currencies. The first ECN, Instinet, was created in 1969...
- Electronic trading platformElectronic trading platformIn finance, an Electronic trading platform is a computer system that can be used to place orders for financial products over a network with a financial intermediary. This includes products such as shares, bonds, currencies, commodities and derivatives with a financial intermediary, such as a...