It’s no secret that for global financial trading to be successful, speed is paramount. Transactions must occur within milliseconds, and being able to access and process data as quickly as possible to make real-time decisions is critical. Almost every aspect
of financial trading now relies on fast access to data; from conducting risk assessments, and performing high-frequency transactions, all the way through to ensuring compliance to strict regulatory reporting requirements.
Over 1,600 companies trade on the London
Stock Exchange (LSE) alone. And this figure is just the tip of the iceberg when you consider the size and scope of financial trading globally, as well as the data ecosystem financial firms now need to grapple with. From customer information to market insight
and historic transactional data, the volume just continues to increase. While it’s crucial that organisations process, analyse, and act upon their data, none of this can occur if these operations do not have a reliable, fast and robust way to manage and store
it first. Traditional methods of storage may not be enough to keep up with evolving data demands, so it’s of little surprise that we’re increasingly seeing the industry move towards Flash storage as the optimal solution of choice.
Why High Throughput and Low Latency is Key
From handling thousands of trades per second to checking risk across global markets, financial firms need data storage that can match their fast-processing systems. And this is making Flash storage increasingly popular because it provides the speed needed
in these high-performance environments. Built with a robust design and no moving parts, the technology ensures high performance and longevity, while capacity can be scaled up on demand as required.
In the context of high-frequency trading (HFT), where even a 1-millisecond delay can have a sizeable impact on an opportunity, this is particularly important. The technology also reduces latency, which can help to store and analyse HFT faster, allowing traders
to stay ahead.
But the benefit of implementing the right storage goes far beyond trading. With financial institutions increasingly using real-time data analytics to detect fraud, analyse risk and credit, and create more personalised experiences for customers, having access
to current and historical data on demand is now a non-negotiable.
Flash helps to enable the parallel processing of large and complex datasets, accelerating the ability to make data informed decisions. And compliance teams can analyse these sets to quickly meet reporting obligations and avoid penalties, while also detecting
and responding to market abuse or systemic risks as they emerge.
With the volume of financial data crossing our networks set to grow exponentially, and with trading becoming increasingly digital, the number of touchpoints is increasing. It’s now not just about having the capability to store and process data, but also
having the ability to scale storage in the future.
And this means financial institutions need storage capabilities that can grow as their operations do, as and when required. Whether they are archiving years of transaction data for compliance purposes or expanding their real-time analytics capabilities,
this is a critical requirement in our new data-intensive world.
Flash Forward: The AI Arrival
Simply put, when it comes to data, financial institutions simply can’t stand still. And the power of AI, and the data it creates, is only further accelerating the way financial and regulatory decisions are made. From even quicker transactions to predictive
analysis and automation across the board, AI is reshaping the financial environment.
These AI applications depend heavily on the availability of large volumes of structured and unstructured data — and on the ability to access and process this data with minimal delay. They also create vast volumes of data themselves further adding to the
pool of insight.
Traditionally, the financial sector has always been an early adopter of cutting-edge technology. And this is no different with the arrival of AI and the capabilities it enables. Financial organisations will need to evolve quickly to implement complimentary
storage technologies that enable them to become real-time first, whether that be in trading, analytics, or regulation.
By delivering high performance, scalability and reliability in a robust design, Flash storage will not only meet the needs of today’s financial systems but shape the future of the industry too. In an environment where milliseconds matter, Flash has become
the storage infrastructure of choice. To allow operational excellence and guarantee industry competitiveness.
