Syntegra says HSBC has gone live with its latest voice trading technology at the bank’s main trading floor in Hong Kong. 256 Foreign Exchange, Money Markets and derivatives traders at 1 Queens Road Central are now using Syntegra’s IP-ready pV405Hi turrets running on ITS Release 13 software, along with pVs81i speakers and pVm5i platform intercoms. The new technology replaces older Syntegra turrets, originally installed in 1994, and will allow traders to take full advantage of the numerous digital and Internet Protocol (IP) channels now available. The installation process took just 60 days, with the final cut over taking place on 24 February 2003.
Syntegra says HSBC has opted for ITSlink computer telephony integration (CTI) software, which is designed to help improve customer service by linking relevant customer details, trade history and portfolio information to both incoming and outgoing calls. The bank is currently using the technology to interface with its voice recording system and is reviewing the CRM capabilities for future use. HSBC will also draw on two services from the ITS Management Suite – ITSprofile and ITSmonitor – enabling administrators to easily configure and monitor traders’ turrets, either on the trading floor or remotely.
The new system is supported by an ITS p107 telephony switch, which is specifically designed for larger trading floors and can support up to 2,000 users. It offers HSBC increased functionality and is half the footprint of the previous switch. As part of the project, Syntegra installed voice recording technology from Witness Systems, allowing HSBC to play back recordings over the internal private network.
“The greatest benefit the new Syntegra technology offers is an enhanced digital infrastructure,” says Julian Grudzien, regional head of telecommunications, HSBC Asia Pacific. “It also enables us to configure individual turrets much more easily. As one of the leading financial institutions in the Asia Pacific region, it is vital that we remain at the cutting edge of trading technology. The new trading platform brings the main trading floor in Hong Kong in line with the other major HSBC centres in London and New York. Although Syntegra is the global standard for HSBC, as with any supplier, we evaluate their performance on an ongoing basis. We remain very satisfied with the reliability Syntegra provides and are confident that they continue to supply us with first-rate trading technology at a competitive price.”
Speaking about the project, Dan Moran, general manager for trading systems at Syntegra, North East Asia, added: “We have been working with HSBC globally for many years now and truly understand their trading needs. We have welcomed the opportunity to work with HSBC in Hong Kong to ensure they continue to benefit from the latest advancements in trading technology and that they have a migration path in place to implement Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) on the trading floor, when it becomes appropriate.”