International Bytes

CIBC Tokyo implements Syntegra technology; Mellon Global Investments Chooses HelioGraph's STP solution; National City Corporation unveils FX services on Website.

The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) has upgraded their Syntegra's voice trading technology in their Tokyo offices.

CIBC's Tokyo operation used Syntegra technology to upgrade their trading room and consolidate it into one area. The trading room now uses Syntegra's ITS pV405i turrets and pVs81i speakers. Syntegra's partnership with Thales Contact Solution gives the turrets and speakers voice recording capability and allows the system to integrate with Nortel Meridian PABX.

Syntegra was used by CIBC prior to the upgrade. "Syntegra was originally chosen as a supplier of voice trading technology due to the fact that they offered a flexible solution on a global basis," said Mike Dear, a vice president at CIBC. "The MDRSS has been in place since 1997, and we have been impressed with the high level of service that has consistently been provided in all of our global locations where Syntegra voice trading technology has been installed."

Syntegra covered the technology upgrade with a five-year managed dealing room service (MDRS) contract. Due to their positive experience with Syntegra, CIBC is extending its MDRS contracts that cover London, Montreal and Toronto for two years.

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Mellon Global Investments (MGI), London, has decided to use HelioGraph's STP solution to overhaul its back office operations.

HelioGraph provides MGI with a post trade platform, Helio TradeFlow, which includes SWIFTReady Gold accredited Helio Message Broker as well as the Integrated Development Environment tool. It also includes the Helio Message Workstation, which permits customers to monitor the status of their trade.

"Having implemented the HelioGraph solution, we are now achieving STP rates of 90 percent and we expect to increase that still further, to around 95 percent, by the end of the project," said Andrew Downs, director of Investment Operations at MGI. "In choosing to implement an STP strategy our goals were quite clear. We wanted to reduce costs while improving efficiency and the level of service we offer to our clients. HelioGraph has certainly helped us to achieve this, and more. The fact that, through using HelioGraph's IDE tool, MGI staff can adapt the system to any future requirements is a further huge bonus for us."

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National City Corporation, Cleveland, announced that foreign exchange (FX) services will be available on their online corporate banking portal, exact4web.

The decision to add this function to their website is part of a $110 million initiative to revitalize their IT systems, offerings and procedures. The features of the FX service include real-time rate quotes, the ability to execute trades, review contracts with National City and communicate payment instructions, and complete reports of all FX trading activity.

"Exact4web Foreign Exchange enables our clients doing business overseas to quickly securely, and more efficiently execute foreign exchange transactions," said Fred Lingenfelter, National City's senior vice president and manager of Foreign Exchange. "Providing our services online enables clients to keep ahead of the curve and in control of their global treasury management needs. We want to make managing their money easier and more efficient."