EP 107: DEMYSTIFYING THE EVOLUTION OF TRADING AND DATA CENTRES
In this episode, hosts Dave and Dharm are joined by John Bryant from Options Technology and Eleni Coldrey from Equinix to discuss the evolution of trading technology and data centres over the past 16 years. John Bryant is the Field CTO at Options Technology, bringing 16 years of experience in improving IT solutions and trading platforms for financial services. Eleni Coldrey a business development specialist at Equinix, shares insights from her 12-year career working with financial services customers. The conversation explores how trading environments have transformed from noisy, voice-oriented systems to sophisticated, low-latency, and highly efficient data centres. They reflect on the adoption of regulatory frameworks like MIFID, which promote electronic trading and best execution principles. The discussion also highlights the advantages of co-location facilities in optimising performance and reducing costs. Additionally, they touch on the future impact of emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing on trading, emphasising the importance of deterministic performance and the crucial role modern data centres will play. Furthermore, they discuss the increasing use of hybrid cloud solutions and the sustainability challenges associated with operating data centres. The episode concludes by considering AI's role in enhancing operational efficiency without necessarily reducing employment.