Pico, which provides network infrastructure to financial firms, said that it has expanded its operations into South Africa and has connected directly to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE)
The company said it offers clients services to connect to the JSE through low latency connectivity from London, as well as local colocation services in South Africa.
Pico said that its clients can now connect directly to JSE through a Pico Point of Presence (PoP) in London or through a low latency profile by colocating directly with Pico in the JSE datacenter in Sandton, Johannesburg.
Such services have seen increasing demand from funds and high-frequency trading firms which rely on fast and accurate data to make financial decisions on behalf of their clients.
"Time and time again, electronic trading firms look to Pico to provide the best infrastructure and network connections available in the market. We saw this as an opportunity to create a new standard of excellence in trading at the JSE and are thrilled to be a premier International Service Provider to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. It's a natural extension for Pico and the cornerstone for additional international expansion in the year to come," said Anne Petersen, global head of sales.
"Clients demand faster execution speeds and the lowest-latency available to ensure enhanced responses to market movements and deployment of their trading strategies. Connecting to the JSE's colocation facility allows for seamless access to the continent's leading exchange. The international demand to trade the SA markets is constantly increasing and we are delighted to have such a high caliber infrastructure service provider such as Pico come into our market. We are sure they will have a meaningful impact by assisting the international community in trading our markets through their robust, secure and latency sensitive network," said Donna Nemer, director, capital markets at the JSE.
