Communications provider BT has selected Equinix, the global data center operator, to roll out its cloud-based suite of services, which provide low latency proximity hosting for traders worldwide.

Known as BT Radianz Venue, the deal will add 10 additional centers for traders using the BT system across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific and aims to help its customers address the challenges of liquidity, market fragmentation and new trading opportunities whilst enhancing trade execution performance.

“We coined the term ‘move the fabric of the market into the network’,” Tim Furmidge, head of portfolio strategy, global banking and financial markets at BT Global Services in London, told Markets Media at WBR’s recent Trade Tech Europe 2012 industry event in London.

“So whether it’s in the voice trading space or the electronic trading space or even the post-trade space, firms are looking for more agility and flexibility from their infrastructures so they can get into or out of markets quickly.

“BT Radianz allows you to be in the data center of your choice but get access to what else is in the market.”

BT Radianz Venue is comprised of three services, including BT Radianz Venue Access for connectivity to the BT Radianz Cloud from 40 global non-BT data centers, including Equinix venues; BT Radianz Venue Presence, which is an extension of the BT Radianz Proximity hosting proposition which allows BT to manage a client’s server and connectivity infrastructure hosted in third-party venues, such as Equinix data centers; and BT Radianz Venue Interconnect: a new service from BT that offers the lowest optimal latency between trading venues within the same city and between different cities worldwide.

“In order to scale presence across global markets, financial firms are positioning trading infrastructure inside Equinix’s global data centres,” said John Knuff, general manager of global financial services at Equinix.

“These dense interconnection points are critical to the global trading community, providing an environment where shared infrastructure, super-fast connections, reduced total cost of ownership, connectivity costs and a wide range of choices from a new industry backbone for service delivery, prospecting and innovation.”

This follows on from the announcement last week by BT that its Radianz Cloud service was now offering improved access to trading centers across the globe.

“Equinix is a natural choice for BT to offer BT Radianz Venue,” said Tom Regent, president of global banking and financial markets and sales and marketing at BT Global Services, said. “Customers at Equinix’s global data centers can now benefit from BT’s award-winning managed hosting and proximity services along with access to the BT Radianz Cloud, the world’s largest networked financial community, and the option of interconnectivity to and between worldwide trading venues.

“This agreement further expands the footprint of our BT Radianz Cloud portfolio and continues to build our reputation as a pioneer and market leader in creating solutions specifically developed for the financial services industry.”