The following is a guest editorial courtesy of Stephen Totten, Managing Director – Head of Institutional and Quantitative Products at multi-asset technology solutions provider oneZero Financial Systems.

FX traders can now avoid a binary choice of whether to buy or build technology solutions that optimize their use of liquidity and deliver intelligent performance, according to oneZero. Integration of new solutions with existing technology can offer a crucial FX edge.

2024 has been hailed as the year of “buy, build and integrate” for financial technology by consultants Coalition Greenwich.

The old binary debate on whether to buy or build the ideal technology solution is officially over, according to Coalition Greenwich’s Top Market Structure Trends to Watch in 2024, as firms of all types instead look to combine pre-built platforms with their own proprietary technology systems.

The consultants noted that clients enjoy greater control, flexibility and adaptability, combined with reduced development time and costs, by adopting the “buy, build and integrate” approach.

Coalition Greenwich added that “successful providers prioritize ease-of-use, scalability, customization, comprehensive training and high-quality support”.

At oneZero we couldn’t agree more. We are also finding that participants in the FX trading markets are among the main early beneficiaries of this important shift.

oneZero has a 15-year track record of working with clients to deliver multi-asset technology solutions that drive intelligent performance – including modules with integrated analytics that function alongside existing legacy systems.

As a technology first organization, we’re an API company from our roots and offer full integration with pricing, front office and distribution channels, as well as internal credit and balance platforms, regulatory reporting, and back office systems. In fact the ability to quickly and efficiently integrate our solutions with existing services and multiple platforms is a major selling point for oneZero. We build our own UIs, adapters and reporting system off the same API framework we offer to clients.

Our modular platform architecture allows clients to choose the components that best suit their own needs and that seamlessly adapt via API to their own legacy systems.

This includes FX connectivity, where a single, unified API gives FX traders access to a myriad of OTC liquidity providers and listed venues. We cover FX spot trades, outrights and NDFs, with cross-connection across our award-winning ultra-low latency platform.

Our Algorithmic Pricing Module, an advanced price creation tool, allows clients to insert proprietary algorithms and native code within oneZero’s Hub. This protects the FX trading client’s “secret sauce” – and provides an example of how “buy, build and integrate” can work on multiple levels.

Of course, integration and partnering with clients involves more than just APIs, or even advanced price creation tools. oneZero’s highly experienced Customer Success, Trade Operations and Institutional Product teams are equipped and enabled to help our partners get the most from our systems. Whether you are using our industry leading functionality, or leveraging the oneZero engine to differentiate your business, all of our clients are backed by 24/7 follow-the-sun client support.

“Buy, build and integrate” is here to stay for FX traders, and partnering with oneZero can help you to take full advantage of this shift in technology solution provision.