Fast Growth – LMAX Exchange
Harrington Star, January 2014 – Latency is a big deal for trading in FX and other financial instruments for that matter. At LMAX Exchange fast and consistent execution is really important for our clients – as are our unique vision of a level playing field for buy and sell side, transparency and fairness. Speed of trade execution is really important but it isn’t everything. There’s no point being the fastest exchange on the planet if it takes you for ever to get business ideas to market.
Fundamentally business change and business
growth are inextricably linked – like two sides of a
coin or space-time if you’re into that sort of thing.
Growth both necessitates and stimulates change
right across the business. These days business
agility and business velocity are largely dictated
by technical considerations whether they relate to
people, process, platform or product. At the end
of the day the key question is how long it takes to
deliver a new business idea from concept to cash.
Some organisations try to optimise the ability of IT to support the business through top-down initiatives such as enterprise architecture, alignment exercises, strategic roadmaps and the like. While these things have their place there is another way. Here at LMAX Exchange we believe that our mature agile process is the real key that allows us to change and grow at a phenomenal rate.
The first principle is really a matter of perception. For us there is no gap between the business and IT. Everyone regardless of their role has the mind set “we are the business”. After that every detail of our process is optimised for quality, knowledge sharing and velocity – in that order. It may seem counterintuitive that velocity is last but if you think about it makes sense.
Quality is king and no-one does quality like us. LMAX Exchange probably has the most sophisticated automated testing and continuous delivery set-up on the planet, and our developers and testers live and breath test driven development. We also do test driven configuration and have put a lot of energy into release automation. Achieving a high level of quality requires real investment and as a result we actually have more test code than functional code, but lack of quality really kills velocity and the later in the process that defects are found the more it hurts.
Quality helps to improve velocity and so does knowledge. Knowledge also helps to improve quality in kind of a crazy love triangle. Knowledge includes the domain, the requirements, the architecture and the code. We do a lot to promote knowledge sharing like pairing, swarming and constant rotation both within and across teams and departments. This also provides variety and opportunities to learn and grow leading to happy and fulfilled individuals which is also great but that’s another story.
We improve velocity in many ways like swarming and automation but some of the most interesting are the things we don’t do. We don’t bother estimating and we don’t expend energy in tracking progress in terms of effort. Our business stakeholders understand and trust our developers, and vice versa. It is more important that stories are delivered when they’re ready – which is usually pretty quickly anyway.
We release new software every two weeks, so we can get business changes into production very quickly. That means we can get business feedback and iterate business concepts in the same sort of time-scales. Being able to get ideas out there quickly means that we can experiment with lots of new business initiatives until we find and perfect those that work.
This year we’ve launched two additional execution venues (LMAX InterBank and LMAX Institutional) and we’ve done a lot of work to improve our architecture and performance. At the same time we’ve turned out a stream of new business features and some amazing internal tools.
We certainly couldn’t have achieved so much if we hadn’t also driven production issues virtually to extinction. We truly believe that optimising for quality and knowledge sharing is the intelligent way to drive growth through business agility and business velocity.
KEY IDEA: QUALITY AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING DRIVE GROWTH THROUGH BUSINESS AGILITY AND BUSINESS VELOCITY
Growth both necessitates and stimulates change across the business. Here at LMAX Exchange we believe that our mature agile process is the real key that allows us to change and grow at a phenomenal rate. Every detail of our process is optimised for quality, knowledge sharing and velocity – in that order. Quality, knowledge and velocity drive each other to varying degrees. We believe that optimising for quality and knowledge sharing is the intelligent way to drive business agility and business velocity.
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Media Contacts
For further information please contact:
LMAX Exchange (London):
Barbara Pozdorovkina T: +44 20 3192 2510 E: [email protected]
About LMAX Exchange
LMAX Exchange Group is a dynamic, visionary and award-winning financial technology company. Recognised as one of the UK’s fastest growing technology firms, LMAX Exchange is leading the transformation of the global FX industry to transparent, fair, precise and consistent execution. Operating one global marketplace for trading FX, metals, indices and commodities, LMAX Exchange delivers open access, transparency and a level playing field to all market participants.
LMAX Exchange Group offers all clients the ability to trade on LMAX Exchange central limit order book, driven by streaming no ‘last look’ limit-order liquidity from top tier banks and non-bank financial institutions. Servicing funds, banks, brokerages, asset managers and proprietary trading firms, LMAX Exchange offers an anonymous, regulated, rules-based trading environment, order execution in strict price/time priority, and access to real-time streaming market and trade data, enabling all market participants to control execution quality and total trading costs.
Offering a comprehensive range of instruments and ultra-low latency execution, LMAX Exchange operates a global FX exchange infrastructure with matching engines in London, New York and Tokyo.
LMAX Exchange - a unique vision for global FX.
2024
Best Execution Venue – Finance Magnates Awardsmore
LMAX Group has been awarded Best Execution Venue for the fourth consecutive year by Finance Magnates at its annual London Summit Awards ceremony. The awards highlight leading participants in the industry as voted for by peers.Best Cryptocurrency Exchange – Finance Magnates Awardsmore
LMAX Digital has been awarded Best Cryptocurrency Exchange for 2024 by Finance Magnates at its annual London Summit Awards ceremony. The awards highlight leading participants within the crypto space as voted for by industry peers.The World’s Best Trading Firm for FX Liquidity – Euromoney Foreign Exchange Awardsmore
LMAX Exchange has been awarded The World’s Best Trading Firm for FX Liquidity at the Euromoney Foreign Exchange Awards 2024. Judged by a panel of global experts, the awards celebrate excellence and innovation in the global FX market. Application Performance – Speeds & Feeds – Azul Java Hero Awardmore
LMAX Group has been selected as the winner of the 2024 Azul Java Hero Award: Excellence in Application Performance – Speeds & Feeds. The awards recognise individuals and organisations that demand more, expect more, and get more from Java. Exchange of the Year – Hedgeweek Global Digital Assets Awardsmore
LMAX Digital has been awarded Exchange of the Year at the Hedgeweek Global Digital Assets Awards 2024. The awards recognise excellence in the fields of fund performance and service provision in the digital assets space. Voted on by participants in the financial services industry. 2023
40 Top Innovators in Financial Markets – TabbFORUMmore
LMAX Group CEO, David Mercer has been named, for the second year running in the TabbFORUM 40 Top Innovators in Financial Markets. This second annual list recognises the achievements and influence of 40 outstanding disruptors and difference-makers having the greatest impact at the intersection of finance and technology. Best Execution Venue – Finance Magnates Awardsmore
LMAX Group has been awarded Best Execution Venue for 2023 by Finance Magnates at its London Summit Awards ceremony. The awards spotlight and garner attention for leading participants that have excelled across key segments, and are voted by industry peers.Best Cryptocurrency Exchange – Finance Magnates Awardsmore
LMAX Digital has been awarded Best Cryptocurrency Exchange for 2023 by Finance Magnates at its London Summit Awards ceremony. The awards spotlight and garner attention for leading participants that have excelled across key segments, and are voted by industry peers.Best Crypto Trading Platform – Financial News Awardsmore
For the second year running, LMAX Digital has been awarded “Best Crypto Trading Platform” by leading industry publication, Financial News in its Excellence in Trading & Tech Awards. The awards are voted on by a panel of independent judges and senior editorial staff, and celebrate the companies and individuals that stand out for the strength of their businesses in Continental Europe and the UK.Best Exchange – Hedgeweek European Digital Assets Awardsmore
LMAX Digital has been awarded Best Exchange at the Hedgeweek European Digital Assets Awards. The awards provide a unique insight into the most highly-regarded and successful fund managers and service providers in the digital assets space. The awards are voted on by participants in the financial services industry.2022 - 2021
40 Top Innovators in Financial Markets – TabbFORUMmore
LMAX Group CEO, David Mercer has been named in the TabbFORUM 40 Top Innovators in Financial Markets, recognised as one of the technology-driven innovators, disruptors and difference-makers having the greatest impact in the sector. Best Exchange (Innovation) – Hedgeweek European Digital Assets Awardsmore
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LMAX Digital has been awarded the Hedgeweek European Digital Assets Awards “Best Exchange (Innovation)”. The awards are granted to the top firms in their categories and announced at their annual awards ceremony.Best Crypto Trading Platform – Financial News Awardsmore
LMAX Digital has been awarded the 2022 Financial News Awards “Best Crypto Trading Platform”. The awards are presented to the best-performing providers in their category.Best Execution Venue – Finance Magnates Awardsmore
LMAX Group has been awarded the Finance Magnates Award “Best Execution Venue” for 2022. The awards are presented to the best-performing firms in their categories and announced at the annual summit in London.Best Execution Venue – Global Forex Awards B2B more
LMAX Group has been awarded the 2022 Global Forex Awards B2B “Best Execution Venue”. The awards are presented to the best-performing providers in their category as voted on by business customers, traders and investors globally.Best Execution Venue – Finance Magnates Awardsmore
LMAX Global has been awarded the Finance Magnates Award “Best Execution Venue” for 2021. The awards are granted to the top firms in their categories and announced at the annual London summit.2020 - 2019
Best Cryptocurrency Exchange – Finance Magnates Awardsmore
LMAX Digital has been awarded the Finance Magnates Awards “Best Cryptocurrency Exchange”. The awards are granted to the top firms in their categories and announced at the annual London summit.Best Institutional Digital Asset Platform – Profit & Loss Readers' Choice Awardsmore
LMAX Digital has been awarded The Profit & Loss Readers' Choice Awards “Institutional Digital Asset Platform”. These awards are voted on by the readers and recognise excellence within the foreign exchange industry throughout the previous year. Crossover Award for Best Crypto/Fiat Initiative – Profit & Loss Readers' Choice Awardsmore
LMAX Group has been awarded The Profit & Loss Readers' Choice Awards “Crossover Award for Best Crypto/Fiat Initiative”. These awards are voted on by the readers and recognise excellence within the foreign exchange industry throughout the previous year. Best Anonymous Matching Platform – Profit & Loss Reader' Choice Awardsmore
LMAX Group has been awarded The Profit & Loss Readers' Choice Awards “Best Anonymous Matching Platform”. These awards are voted on by the readers and recognise excellence within the foreign exchange industry throughout the previous year.Best Execution Venue – Finance Magnates Awardsmore
LMAX Group has been awarded the Forex Magnates Awards “Best Execution Venue”. The awards are granted to the top firms in their categories and announced at the annual London summit.2018 - 2017
Best Crypto Solution Provider – Finance Magnates Awardsmore
LMAX Exchange has been awarded the Finance Magnates Awards “Best Institutional Crypto Solution Provider”. The awards are granted to the top firms in their categories and announced at the annual London summit.Best Margin Sector Platform – Profit & Loss Readers' Choice Awardsmore
LMAX Group has been awarded The Profit & Loss Readers' Choice Awards “Best Margin Sector Platform” for five consecutive years. These awards are voted on by the readers and recognise excellence within the foreign exchange industry throughout the previous year.2016 - 2015
Best Trading & Execution Technology – HFM US Technology Awardsmore
The HFM US Technology awards recognise hedge fund technology providers that have demonstrated exceptional customer service and innovative product development in the past 12 months. Best FX Trading Venue (ECN/MTF) – WSL Awardsmore
LMAX Group has been awarded The Fund Technology and WSL Awards “Best FX Trading Venue ECN/MTF”. The award honours excellence among providers to the institutional trading industry. Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 – Deloitte more
Deloitte UK Technology Fast 50 is a ranking of the 50 fastest-growing technology companies in the UK, based on percentage growth of fiscal year revenues over the last four years.Deloitte EMEA Technology Fast 500 – Deloittemore
The Deloitte EMEA Technology Fast 500 pre-eminent technology awards program is a ranking of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa's fastest-growing technology companies based on percentage revenue growth over three years.Fastest Growing Tech Company in the UK – The Sunday Times Tech Track 100more
LMAX Group has been recognised amongst the UK's fastest growing technology firms for three consecutive years. Tech Track 100, compiled by Fast Track annually and published by the Sunday Times each September, lists Britain's 100 fastest-growing private tech companies based on sales growth over the last three years.Recognised as a Tech City Future Fifty company – Tech City UK Future Fiftymore
LMAX Group is part of the Future Fifty programme, focused on accelerating the success of high-growth tech businesses.2014 - 2013
Best Infrastructure/Technology Initiative – WSL Institutional Trading Awardsmore
LMAX Group has been awarded The Wall Street Letter Institutional Trading Awards “Best Infrastructure/Technology Initiative” in 2014. WSL awards honour excellence among providers to the institutional trading industry.Best Overall Testing Project – The European Software Testing Awardsmore
The European Software Testing Awards (TESTA) recognise excellence and innovation in the software testing and quality assurance across a variety of industries.2012 - 2011
Best Trading System – Financial Sector Technology Awardsmore
The FST Awards recognise excellence and innovation in the field of information technology within the UK and EMEA financial services sector.Innovative Programming Framework – Oracle Duke's Choice Awardsmore
Oracle's Duke's Choice Awards celebrate extreme innovation in the world of Java technology and are granted to the most innovative projects using the Java platform.LMAX Exchange Group is the holding company of LMAX Limited and LMAX Broker Limited.
LMAX Exchange is a trading name of LMAX Limited, which operates a multilateral trading facility, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (firm reference number 509778) and is a company registered in England and Wales (number 6505809).
LMAX Global is a trading name of LMAX Broker Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (firm reference number 783200) and is a company registered in England and Wales (number 10819525).