The updated platform and data center environment will provide customers with improved cost efficiencies, trading opportunities across multiple asset classes, and access to leading-edge services for market participants.

"With the help and support of our customers, we have focused our efforts on leveraging the strength of NASDAQ OMX's technology expertise to deliver a stronger and more robust platform," said Joe Noviello, Head of NASDAQ OMX eSpeed. "We will continue to evolve in our performance and functionality while we consider customer demand for electronic trading in products that are immediately adjacent to benchmark Treasuries."

eSpeed customers will notice a 25% round-trip order-entry response-time improvement. This, when combined with a 100 microsecond improvement in market-data distribution, will provide customers with a greatly improved fixed-income trading experience. Further improvements will be realized through simplified, more cost-efficient access to global trading opportunities across multiple asset classes and available through a common NASDAQ OMX data center ecosystem. In the new data center environment, customers may leverage NASDAQ OMX's access services offerings like wireless connectivity to Chicago. eSpeed recently expanded its distribution in partnership with front-end software and market data providers, further supporting customer demand for deeper liquidity in the fixed income marketplace.

"The eSpeed platform enhancement and migration is an important step in the exchange group's efforts to better serve the fixed income, currencies and commodities community," said Hans-Ole Jochumsen, President of Global Trading & Market Services. "We will continue to expand our global fixed income footprint by leveraging our strategic assets and our established trading and clearing platforms."

As part of NASDAQ OMX's recently formed Global Trading & Market Services business, the eSpeed platform is well positioned to hhelp customers navigate the benchmark U.S. Treasuries market with services for the full life-cycle of global fixed income trading. NASDAQ OMX provides the financial services community with global fixed income offerings such as the NLX platform for European interest rate futures, strategic ownership of Nordic clearing houses and LCH.Clearnet Group, Limited, trading in Nordic corporate bonds and the exchange group's U.S. derivatives marketplaces for listing fixed income products. NASDAQ OMX's Global Trading & Market Services comprises all transactions, clearing and settlement services in U.S. and Europe, covering cash and derivatives within equities and the fixed income, currency and commodities area (FICC).