Trading – Thinking Smart With New Technology

If you’re working hard on the trading floor but finding that the equipment you’re using just isn’t up to scratch, and you’re staying traditionally away from smartphones or anything outside a Blackberry, you could be costing yourself a lot of opportunities and wasting time you could be spending making money for either yourself or your clients – or both.
However, embracing what technology has to offer those working in finance in 2011 can yield many advantages. For starters, it’s worth stepping away from the Blackberry – despite being a classic business phone, it’s not got anywhere near the capabilities of other hardware, it’s operating system is difficult, and the Blackberry outage in October means that those waiting for important emails about lovemoney.com sale or a new client were waiting for days rather than minutes. Alternatives? Android and iOS, and whichever one you choose you’re likely to get more out of it, though high-end models are best for business use, with the iPhone series being a good example.
You’ll also need to start considering the wide range of technology available to you outside of the traditional smartphone and loud voice across the trading floor – namely, the netbook. This small, ultra-portable computer will allow you to keep track of data and port presentations and other resources around with you while leaving you with a decent amount of bag space. It’s also ideal for travel and getting that last report written in the departure lounge
Technology is only as useful as you make it, and it’s worth considering that there’s a lot you could be missing out on if you’re not willing to consider some of the better communications technology out there that allows you to trade faster, easier, and also on the move without the clunky, large laptops you’ve been hauling around since ’98. It’s time to put your money where tech evolution is, and make money better.