About a-team Marketing Services

A-Team Insight Blogs

Latency – All About A, B and C (for Compute)

Subscribe to our newsletter

I often describe latency as the time it takes to move data from point A to point B, and/or the time taken to process that data at points A and B. I think it’s true to say that the majority of content on this site is about moving data from A to B. But processing data – the C, or compute element, of latency is increasingly a focus.

The computing in low latency processing takes many forms.  It can be related to data manipulation, such as the conversion of message formats; or data management, such as working with a time series database; or numerical processing, such a calculating an order price or size.

With the latency related to moving data – propagation latency – well understood, increasingly a focus for architects and developers is the latency related to trading applications, and minimising this compute element is very much the goal of this activity.

Tackling this application latency is very much a requirement for “Intelligent Trading” – making the right trade in a timely manner, though not always being the fastest.

Reducing application latency is not just about software. The hardware platform upon which applications run play a crucial role, even though the software geeks often wince at solving a challenge through faster hardware.

As an example, recent news from DataDirect Networks related to its STAC-M3 benchmark, involving processing of tick histories managed by Kx Systems’ kdb+ database running against its SFA12K-40 hybrid flash/spinning disk ‘Big Data’ platform, demonstrates the role of hardware in directly boosting application performance.

We’ll be covering this topic increasingly within the Low-Latency.com community. It will also be a big focus on our May 1 Low-Latency Summit, taking place in New York City.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Related content

WEBINAR

Recorded Webinar: Unlocking Competitive Edge with Outsourcing and Managed Services in Trading Technology

Outsourcing has emerged as a strategic solution for capital markets firms as trading technology infrastructures become more complex, data volumes grow exponentially, and regulatory pressures intensify. .By leveraging third-party expertise, firms can optimise operations, reduce costs, and focus on innovation in their trading technology stack. Outsourcing potentially enables firms to scale seamlessly, meet regulatory reporting...

BLOG

ION Enhances XTP Risk JANUS with AI to Improve Pre-Trade Margin Accuracy

ION has incorporated artificial intelligence into its XTP Risk JANUS platform to improve the accuracy and efficiency of pre-trade risk management for cleared derivatives. The enhancement targets a key challenge in margin estimation using CME Group’s SPAN2 Approximation model. SPAN2 is a margin methodology developed by CME that assesses the worst-case losses of futures and...

EVENT

Buy AND Build: The Future of Capital Markets Technology

Buy AND Build: The Future of Capital Markets Technology London examines the latest changes and innovations in trading technology and explores how technology is being deployed to create an edge in sell side and buy side capital markets financial institutions.

GUIDE

AI in Capital Markets: Practical Insight for a Transforming Industry – Free Handbook

AI is no longer on the horizon – it’s embedded in the infrastructure of modern capital markets. But separating real impact from inflated promises requires a grounded, practical understanding. The AI in Capital Markets Handbook 2025 provides exactly that. Designed for data-driven professionals across the trade life-cycle, compliance, infrastructure, and strategy, this handbook goes beyond...