LONDON, March 22, 2001 — Reuters, the global information, news and technology group, today announced it is working with Microsoft and 25 leading financial institutions to develop Reuters.Net Messaging, a new high security instant messaging (IM) service and contacts directory for the worlds financial services industry. The service will be launched on Microsofts new standards-based (Session Initiation Protocol) software and service communications platform.
The service will use Microsofts communications technology, enabling Reuters to offer financial institutions a fast, cost effective, encrypted, and firewall-compliant communications channel covering their entire organisation and extending out to reach their own customers and suppliers.
Reuters.Net Messaging is a key element in Reuters strategy to work with customers to build a suite of communication and collaboration tools for the financial markets professional using internet technologies.
While financial institutions have depended on messaging for several years, many of the existing solutions do not meet all of their requirements. Reuters position at the heart of the global financial industry and Microsofts expertise in the development of business software mean the companies are uniquely placed to work together to meet this need within the market.
The global directory will allow industry professionals to create powerful networks of instantly available contacts and to conduct dynamic, text-based conversations.
Reuters will work closely with customers to develop tailored solutions for individual clients using Microsofts standards-based platform technology. Development will focus on the ability to integrate with in-house systems and Reuters own services such as Reuters 3000 Xtra. The service will be available over the Internet and the Radianz financial services network for those customers who require high-speed performance and additional security.
Tom Glocer , Reuters Chief Executive designate, said: “Reuters.Net Messaging is at the heart of our strategy to develop next generation tools to facilitate collaboration within the global financial services community. By working with the latest standards-based technology from Microsoft, we will offer our customers a suite of communications tools for use within their firms and with external counterparties. In an industry where security, reliability and speed are paramount, Reuters.Net Messaging will deliver a genuine competitive edge.”
“We’re working with Reuters to bring a new, world-class real-time communications solution to the financial services industry,” said Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft. “By combining Reuters knowledge of financial markets with the power of Microsoft’s new technologies such as the .NET enterprise servers, we will enable financial companies to provide more efficient and secure communication for their customers.”
The Microsoft platform for this service will be based on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard for enabling secure, reliable real-time collaboration between multiple PCs and other devices. SIP enables instant communications services supporting instant messaging, voice, video, and other collaborative resources all of which can include the benefits of presence to give users more control over how others communicate with them.
Note to Editors:
Partners
Twenty five leading global financial institutions are working with Reuters and Microsoft to develop Reuters.Net Messaging, including: ABN Amro, Citigroup – Salomon Smith Barney, Credit Agricole Indosuez , Deutsche Bank, DKB Information Systems, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, HSBC, Societe Generale, and Tokai International Securities.
Reuters
Reuters (www.about.reuters.com) premier position as a global information, news and technology group is founded on its reputation for speed, accuracy, integrity and impartiality combined with continuous technological innovation. Reuters strength is based on its unique ability to offer customers around the world a combination of content, technology and connectivity. Reuters makes extensive use of internet technologies for the widest distribution of information and news. Around 73 million unique visitors per month access Reuters content on some 1,400 Internet websites. Reuters is the world’s largest international text and television news agency with 2,157 journalists, photographers and camera operators in 190 bureaux, serving 151 countries. In 2000 the Group had revenues of 3.59 billion and on 31 December 2000, the Group employed 18,082 staff in 204 cities in 100 countries.
Reuters and the sphere logo are the trademarks of the Reuters group of companies.
Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through software any time, any place and on any device.
Radianz
Radianz has the world’s largest network for the global financial services industry. Established by Reuters and Equant, it is a new, independent company providing superior IP connectivity and services designed to meet the demands of professionals in the finance community.
