Solace Systems makes messaging middleware technology that moves data between distributed applications, devices and users to enable big data, cloud computing and the Internet of Things. Solace is expanding its involvement with The Linux Foundation through new corporate membership with The Linux Foundation and participation in the OpenMAMA project, a Linux Foundation Collaborative Project that provides a high-performance messaging API that interfaces with a variety of message-oriented middleware systems. Their technology is well-suited to the demands of OpenMAMA-based market data distribution systems used in banking and trading systems.

Here, David Eden, EMEA Regional Business Director at Solace Systems, tells us more about Solace Systems, why they joined The Linux Foundation, how they use Linux, and how the company is participating in open source collaboration with the OpenMAMA project.

Linux.com: What does Solace Systems do?

David Eden: Solace makes hardware and software that efficiently moves large volumes of real-time information between distributed applications, devices and users over all kinds of local and global networks. Solace message routers unify many kinds of data movement so companies can efficiently move all of the information associated with better serving customers and making smarter decisions.

How and why do you use Linux?

Eden: Solace message routers are based on purpose-built software called SolOS that runs on Linux. SolOS coordinates the many systems that need to send and receive information, along with the unique subscriptions that ensure information ends up where it needs to be, and coordinates the high-speed, real-time secure routing of messages.

Why did you join the Linux Foundation?

Eden: We joined the Linux Foundation to increase our commitment to the OpenMAMA project, because our technology strongly complements OpenMAMA-based market data distribution systems. Solace can efficiently route real-time information between market data feeds and other components responsible for bridging to legacy environments like RDMS and Wombat, last value caching and connectivity to Excel spreadsheets. Fully integrated WAN and Web messaging capabilities also make it easy to get market data to traders around the world whether they’re at a desk or on the go.

What interesting or innovative trends in real-time computing are you witnessing and what role does Linux play in them?

Eden: Linux is a key part of maximizing throughput and eliminating latency in trading systems within capital markets. OpenMAMA will free banks and trading houses from longstanding vendor lock-in in the mission-critical area of market data feeds. This will let them choose market data suppliers based on the quality of their offering, with minimal impact associated with switching from one to another.

How is your company participating in that innovation? 

Eden: Without the common API OpenMAMA provides, firms are forced to deploy separate platforms and there’s no common way to access market data. Applications are coded against multiple APIs and have to convert data models to share information, which leads to very high maintenance costs. Thanks to Solace’s support for OpenMAMA companies can use Solace’s high capacity messaging middleware platform to handle all data distribution, eliminating the architectural and operational complexity of platform-specific distribution and fanout functionality. This includes distribution over the WAN and to web and mobile apps, and comes with the many advantages of Solace’s platform such as low, consistent latency, superior robustness and unified monitoring and management. Solace can directly accept external feeds such as BPipe, Reuters Eikon, SuperFeed, MarketPrizm and Quanthouse, either natively or via bridges.

What other open source or collaborative projects do you participate in and why?

Eden: We are completely neutral regarding which API, protocol or wirelines companies use to enable information sharing between their applications, datacenters devices and users. That is why in addition to supporting and helping drive the technical development and market adoption of OpenMAMA, Solace is also an active supporter of protocols such as AMQP, MQTT and REST.

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