eQuate is a web-application that is built and designed with the recognized Unified Modeling Language (UML) standard methodology that allows continual and cost-effective enhancements to the product offering. Ndex’s R&D department is divided into Project Teams that are applying the UML rapid development methodology. Because of this methodology, Ndex can increase the number of development teams without affecting current development.

Ndex chooses tools and techniques that ensure the system remains open and portable across a wide range of existing financial applications, technologies and legacy systems. Ndex uses standard JAVA technologies that have proven their ability to scale up to hundreds of thousands of inquiries. As the number of inquiries and accounts increase, new servers can be added using load-balancing techniques. This process of load tolerance expansion does not require re-engineering and is completely scalable.

XML (Extensible Markup Language) is the incoming generation for web-application development language. Ndex has adopted this avenue to automate the development of the different eQuate components as well as the automation and integration of possible fixes and features into the platform. XML allows automatic customization of various looks for client specific business operation needs. XML leaves more time to develop future targeted modules.

eQuate is a 100% Java application. Its main components are a SQL database, a web application server and a batch job server. eQuate’s browser based user interface uses HTML and JavaScript. Reports are generated in PDF format. Charts are presented using SVG technology. eQuate interfaces with multiples systems including the OSS book keeping system, the OMS and MFO trading systems, as well as the StarComm real time quote provider. A conversion utility facilitates the data conversion from Croesus™ to eQuate.

The database extensively uses stored procedures to achieve excellent performance. Supported databases are Sybase and DB2. The database schema is generated using a UML data model maintained in the UML Suite modeling tool. eQuate, being used to enter orders to stock exchanges, procedures have been implemented to ensure up-to-the-minute full data recovery in case of disaster.

The standard browser for eQuate is Internet Explorer 5.0+ with the freely available Adobe SVG plug-in. The application is designed for a 800X600 resolution. SSL128 is used for security. The authentication is provided by eQuate. Provisions have been made to allow interfacing with external authentication systems like LDAP. Reports are generated using an OpenSource library called HTMLDOC. This library converts documents from HTML to PDF.

The interface to OSS is a batch importation process designed in three layers. The first layer parses the files into a Java representation. The second layer interprets the data in Java and passes the result to the third layer. The third layer validates and stores the data in the database. This architecture allows reusability across institution specific file formats and book keeping systems.

The interface to OMS and MFO is transactional. It is using a CICS-like protocol. A scalable connection manager allows to share connections across large number of web users. Order status can be retrieved synchronously or asynchronously, to the preference of the institution. The asynchronous implementation significantly reduces costs for large institutions.

The StarComm interface for quotes retrieval supports both real time and delayed quotes. It is a transactional system using the TCP/IP protocol. The actual implementation provides basic functionality to retrieve quotes. StarComm is a raw data quote server provided by StarData, a CGI subsidiary.

All together, eQuate is implemented using 100% standard technologies. Its capacity to interface with external systems is illustrated by the range of different system with which it is already interfaced. For more information, refer to the logical, physical and functional architecture provided to you on a demo presentation.

Ndex is using code generator technology to speed-up development and get high quality results. The benefits are:

• Faster Development: 60% of the code is produced in a snapshot as opposed to manually.
• High Quality: Development is always in sync with analysis (UML Methodology).
• Adaptable: Ndex’s GenDex Tool can regenerate the code of the platform for a different database, application server, interface protocol and others…
• Evolving: Technology and financial services are constantly evolving. Consequently Ndex invests a significant portion of its cash flow into Research and Development. In conjunction with the Ndex technology team, the Ndex financial services and product teams continually investigate emerging financial products and look to expedite the development of new applications.