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MARKETS Inc. Launches New Canadian Electronic Trading Network Using Q9's Managed Infrastructure Services
Toronto, ON - May 25, 2005 - Q9 Networks Inc. (TSX:Q), a leading provider of outsourced Internet infrastructure services, is pleased to announce it has been awarded a comprehensive managed services contract by MARKETS Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Perimeter Financial Corporation, to host BlockBookTM, an innovative network for block trading Canadian equities.
BlockBookTM is an opaque, anonymous market for large equity trades. Through BlockBookTM, Markets Inc. is laying the foundation for a trading system infrastructure and operating model that will introduce greater transparency and economic efficiency for all participants in the Canadian institutional equity marketplace.
Under the terms of the multi-year agreement, Q9 is providing an extensive array of managed services, including servers, firewalls, bandwidth, backup/restore and 7x24 monitoring, to ensure the highest levels of security and reliability for the BlockBookTM network.
"Our network is being used by the who's who of the Canadian financial industry to manage multi-million dollar trades," says Karl Abbott, Chief Technology Officer, MARKETS Inc. "We had to have the best, most secure and most reliable infrastructure, period. After evaluating a number of possible suppliers, we chose Q9 Networks. Q9 demonstrated it was able to meet our stringent requirements based on its ability to deliver a comprehensive solution, its exceptional responsiveness and its reputation for excellence in the financial services industry."
Q9 delivers unparalleled service through an extensive suite of customer care products, including a Web-based portal that provides complete visibility into customer equipment and Q9 services. All Q9 and customer systems are monitored from Q9's multiple Network Operations Centres (NOCs) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. NOC experts are also available to customers on an around-the-clock basis to resolve issues and provide advice.
"This agreement confirms Q9's continued leadership position in the Canadian market," says Osama Arafat, CEO, Q9 Networks. "When the application is mission-critical, the best option for organizations today is to outsource to a financially secure provider whose sole focus is supporting the infrastructure requirements of an extensive list of brand-name clients. We are delighted to have been selected by MARKETS Inc. for this important launch. We wish them every success in this new venture and look forward to supporting their growth."
About MARKETS Inc.
Markets Securities Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MARKETS Inc, is
introducing BlockBookTM, an innovative
network for block trading in Canadian equities. This new electronic marketplace
masks the size and value of the investoršs intentions while they monitor the market
for trading opportunities at the best possible match The firmšs patent pending trading
methodology is based on in-depth study and knowledge of dealing and trading patterns and
is designed to improve the efficiency of the upstairs market. The benefits of the system
include more choice in trading methodologies,
reduction of trading costs and improved liquidity.
MARKETS Inc is a wholly owned subsidiary of Perimeter Financial Corp., a
business developer of technology enabled financial services companies.
Current investors in Perimeter Financial include prominent buy and sell side
institutions, including: Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board, BC Investment
Management Corp., CDP Capital, National Bank Financial, CI Mutual Funds,
Skylon Advisors, Shorcan Brokers and CIBC.
BlockBook is a trademark of MARKETS Inc.
About Q9 Networks
Q9 Networks is a leading Canadian provider of outsourced Internet infrastructure and related managed services.
Q9's data centres and network are backed by an industry leading SLA which guarantees 100% network and power availability.
Q9 managed services, including: bandwidth, dedicated servers, firewalls, load balancing, virtual private networking
(VPN) and back-up/restore, enable the rapid provisioning and scalability of client infrastructure.
For further information, please contact:
Kevin Spikes
Director of Corporate & Investor Relations
Q9 Networks Inc.
Toronto: 416-365-7211
Toll Free: 1-888-696-2266
media.relations@Q9.com
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