Tales from the Trading Room Floor

“…financial traders have a very strong interface with technology. They spend their day looking at screens, looking at data, using their telephones, and it’s really intensely focused on this day-to-day reliance on technology. They also work very long hours – 12 or 13 hours a day.” – Greg Pearce (From iCubed.us)

To the outside observer, the trading room floor can look like sheer and utter chaos. Wild-eyed individuals shout into three phones at the same time, while culling data from the four computers on their desk and occasionally hurling something at the wall.

To the seasoned trading professional, the chaos appears at least somewhat controlled. However, the four computers on the desk can still be a problem. Personnel at large financial institutions are often forced to tolerate extreme heat and noise generated by multiple computers. In fact, the employees of one large firm (a ClearCube customer) actually developed heat rashes on their legs when a row of desktops started running too hot. They started unplugging their computers, which, of course, sent a technician flying into the room to plug the machines back in.

While leg rashes should never be a normal part of doing business, ergomonic issues aren’t the only ones that the multiple-desktop solution has caused for the financial services industry. There is also a question of wasted energy, a topic that the U.S. government is starting to take interest in:

“The U.S. Senate late on Thursday unanimously approved a bill that proclaims it is ‘in the best interest of the United States for purchasers of computer servers to give high priority to energy efficiency as a factor in determining best value and performance for purchases of computer servers.’” (From CNET News)

The Blade PC provides an efficient, ergonomically sound solution for the financial industry and for any office that wants to reduce energy use and create a more pleasant work environment for its employees. Get rid of the heat, get rid of the noise, get rid of the wasted energy, and get rid of the leg rashes.