NYSE Switches To Linux

The New York Stock Exchange is investing heavily in x86-based Linux systems and blade servers as it builds out the NYSE Hybrid Market trading system that it launched last year. Flexibility and lower cost are among the goals.

“What we want is to be able to take advantage of technology advances when they happen,” NYSE Euronext CIO Steve Rubinow said. “We’re trying to be as independent of any technologies as we can be.”

The Hybrid Market system lets NYSE traders buy and sell stocks electronically or on the exchange’s trading floor. The NYSE has been turning to x86 technology to power the trading system, largely using servers from Hewlett-Packard Co., the two companies announced this week.

Its a good sign that the ope source operating system Linux is gaining its market share. Its picking up as desktop OS, in mission critical systems, hospital servers, education, in mobile phones, and even it is tested by NASA for spaceship control. Definitely we will see Linux successfully used in almost everything.