VIA, the business telephony and communications specialist, has completed a modernisation project to provide a leading brokerage firm with a full suite of cloud-based communications solutions at their new premises in London. Walbrook Capital Markets was looking to upgrade its historic trader voice system and a wider telephony network.

As part of the project, the FCA-regulated brokerage firm has completely revamped its existing telephony and voice recording platform so itstraders and back office can communicate more efficiently and effectively, whilst also complying with the latest regulations. Three of VIA’s solutions – VIA Trade, VIA UC and VIA Connect -have now been installed at the company’s premises, located within the Northern & Shell Building on Lower Thames Street in London.

VIA Trade is a unique cloud-based telephony and trader voice system that removes the need for a traditional on-site telephony network. The solution combines VIA’s cloud-based infrastructure with the Speakerbusi Turret, the industry-leading dealerboard. Walbrook Capital Markets deployed the comprehensive and feature-rich platform to ensure its brokers can benefit from increased operational efficiency. As a part of the installation process, VIA migrated the brokerage firm’s existing private connection from the London Stock Exchange (STX line) onto the new platform.

VIA Trade, which incorporates FCA / MiFID II Compliant voice recording, also provides Walbrook Capital Markets with added flexibility, as the solution can be accessed remotely by smartphone, ensuring the firm can remain operational in the event of their offices becoming inaccessible.

Whilst brokers on the trading floor are now utilising VIA Trade and Speakerbusi Turrets, Walbrook Capital Market’s back office users have been set up on VIA UC, the company’s industry-leading unified communication that incorporates Skype for Business. It allows employees to talk, instant message, email and video chat across a variety of devices, such as landlines, smartphones, PCs, and tablets. VIA UC also boasts a number of additional features, including an advanced conferencing facility and a sophisticated call routing platform. As VIA offers a full integration between VIA UC and VIA Trade, users of both solutions are able to communicate and converse with each other in a joined-up approach.

During the installation process VIA also installed two diverse leased internet connections which provided a suitable infrastructure to deploy VIA Connect, a direct and exclusive network connection from VIA’s data centres to its office in the capital.

Conor Ringland, CEO at Walbrook Capital Markets, said: “VIA was able to provide a full portfolio of state-of-the-art solutions that enabled us to completely revamp our communications infrastructure, not only for our brokers on the trading room floor, but also for our back-office staff. Meanwhile, by operating VIA Connect, we will benefit from unrivalled levels of security and resiliency, which is incredibly important to our business.”

Alex Tebbs, Director at VIA, said: “VIA Trade is a highly functional and easy to install trader voice system that considerably reduces the communications equipment needed onsite. Our full product suite complements each other perfectly, allowing brokers and back office staff to communicate and share data more proficiently.”