Raymond Edwards Email & Phone Number

Des Plaines, Illinois, Us

Swift River Concepts has the simple purpose to improve our client's business activities through computing solutions.Discovering our client's actual needs is the keynote of a successful and swift development process. We apply standard methods: project management and implementation, while leveraging the appropriate technology, new and proven.Salvaging failing projects is also a specialty. Projects don't always go as hoped but they can be salvaged applying the correct technology. Here are some projects we have undertaken:A client wanted to improve its prospects by implementing management by statistics. The data was in a legacy proprietary database not easily accessed by modern open source tools. A business intelligence data visualization project was executed. The architecture chosen used a variation of the MEAN pattern, leveraging open source JavaScript components, Express on Node.js. Custom JSON extracts were coded into the legacy database, coupling the old with the new. Open source charting displayed the properly scaled business statistics in a web browser.Another client had a high frequency/ultra-low latency trading execution management system which was custom developed from the ground up. The system did not perform swiftly enough. The system was quite large so the analysis focused on the path most taken in the code. A non-optimum threading implementation was discovered as the main impediment to the ultra-low latency problems. This was quickly resolved through some refactoring of the code path using low level C++11 and proper threading for the purpose.

New York, Ny, Us

I pitched in as an individual contributor to the development team creating the new Pillar high-frequency/ultra-low latency exchange platform aimed to reduce complexity while offering faster development time. My contributions included messaging acceleration for client access; leveraging model-driven architecture to expose internal messaging for operational control display and automated build procedure for incremental product release.

I was initially retained as a consultant for my expertise in detailed implementation of high-performance systems to fix a failed trading platform which had never worked properly. Within a week I had it operating and trading.Subsequently I was hired as the CIO where I used my management experience to create a tight team, and my technical skill to architect and produce a scalable trading complex. This trading complex was comprised of stock exchange co-located computers hosting algorithmic, high-frequency trading systems. The systems were networked to custom front office, highly responsive futures trading stations adaptable to mobile devices. All of this was achieved using open source technology.

This private trading firm had decided to develop an ultra-low latency/high-frequency trading system to run complex risk and risk-less trading algorithms using real-time data from multiple exchanges. The algorithms would be written by traders who would integrate with this common platform and infrastructure. After presenting a proposal and project plan I was promptly hired as the VP of Electronic Trading Technology to create the team, implement the plan and create the trading platform.For the exchange co-located high-frequency component I used Linux and C++ for speed. I chose the ACE Framework for the main architectural binding because of its ease of optimization. MySQL triggers and stored procedures collected and aggregated the trading data. Custom model-driven messages were used to communicate between the components.I assembled a team to produce a front office real-time trading display with algorithmic trading strategy control. A rich UI was created to provide real-time data using Adobe Flex/Flash connected to a Tomcat/JAVA mid-tier through BlazeDS. Multiple views presented real-time trading activity and PNL by strategy, instrument and summary.I proposed and implemented a development environment for algorithmic trading consisting of a set of custom controls written in C# for the Visual Studio Toolbox. The developer would drag and drop market data and order entry controls from the toolbox. These controls connected to and leveraged the existing trading servers and provided market data, order entry and order life cycle events. The data structures were designed to easily integrate with the .NET financial graphing controls.

New York, Ny, Us

After 10 years as a consultant to NASDAQ I was hired as a Senior Technical Specialist utilizing my Unix, C/C++ and networking skills to work on the Workstation II API, internal dissemination and order entry systems. I was quickly promoted to Director I, then Director II (Director of Market Data) where I managed the internal and primary external market data feeds. My eight direct reports were used on matrix managed projects across the organization. Throughout my tenure I continued to be hands-on in the development efforts and mentor to project members.I served on the architectural committee for Market Data Dissemination to create a high availability, fault-tolerant dissemination system using Windows Server, SQL Server and .NET components. My performance analysis on distributed data storage proved viability of the architecture.I was program manager for the NASDAQ Sarbanes-Oxley compliant QIX quoting system, Market Analytics: Velocity and Forces and Propriety Quote dissemination feeds.I had the honor of taking ownership of NASDAQ’s mission critical market data dissemination and its data center monitoring and control, keeping these systems in operation 24x7 by directing troubleshooting efforts, adding new features and keeping pace with regulatory changes.I successfully managed a number of market systems migrations. These included a Microsoft Windows Server and SQL Server upgrade; moving the data center to a new location; and decommissioning the legacy market systems in Trumbull, Connecticut that were replaced by the INET systems, which posed some interesting fallback scenarios.I extended the life of the internal web caches, which serve real-time data to the NASDAQ websites. The caches were tuned to my specifications resulting in lower latency and higher reliability for the end user.I designed and implemented a low latency data replicator for which I received the President’s Award for exemplary performance and leadership from Robert Greifeld.

New York, Ny, Us

Architectural and development consulting for high speed, low latency mission critical client interface network. Market Montague display and data delivery as well as quote and order entry systems. Data distribution systems optimization.

Provided Unix architectural and development consulting for premier Service Delivery Platform providing simplified access to the complex systems of the NASDAQ OMX data center. This resulted in an environment for investors to actively track the market through data montages and tickers and rapidly respond to changes though integrated order entry facilities.Analyzed code to find bottle necks, changed network access and presentation layer yielding a better display experience, smoother with lower latency.

Mitigated the impact of a change to the SIAC CTS data feed format using Solaris and “C” allowing the end user uninterrupted service by eliminating the need for end user changes.

Created fraud control system using Solaris, “C” and SQL for Southern New England Telephone targeted at revenue savings by real-time sensing and eliminating fraudulent call charges.

Hartford, Connecticut, Us

Married a DEC VAX with a Prime computer using TCP/IP and “C” giving employees instant telephone access to their pension information.

Armonk, New York, Ny, Us

Assured quality of RS6000 computer based routers in the bandwidth upgrade for the Internet Backbone (NSFNET) providing reliable and swift data transfer to World Wide Web Internet users.Verified the reliability of TCP/IP and router products in joint ventures with Yale and Princeton Universities providing an inexpensive network alternative to the educational community.Developed an RFC compliant RIP Router offering an inexpensive PC based routing solution to the educational community.Ported and improved FORTRAN, PASCAL and “C” compiler code generation for PS/2 AIX compilers evaluated by Unix Review as having the best compiler technology in the industry.

Us

Helped companies control their contracted utility usage through development of a kilowatt load shed program to mitigate the risk of kilowatt over-usage penalties.Simplified the lighting of Walt Disney World EPCOT using compiler technology to read a time table and action list and send messages to keep the theme park lighting under control.Oversaw the upgrade of the data center from a PDP-11/70 to a VAX/VMS system with the latest development and source control system increasing production and accuracy.Created preemptive O/S for the PC using “C” which was used to develop and simulate HVAC controller software, enabling swift and accurate development.

Assembled and repaired pioneering SCELBI computers that started the microcomputer industry.Authored and co-authored eleven books ranging from system software to games educating the burgeoning microcomputer industry in software development at the assembler level.Oversaw the order processing and international shipping of SCELBI publications delivering this new microcomputer technology to the world.

Bachelor Of Science (Bs), Computer Science

Computer Science