Mike Linde, Manager of Hardware Systems
Support Engineering and Harry Dewedoff, Senior Sun Systems
Administrator, and their staffs for the Philadelphia Stock
Exchange, are responsible for the majority of the exchange-owned
hardware within the complex. Mike and Harry are depended upon to
keep the systems up-and-running and to keep business flowing
smoothly; down time can cost literally millions of dollars to
traders. When it was determined that the exchange program needed
to be revamped and the hardware systems upgraded, Dewedoff and
Linde felt compelled to revolutionize the system. "We were
having a considerable amount of problems on the trading floor
with cables becoming intermittent from users constantly moving
the computer mouse around the post," said Linde. "The
wiring from normal wear and tear, ultimately causing the wires to
break internally and fail." As a result of inefficiency,
Dewedoff was forced to engage in thorough research and made a
decision regarding the use of the input devices for the exchange
supply equipment. He chose to employ the use of the MOUSE-TRAK ,
an ergonomically designed trackball device from ITAC Systems,
Inc. (Garland, TX). The MOUSE-TRAK is a hybrid between a mouse
and a trackball and is compatible with the Sun Microsystems
workstations used on the trading floors. "Rather than
ordering the standard professional model, we decided to upgrade
to the industrial version that was being offered," said
Linde. "As you can imagine with the stock market, space is
very restrictive on the floors. Every bit of counter space is
valuable because of all the high tech equipment that is jammed
into an extremely small area," continued Linde.
"The MOUSE-TRAK requires less room
than the optical mouse because it is stationary and is comprised
of one piece, an essential attribute in this business. All of our
trade brokers use Sun Microsystems workstations - models IPC,
Sparc1 +, and currently we are upgrading one of our trading
floors with the NEW Sparc5 model," continued Linde. "We
also use Sun's 400 and 600 series Servers along with the Sparc1O
and Sparc20 units," added Dewedoff. "Although we deploy
the optical mouse because it comes with the system, the majority
of the brokers prefer the MOUSE-TRAK to the traditional
trackball," states Linde.
Computer Optical and Mechanical Mice, along
with other trackballs, have been scrutinized in recent years for
their inability to eliminate many problems which often lead to
repetitive stress injuries (RSI's) such as carpal tunnel
syndrome. The design of these other devices force the wrist to be
used at an unnatural angle and requires gross arm movements. The
MOUSE-TRAK enables the hand and arm to remain in a natural
resting state and encourages minimal arm mobility.
"I would think that if we didn't
supply the MOUSE-TRAK we would have more complaints from the
brokers and less production on the floor," said Linde &
Dewedoff. "We are certainly taking measures by using this
device and significantly reducing the number of reported
RSI's." When deciding upon the appropriate device to utilize
at the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, various characteristics, in
addition to the prevention of RSI's, were taken into
consideration. ITAC Systems' device has been the preferred
alternative in Philadelphia. It offers numerous advantages over
the traditional computer mice and trackballs that were once
considered to be the pattern on the trade floor.
"The MOUSE-TRAK is a simplistic device
that is very user-friendly," said Linde. Since time is
restrictive in the stock exchange program, the product needs to
be easy to use, and be very reliable. "We have never had a
complaint with the device," state Dewedoff and Linde.
"And it fits in aesthetically with the atmosphere of both
the development and production environments."