Hmmm,
I think it's very hard to give simplistic answers to problems you may ecounter with direct access software. I can't answer for Bright or Echo,but I do think REDI and Spear, Leeds & Kellogg have decent systems & software. There are four major direct access order excution platforms REALTICK,REDI+, TRADECAST &
Cybertrader. I believe ECHO uses VTS, which I hear is quite a good system if it is set up properly.
In terms of share volume REDI is the largest direct access software system . The executions on REDI+ are dependent on many factors including your introducing brokers network(if you trade in house), the amount of RAM on your computer, the bandwidth of your connection to REDI, NASDAQ related problems(Selectnet & SOES) as will as your internet access provider if you are a remote trader. Sure you will have slowness once in a while on high volume days and at the opening, but this is a problem common to all direct access software. One of our top traders trades on the API REDIFIX and gets executions on ECN's in less than >200 ms(thats 200 milliseconds!). The reason for the fast executions has more to do with network connectivity, than with the REDI+ software. REDIFIX(API) works great if your network is set up properly and you have techs in house(I'm not a tech) who can troubleshoot systems properly and setup your network.
REDI+ will work well most of the time and will have problems occasionaly like most direct access software systems. REDI is one of the largest direct access sofware providers I believe , because REDI+ is decent software. REDI+ updates a new version of their software every three months. We could switch to another direct access software provider, but REDI works well for us and all
direct access software will occasionally have problems.
Gene Weissman
Lieber & Weissman Sec.,L.L.C.
gweissman@stocktrade.net