With the growth of the Internet and its accessibility to the general masses, every FOREX broker maintains a software package for his clients to transact and get information about market prices online. With the increasing popularity of online trading with traders, the FOREX brokers are improvising their tools keeping in mind the clients needs in terms of software tools.
The two basic types of the FOREX trading software are - web based and client based. Since the most crucial functionality of the online trading tool must be the ability to provide market information at real time and updating it in the flash of a second; the software must be able to perform with minimal processing delay and must be accurate to deliver the entry and exit points for the trade.
The web based software is the one which is on the broker's website. There is no installation required on the client’s computer. The client based software is the one which is first downloaded and then installed on the client’s machine which is in synch with the broker’s. The web based client software is considered to be more popular due to their convenience, safety and reliability characteristics as the users can log in to them using their unique account from any computer and from any location over an Internet connection. Whereas the client based software has the restriction of using one chosen computer for every trade.
Another mandatory requirement for trading software is security or protecting the user’s critical data over the net. In the web based software the user information is secured with high-strength encryption to prevent viruses, intruders or hackers to access or modify the user’s data during transmission. Although the client based software is also secured during transmission, it has the shortcomings of the usage of a single trader’s computer and hence the possibilities for data loss are higher in this case.
The FOREX software is aided by a series of data servers which hold the web site content and user transactions. These servers are reliable in securing the user information and data integrity and ensure accurate transaction processing. Since servers are subject to power outages and natural disasters, at least two sets of servers in separate locations are maintained to ensure maximum uptime and data backups guaranteeing the integrity of the user’s financial data in case of server failure.
One of the problems in online trading software/tools is the processing or the data transmission delays. There are a number of factors that result in a delay in data transmission for software like Internet connection speeds and the physical distance between the client machine and main server. To avoid these obstacles in trading the FOREX traders should have a reasonably high-speed modern computer and a fast paced stable Internet connection to ensure the full functionality of the FOREX software offered by their broker. Also the broker must be chosen in the same area as one’s trading place to avoid the delays in this extremely volatile market.
Most popular trading software have integrated charting functions with a variety of viewing functions facilitating the access of real-time price quotes for most currency pairs and they allow the trader to buy or sell at market prices or enter and exit the market using stops or limits. Some brokers offer advanced packages like the ability to trade directly from the chart and full analytical functions in their software for a monthly fee.
By Jill Kane
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