NT-Eager FUNB Waits For Microsoft, As New Apps, Including Latest From Netscape, Remain On Deck

First Union National Bank of North Carolina would like to roll out Microsoft Corp.'s Windows NT to its full community of traders, salespeople and investment bankers, but the Charlotte-based bank has hit a bit of a roadblock. Currently, FUNB cannot move to the Windows NT-based desktop it desires--and provide all its capital markets users with the full range of applications they desire--while remaining a Novell Inc. shop.

And the bank would like to remain a Novell shop because roughly half of its application and file servers make use of Netware as their operating environment. While a FUNB official says that Microsoft promised to deliver a new 32-bit driver to allow for Novell and Windows NT interoperation last October, six months later the bank is still waiting.

In FUNB's capital markets division--which comprises trading and investment banking--Windows NT would replace some 300 Sun Microsystems Inc. Sparcstations running Solaris, as well as another 1,300 PCs running earlier versions of Windows. Not surprisingly, numerous of the bank's 180 traders are among the Sparcstation users.

According to John Swanteck, vice president and desktop administration manager at FUNB, the bank is not concerned about the interoperability of its Unix-based market data delivery applications with the desired NT desktops; that combination has become fairly commonplace in the world of trading. However, Swanteck says that FUNB would also like to make a range of other "appealing" applications, which run on Novell file servers, available to the full gamut of users--and that's not possible yet.

Among other things, Swanteck says that FUNB is anxious to get NT rolled out because it would like to provide its full complement of users with the latest version of Netscape Communications Corp.'s Navigator World Wide Web browser. With the notable exception of those equipped with Unix workstations, most users throughout the bank, including some traders, currently rely on Navigator 1.3, which does not allow for the downloading of Java applets.

FUNB currently delivers real-time market data and related applications to its traders via Market Vision Corp.'s Unix-based MV Link digital data distribution system. (Market Vision is a unit of GFI Corp., which also owns Bridge Information Systems Inc. and the EJV Partners L.P.)

FUNB selected MV Link more than two years ago as part of its move to a new head-office trading facility in Charlotte. (TST, March 7, 1994). The capital markets division was created at roughly the same time as the new floor (Waters magazine, spring 1995).

FUNB is not alone among investment institutions in its desire to have a Windows NT-based desktop for its trading floor. Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette Inc. has set plans to migrate to an all Windows NT environment on its taxable fixed-income trading floor (TST, March 4). Salomon Brothers Inc. is also currently contemplating moving to Windows NT on its trading floor (TST, Oct. 2, 1995). Meanwhile, Lehman Brothers Inc. has also lately given consideration to a shift to Windows NT for its trader desktop--but to a more limited extent (TST, Sept. 18, 1995).

According Swanteck, FUNB is more than eager to jump to NT: "We want to keep Novell and move to NT clients; that's our direction, especially on the trading floor." But to date, he says, the bank has "only" been able to deploy "about ten NT implementations."

A Microsoft official with oversight of trading industry sales was not available for comment on FUNB's dilemma at press time.

Swanteck says that if and when Windows NT is implemented at FUNB, Unix will not be entirely banished from the trading floor.

"We won't remove any of the Unix servers on the trading floor," says Swanteck. Real-time market data is delivered to the Unix servers, says Swanteck. FUNB's PC-using traders are currently able to access Unix-based servers from their desktops and will continue to do so after the NT implementation.

Meanwhile, FUNB wants to move forward with development of applications that make use of Sun's Java programming language. "Out of 1,600 people I can only deliver about 350 with a Java implementation, because I can only deliver Java to the Unix, Windows 95 and Windows NT units. I don't have that many NT or 95 clients," says Swanteck.

Currently, Swanteck says that FUNB has about 1,000 Navigator licenses and six Netscape servers.

FUNB began its trek into cyberspace two years ago, when Swanteck says he brought in a Mosaic server. FUNB made the move to Netscape servers "the first month they started selling them," he says. Meanwhile, FUNB began development with Java about six months ago.

Swanteck heads up the Web development group at FUNB. Currently, he says that Java is being used for administration applications. However, in the future, Swanteck says his group is planning on developing some Java-based applications to allow for dissemination of real-time position data as well as 20-minute-delayed market data to FUNB's investment bankers and operations staff.

However, Swanteck says he doesn't see Java-based trading applications, carrying real-time market data, emerging at FUNB any time soon. "Let's be honest: It's not going to do a better job than Teknekron; it's not going to do a better job than Market Vision or Reuters. It's just not."