CME, the world's largest and most diverse derivatives exchange, today announced that it has been selected by IDG's Computerworld, the "Voice of IT Management," as one of the top workplaces for information technology (IT) professionals for the third consecutive year. This honor is part of the weekly IT publication's 14th annual Best Places to Work in IT survey, which was published in the June 18 issue and online at http://www.computerworld.com/. CME is the only financial exchange to receive this honor, and was also acknowledged for its strong commitment to innovation.
Since 1994, Computerworld's annual "Best Places to Work in IT" feature has ranked the top 100 work environments for technology professionals, based on a comprehensive questionnaire regarding company offerings in categories such as benefits, diversity, career development, training and retention. In addition, this year Computerworld surveyed more than 27,000 IT workers for the list, and their responses factored heavily in determining the rankings.
"Receiving this award for the third consecutive year is a tremendous testament to the exceptional team we have at CME and the ongoing investments we are making in technology," said CME CEO Craig Donohue. "Our CME Globex® electronic trading platform, the only electronic trading system to offer access to all major asset classes, continues to define the cutting edge of financial trading technology and provide global market participants with unparalleled speed, functionality and reliability. Technology is an important driver of our business growth, and we look forward to continuing to provide our customers with a superior electronic trading experience."
"We are extremely proud of the recognition this award brings to our talented technology team and their success in positioning CME as a leading technology provider and innovator," said Phupinder Gill, CME President and Chief Operating Officer.
Some of the factors that contributed to CME's recognition by Computerworld included the following:
-- Electronic trading represents 73 percent of CME's total volume in 2007,
versus only 15 percent in 2000. In that same timeframe, average daily
volume has nearly septupled from 917,000 to 6.1 million contracts
traded.
-- CME is the only financial exchange in the world that operates virtually
24 hours every trading day, which means every aspect of the exchange is
driven or supported by technology;
-- CME launched its 10-year service agreement to host NYMEX energy and
metals products on the CME Globex electronic trading platform in June
2006;
-- CME Globex is the only electronic trading platform to offer global
access across all major asset classes - a full range of interest rate,
equity index, foreign exchange, commodity, energy and real estate
products. The exchange's technology team is charged with continuously
enhancing the system's speed, reliability and scalability to support
our ongoing growth and customer demand; and,
-- FXMarketSpace, a 50/50 joint venture with Reuters, began trading
foreign exchange currencies in February 2007 in the $2 trillion a day
OTC market.
"This year's Best Places to Work rankings represent companies across the industry that recognize how a strong commitment to and investment in employees is synonymous with creating a great IT work environment," said Don Tennant, editor in chief of Computerworld. "Once again, we found that IT professionals are looking for rewarding and challenging projects, access to leading-edge technologies, career growth and development and a comfortable work/life balance. Our Best Places companies not only offer these benefits, but do so in a manner that goes well above industry norms."
Other companies that Computerworld ranked among the Best Places to Work include Quicken Loans, General Mills and Verizon Wireless. To view the complete list of the Best Places to Work in IT, please visit the Computerworld Web site at http://www.computerworld.com/.
