Read the recent Game Changers interview, where Svetlana Kulikova speaks about Match-Trade Technologies’ offering, bespoke solutions and complete technological environment.
Q: You had a long-established and successful career with a leading platform provider, what attracted you to joining Match-Trade Technologies?
A: You might say it was destiny. Of course, I’m kidding. I was approached by Michael Karczewski, Match-Trade’s COO, when I was already working as an independent forex consultant. He told me about the company’s expansion and how, after partnering with Match-Prime Liquidity, more and more brokers from the region are interested in their technology. Match-Trade was planning to open a new office in Cyprus at that point, and I thought it was a perfect challenge for me. After meeting the MTT team, I realised that we have a similar approach to business. It was very important for me to develop further, not just as a solution vendor but as a consultant who can offer comprehensive support to brokers by selecting the best products for them and supporting them in building a development strategy and optimising business processes. That was my goal, and it turned out that Match-Trade is the perfect place to pursue it.
Q: Why? Isn’t it better to create bespoke solutions combining the best products from different providers?
A: I know why people might think that, but it is enough to analyse such a situation to understand that it is not a better solution at all in many aspects. First of all, look at cost-efficiency. It’s logical that one provider who makes money on several products can always offer better prices. And regardless of whether you are buying a White Label platform, Client Office, or the liquidity, there are always some fees for setup, subscription or monthly fee to the tech provider for using its solution and the commission you pay to the Liquidity Provider for each transaction. Plus, if you need a Bridge to connect your Liquidity Provider, there’s also a fee for the bridging technology provider. And those are all standard costs. So even if you manage to collect the cheapest solutions on the market, it does not mean that you will incur lower charges. If you buy each item from a different supplier, you will bear the cost of maintaining several providers. Also, integrating various systems may not be as easy as one might expect, and that also incurs costs. Besides, there is the issue of complaints service and solving possible problems. With different suppliers, their responsibility is blurred, and it can be hard to find out who is responsible for the errors.
I’m not saying it’s a bad idea, but I always advise my clients to go for all-in-one solutions or choose those solutions referred by their current providers. Different providers on the market have partnerships and cooperated for years. That usually means their systems are already integrated, and they even have a special offer for clients who came on the recommendation.
Q: So what are the key points that you are attracting new clients with?
A: I don’t have one pitch for every client. I start with analysing the client’s situation, taking into account its geographic location and the region from which its customers come. Then I carefully work through their goals and needs, and only when I have a full scope of information, I propose the solution or means by which we can achieve their goal.
Match-Trade Technologies offer is so broad that it gives me great freedom of action. We don’t even call ourselves a technology provider anymore. We are a Broker Solutions Hub offering multiple solutions seamlessly connected to each other. Our team worked hard for many years to create this complete technological environment that guarantees the maximum performance of our applications. We’ve become a one-stop shop where brokers can get everything they need for their Forex business.
Q: What actually is included in this HUB? What kind of applications?
A; All of them. Seriously. How much time do you have? We offer White Label platforms, those most popular like MetaTrader 4 and 5 and our proprietary Match-Trader, along with back-office applications as well as hosting and support services for those brokers who own MT4/5 servers. Then there are management solutions; Client Office – including a mobile app for traders with a dedicated IB office – and CRM with Analytics. All of it is integrated with different payment providers and also our own crypto payment gateway. We’ve recently released a Social Trading app to help our clients attract novice, less-experienced traders. Of course, all these applications are connected to the liquidity distribution system. That’s why we also have a Bridge with risk management, and ultra-fast data feeds. And when I say they’re ultra-fast, I mean it. Match-Trade’s price streams are not subjected to price filtration; therefore, customers will receive all available prices without any delay. And to close the loop, we offer business setup services for start-up brokers and business consulting.
Q: Is there a specific part of the market you are aiming for?
A; Not really, though, along with the development of the company and the technology itself, we are naturally more often approached by bigger, established brokers. And since we’ve partnered with Match-Prime, a Cyprus-based liquidity provider authorised and regulated by CySEC; we focus on polishing our product offering to better adapt it to the regulators’ requirements. Also, I believe that the new office in Cyprus will help us become more open and available to the MENA region clientele.
Q: You’ve mentioned a partnership with a regulated liquidity provider, could you tell me more about how it works, and where’s the benefit for both companies?
A; Sure. Apart from our offer for Forex and Crypto Brokers, we also provide technology for Liquidity Providers. So Match-Prime’s liquidity solution is based on our institutional platform – Match-Trader PRO. We have formed this strategic partnership to be able to complement each other’s offers.
We can add regulated liquidity to the hub of solutions available to our clients. Match-Prime is working closely with our platform developers and support team to take advantage of the flexibility that only proprietary technology can provide.
Q: Would a dealer find it hard to integrate and use?
A: Not at all. If a broker wants to start their business with us, it’s super quick as the whole system is already integrated. So apart from legal formalities and gathering the documentation, we can have him up and running within a week. But we made sure that our technology will be available for all the clients, so it is already integrated with different platforms, Bridges and even CRMs from the most popular providers. So in most cases, additional integration is not necessary, but even if it is, we’ve got high-quality IT experts who can do it really fast.
Q: I saw on your website that you can open a Crypto Brokerage in one week. What does this entail, and what do I receive for my money?
A: Cryptocurrency margin trading is one of the fastest-growing branches of online trading. So it is not surprising that the demand for a dedicated solution is constantly growing. We provide a complete package of tools for clients who want to start a brokerage business offering only Crypto CFDs. Our package includes White Label trading platform MT4/5 or Match-Trader, Client Office with CRM and integrated crypto payment gateway with exchangers. Our solution allows crypto purchase via wire transfer or credit card and instant conversions from crypto to FIAT and back. So traders can settle all of their payments in crypto while still trading in FIAT currencies. We can add data feeds and access to crypto liquidity with 28 crypto pairs. All of this completed with company registration support and a professional website. So it’s a ready-made business.
Q: You also have a Crypto payment gateway, how can you guarantee security with your technology?
A: Let’s start with basics like full KYC on our clients. We work exclusively with registered companies, and we require a certificate of incorporation and a passport copy certified by a notary. There’s also embedded 2FA for withdrawals, plus we additionally confirm with our clients each withdrawal above a certain level. We also only allow our own wallets to ensure that no third-party system will interfere with our security systems. Of course, Brokers can manage wallets on their own or leave it to us – that’s their choice. Both cases guarantee maximum protection as access is granted to white-listed IPs only. And finally, we conduct due diligence on each exchanger we integrate with our system.
Q: You recently won The Best Technology Provider at the B2B Global Forex awards. Why do you think so many people voted for you?
A: I can only tell what our clients told us after the verdict. They voted because they decided that we deserved to win. After all, they are satisfied with our services and the support we offer them. And this feedback means even more than the title itself.
Q: What’s the best way to reach you for a demo?
I’m pretty easy to find. I think I use every messenger there is. You can find all of my contact details on match-trade.com, including the Limassol office address. Plus, you can meet me pretty much at every major forex expo we have ahead of us: iFX Expo in Limassol, FMLS in November and again in Limassol for the Forex Expo B2B.
Source: https://gchangersmag.com/editions/issue-36/
