Technology provider, First Derivatives (LON:FDP), has announced the inception of FD Labs, its new research and development (R&D) division based out of Ottawa, Canada, according to a First Derivatives statement.
In light of the new division, First Derivatives has also tapped industry veteran Dave Thomas and his long-time collaborator Dr. Brian Barry as two of the group’s newest additions to its team. Mr. Thomas is slated to become First Derivative's Chief Scientist whose responsibilities will focus on new product strategy and technology. Alternatively, Mr. Barry will become the head of FD Labs, tasked with the job of growing and managing the group.
Overall, FD Labs will collaborate and work with the rest of First Derivative’s global product team, specifically focusing on new software innovations and emergent technology such as SaaS Analytics and Fast Data visualization.
According to Mr. Thomas in a recent statement on the appointment: "The power and elegance of kdb+ has been understood for many years in the world of high performance finance. FD now has a unique opportunity to lead the way and expand the reach of kdb+ into exciting new markets such as the Internet of Things, Cyber Security, Visual Analytics and Pharma."
"Industry dynamics are moving in our favour as enterprises embrace streaming analytics, which plays to the strengths of kdb+. We are excited to have two of the IT industry's most respected pioneers on our team helping us advance the development of the world's leading structured database with a feature-rich enterprise platform that makes the technology straightforward to develop and manage," added Brian Conlon, Chief Executive Officer of FD, in an accompanying statement.
Last month, First Derivatives elevated Gregory Bottitta to a senior sales and business development role in the firm’s Delta Flow platform. Mr. Bottitta’s promotion came after a successful tenure as First Derivatives’ Vice President – e-Trading and Risk Management Solutions, a role he held since early 2011.
