Newedge USA, LLC
Overview of Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Plans September 1, 2008
Information for Counterparties and Customers
Newedge USA, LLC has developed a Business Continuity Plan
that will be activated in the event of a significant business disruption. Because
the timing and impact of disasters and disruptions are unpredictable, we design
our plans to be flexible in responding to actual events as they occur.
Contacting Us - After a significant business
disruption customers and others can contact us as usual at 646-557-9000 (New
York), 312-762-1000 (Chicago), 713-266-0050 (Houston), 415-733-3000 (San Francisco),
816-360-6634 (Kansas City) and Philadelphia 215-981-1428 or visit our web site at
www.newedgegroup.com where we will post
a status of our anticipated recovery and provide alternative contact information
as necessary. For US option or equity trade issues, call 800-949-2730 (Equities)
or 800- 939-3504 (Options). For customers using
www.fimatonline.com or www.fimacis.com
or www.fimatpreferred.com, emergency information will also be posted on these web
sites.
Plans: Detailed business continuity/disaster
recovery planning documents have been prepared for all offices of Newedge USA, LLC.
Newedge USA, LLC plans to quickly recover and resume business
operations after a significant business disruption and respond by safeguarding our
employees and property, making a financial and operational assessment, protecting
the firm's books and records, and allowing our customers to transact business. In
short, our business continuity plan is designed to permit our firm to resume operations
as quickly as possible, given the scope and severity of the significant business
disruption.
Our business continuity plan addresses: data back up and
recovery; mission critical systems, functions, and employees; financial and operational
assessments; alternative communications with customers, employees, and regulators;
alternate physical locations of employees; critical suppliers, bank and counter-party
impact; regulatory reporting; and assuring our customers prompt access to their
funds.
Newedge operates its daily processing systems with a high
level of redundancy using several information technology processing and backup sites.
In addition we have arranged fully functional disaster recovery locations where
key employees can operate if their regular office locations are unavailable. Employee
communications are critical to a recovery plan. Newedge utilizes an automated notification
system, an emergency hot-line, conference bridges, and call trees to enhance employee
communications during a business disruption.
Varying Disruptions: Significant business
disruptions can vary in their scope and severity, affecting just our firm, or a
single building or a wider spread business district, city, or an entire region.
Our business continuity plan provides a multi pronged
approach: 1) transfer of functions to other Newedge offices; 2) provision for some
employees to work from home; and 3) activation of operations at a disaster recovery
site. Alternatively, we may implement a combination of these arrangements.
Regular review: The disaster recovery
plans are reviewed, updated and re-issued regularly.
All back-up facilities have sufficient space to accommodate
key employees and are equipped with the hardware, software, systems and facilities
to support the critical business functions. The primary back-up facilities in the
Chicago and New York areas are also positioned on telecom and electrical grid systems
that are different from the operating office.
Testing at disaster recovery sites: Back-up
facilities undergo regular testing of computer systems and connections by both IT
and critical personnel.
This disclosure is not intended as a substitute for the
firm's full business contingency plans and does not claim to anticipate the firm's
response to every potential disaster scenario.
In addition to its location on the company website (www.newedgegroup.com), hard copies of this
disclosure may also be obtained upon request.
For more information - If you have any
questions about our business continuity planning, you can contact Arnie Schafman,
Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Manager at 312-762-1000.
Disclaimer
- The Firm's comprehensive business continuity strategy is designed to enable us
to meet our existing obligations to our clients and customers even in the event
of an emergency or significant business disruption; however it is not infallible.
The BCP is designed to work in many different emergency situations; but these events
are, by their nature, unpredictable and it is impossible to anticipate every scenario
that could cause a business disruption. Furthermore, although we are confident in
our own preparedness, Newedge has no control over the various entities that we must
rely upon in the event of an emergency. Our business continuity plans are tested
periodically to ensure readiness; yet such tests may not be able to replicate the
actual conditions we experience in a real emergency. This BCP is subject to change
without notice. In the event that this BCP is modified, the updated document will
be promptly posted on the Newedge website. Alternatively, customers may obtain an
updated hard copy of the BCP upon request. The information contained in this disclosure
is provided by Newedge for informational purposes only. Nothing contained herein
shall be construed to amend, supplement or otherwise modify any of the terms and
conditions set forth in any customer agreement between you and Newedge. Customers
of firms that introduce accounts to Newedge must look to the business continuity
plans of their introducing firm for guidance. Each NYSE or NASD member firm that
introduces accounts to Newedge is required to develop and maintain its own business
continuity plan independent of Newedge's BCP.
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