>Hi Terry
>This is news to me as well, although I don't do financial systems at the moment. Isn't the problem with Bloomberg that if you want them to do something specific for a page, they 'host' the calculation on their server?

The problem with Bloomberg is that they are the only place we can get this data - and they know it - and they are expensive - other than that - they're okay:-)

Our apps [just] use the raw data. The app submits a CUSIP or list of cusips. The requested returns are type of structure (CMO/MBS/UST/IO/PO,etc), traunch, issue date, coupon frequency, pay frequency,PSA, CPR, coupons, factors (and factor/coupon history). From this, our app calculates accruals, matrix pricing, yields and calls, book balances, etc. Its a lot faster (and cheaper) to run the accruals in side the app, rather than wait and pay Bloomberg. Back in the early nineties, we used BB's FILELINK to do this. The app had to be at the Bloomberg customers site. For several thousand bonds it would take about a day for BB to put the return package together. They also had their so called CMO API routines. We looked, but never used em.

In the late nineties BB released DATALICENSE. An FTP based data dictionary retieval system. It took from several minutes to several hours. I could do it from my office system
>
>I assume you're talking about accessing data from their systems, rather than contributing it back again?

The "raw" data is all the app needed. Bond specific info varied based on purchase. The same bond, depending on purchase criteria would have a different cost and balances. Finished data would seem to have little value to Bloomberg. And we don't presume to have data interesting enough for them to publish. BB is and would be interested in forward curve and pricing algorythms that would generate data they could profit from.

Bloomberg, however, will and has added "fields" based on user/customer input.
>
>It's a long time since I looked at any of this, however isn't there another issue with Bloomberg concerning the way they store data and decompress it on the fly? Reuters has a similar compressed and re-compressed format I think?

There's Thompsons, HUBDATA, SAIC and others. But the finished data customers seem to prefere is Bloomberg. The VFP ActiveX control is real time. Encryption is in line. No noticable lag.

All Bloomberg is now Internet served. Their consoles just need to hook to a broadband pipe, rather than the dedicated [legacy] Bloomberg pipe.

They have a VB control. But there was a big demand for a VFP control-so now we have it. The control will retrieve data at the same speed the BB console will, providing a comprable band width is availabe. And, you don't have to be on site. It can be used in your office.

Bloomberg wants more market. The VFP control is another piece of their campaign to dominate the international financial data services market. Also, the people at Bloomberg are dedicated, amiable professionals. I'd never guess they were from NYC or New Jersey:-)


>
>Rgds
>Simon