UBS is moving critical trading-floor communications into the cloud as part of a major technology overhaul that will replace 20 separate trading systems with a single global platform.

The international banking group is working with BT International to deploy a cloud-native trader voice platform hosted on Microsoft Azure, in what BT says is one of the first live deployments of its kind within a banking trading environment.

The system is already operating across 17 countries and is being used by more than 2,400 UBS traders, with capacity to expand as the rollout progresses.

The shift is significant because trader voice infrastructure operates under demanding security, reliability and regulatory requirements.

Unlike conventional business communications, trading systems must provide highly resilient services while maintaining call recording, monitoring, data sovereignty and compliance across multiple jurisdictions.

BT International, through its specialist BT Trading & Command business, said the project demonstrates that regulated trader voice workloads can successfully be moved from traditional infrastructure into public cloud environments.

UBS consolidates 20 trading platforms

At the centre of the project is BT Trading’s Enterprise Cloud platform, which is hosted within Microsoft Azure.

UBS is using the technology to consolidate an estate of 20 trading communications platforms into a single standardised global system.

The platform provides secure carrier-grade voice services through the cloud, including end-to-end encryption, integrated recording and monitoring capabilities.

It also includes communication application server oversight middleware designed to support regulatory compliance requirements.

Maintaining data sovereignty is another major component of the deployment, with the platform designed to meet local regulatory requirements while keeping relevant information within required jurisdictions.

For UBS, reducing the number of communications platforms could also simplify the infrastructure required to support trading operations across international markets.

Cloud adoption reaches the trading floor

Businesses have been moving conventional voice and collaboration systems into cloud environments for years, but financial trading infrastructure presents considerably greater technical and regulatory challenges.

Trading floors depend heavily on continuous communications between traders, counterparties and markets, meaning outages or performance problems can have immediate operational consequences.

Banks must also meet extensive requirements surrounding communications recording, monitoring, security and retention.

The UBS deployment therefore represents another step in the financial sector’s gradual movement of critical infrastructure away from dedicated on-premise systems and towards cloud-based platforms.

The companies say the unified platform will improve operational efficiency, reduce complexity and provide UBS with greater flexibility as its trading infrastructure develops.

It could also provide the technical foundation for future technologies including automation and artificial intelligence-based analysis of trading communications and operational data.

For traders, the objective is to provide a consistent communications environment regardless of where they are operating.

Brandon Benson, managing director at UBS, said, “BT was chosen as our preferred technology partner with the capability to deliver a fully integrated solution that meets our technical, regulatory and operational requirements.

“This ensures our traders have a robust, flexible and future-proof communication platform.”

Joris van Oers, managing director, sales & commercial, BT International, said, “This marks a significant milestone for the industry.”

“UBS’ transformation demonstrates that cloud can now meet the highest standards of security, compliance, and performance,”

“As a trusted partner, we’re proud to support UBS in building a future-ready foundation for its global trading operations.” he said.

The rollout highlights how cloud infrastructure is moving deeper into parts of the banking sector that have traditionally remained dependent on specialised hardware and tightly controlled private systems.

For financial institutions operating across multiple markets, the ability to consolidate those systems while continuing to meet local regulatory and data sovereignty requirements could become an increasingly important part of broader infrastructure modernisation strategies.