Brokers Supporting Java Trading APIs

A intra-day quantitative trading platform implemented in Java needs the following components:

1. A trade "tick" data stream with as little latency as possible that supports subscription on a per stock basis.
2. The ability to place orders, cancel order and query order status.

The platform should be able to run on both Windows and Linux (or even Solaris).

The Interactive Brokers platform is discussed on the page Architecture of an Interactive Brokers Based Trading System. This page is intended to provide a list of other brokers that support a Java API.

Interactive Brokers seems to have a lock on this market. Perhaps the reason for this is that they provide that sits on top of FIX, which makes it easy to bring up a system.

• Lime Brokerage
  From the Lime Brokerage web page:
  For our programming customer base, Lime Brokerage reduces startup costs by providing an easy-to-use API. Available for both C/C++ and JAVA, this API offers a clean trading interface. By ensuring all connectivity and protocol-level functionality, the Lime API allows customers to focus on their algorithms rather than worry about low-level details. We also support the industry standard FIX 4.2 protocol.
  
  To allow high performance traders to monitor their system's activity, view P&L, and place or cancel orders, Lime Brokerage provides a simple GUI that is an important component of Lime's full-featured trading platform.
  
  Response times for order placement (the time it takes Lime Brokerage to acknowledge an order) are usually less than half a millisecond, with an average through-brokerage latency of less than 2ms for order placements under moderate load. Cancel requests are handled even faster because they bypass buying-power, easy-to-borrow, and short-sale validation. They typically take 1ms or less to pass through the trading system.
  
  
• FlexTrade
  FlexTrader features:
  • Fully customized algorithmic trading.
  • Process over a thousand transactions per second, while analyzing market data on a tick-by-tick basis within the confines of an automated strategy.
  • Custom calculations are all available with the touch of a button.
  • Automated, customizable trading strategies include: VWAP, momentum, mean-reversion, adaptive pricing and best efforts.
  • Arbitrage customizable strategies include: convertible arbitrage, index arbitrage, ETF arbitrage, cross-border arbitrage (with the ability to hedge FX exposure automatically) and risk arbitrage (as part of our pairs trading module).
  • Comprehensive performance chart analysis of portfolio, sector and single stock trading.
  • Customizable Reg NMS compliant smart router and order replacement templates, as well as a full suite of rules-writing capabilities to ensure your system meets the increasing demands placed on trading professionals.
  • Full OMS integration through C#/ .NET, JAVA and C++ APIs.
  • Global ASP solution with fully-linked data centers in NY, UK, Geneva, Paris and Singapore.

• Portware
  Portware has something they call StrategyServer which apparently can be connected to via a socket API. They don't provide much beyond marketing detail on StrategyServer on the web site. Portware does target their business at funds.