Our Story

Founded in 1995, Marketware International played a pioneering role in shaping the early evolution of online investing and digital trading platforms. From the outset, Marketware focused not on following industry trends, but on building the foundational technologies that made large-scale online brokerage possible.

 

Marketware’s technology and vision led to the launch of webBroker in the United States for Waterhouse Securities — one of the world’s first online brokerage platforms. Following the acquisition of Waterhouse Securities by TD Bank and the formation of TD Waterhouse, Marketware expanded WebBroker into Canada and became a wholly owned subsidiary of the TD Waterhouse Group.

During this period, Marketware’s platforms and engineering teams became integral to TD Waterhouse’s international online brokerage operations, supporting the firm’s expansion across North America, Europe, and Asia. The reliability, scalability, and architectural foundations developed by Marketware underpinned TD Waterhouse’s early global digital trading presence, operating largely behind the scenes within highly regulated markets.

 

Over the years that followed, Marketware delivered a series of landmark platforms and middleware solutions that helped redefine how retail investors and financial institutions accessed the markets. These included NetAction for RBC in Canada, online brokerage platforms for Legg Mason in the United States, and core trading middleware for CIBC.

 

Marketware’s work expanded internationally, supporting digital trading and wealth platforms for CITIC Bank International in Hong Kong, TD Waterhouse operations across Japan, Australia, and Luxembourg.  This work also included the launch of the Tata–TDW trading platform in Mumbai, India through a joint venture with the Tata Group.

Across these engagements, Marketware’s work was largely invisible to end users, yet central to the operation and scalability of early digital trading platforms. Like many foundational technology contributors of that era, Marketware operated behind the scenes — providing the architectural reliability and engineering depth that enabled institutions to expand their online presence across regions and regulatory environments.

 

For nearly three decades, Marketware operated as a trusted technology partner to some of the world’s most respected financial institutions — contributing to the global retail trading and wealth management landscape that exists today.

 

Evolution and Perspective

 

As financial technology matured, Marketware’s work evolved beyond platform delivery into broader strategic and architectural advisory perspectives. Drawing on decades of hands-on experience building and operating mission-critical trading systems, the firm increasingly supported institutions as they navigated digital transformation, regulatory complexity, and global scale.

 

This later phase of Marketware’s work focused on platform architecture, integration strategy, operating models, and the responsible application of emerging technologies. Advisory engagements included guidance on data platforms, analytics, and early artificial intelligence capabilities — primarily in exploratory, consultative, and partnership-based contexts rather than as standalone commercial products.

 

Throughout this evolution, Marketware remained grounded in its original platform discipline: designing systems that could withstand scale, regulation, and long-term institutional use. The firm’s perspective was shaped not by experimentation in isolation, but by practical experience integrating trading, middleware, and data systems across diverse markets, asset classes, and regulatory environments.

 

While Marketware International no longer operates as an active product or services firm, its history reflects a deep understanding of how complex financial platforms are conceived, governed, and evolved over time. Today, that experience serves as a reference point — offering context, lessons learned, and perspective on the forces that continue to shape global digital finance.

 

For current writing, reflection, and leadership perspectives from the founder and principal architect of much of Marketware’s work, visit Osse Publications:

👉 https://www.ossepublications.com