QIX

QIX (NASDAQ Information Exchange) is a proprietary protocol intended to automate the streamlining of financial trades. Similar to FIX (Financial Information Exchange), an open-standard protocol, and CTCI (computer-to-computer interface), QIX supports numerous communications platforms. In contrast to FIX, the QIX protocol is strictly intended for the use of NASDAQ trading. QIX is able to improve the flow of business communication by limiting the number of unnecessary and redundant messages. This in turn reduces the time spent in voice-related telephone conversations and pretty much eliminates the clutter of paper documents. This protocol currently supports almost all of the most commonly used network technologies. QIX is quite similar in function to an API (application program interface). It differs in the way it reduces operating costs as it does not require a platform to deliver service at the subscriber site. Because of this, NASDAQ recommends that subscribers switch from API to QIX. The use of QIX requires that a subscriber have at least two TCP/IP connections with two different port numbers.