1. What competitive advantages can the companies described in the case derive from the use of faster technology and co-location of servers with the exchanges? Which would you say are sustainable, and which ones temporary or easily imitable? Justify your answer.
2. Tony Bishop of Wachovia stated that "Competitive advantage comes from your math, your workflow and your processes through your systems." Referring to what you have learned in this chapter, develop opposing viewpoints as to the role of IT, if any, in the development of competitive advantage. Use examples from the case to support your positions.
3. What companies in industries other than securities trading could benefit from technologies that focus on reducing transaction processing times? Provide several examples.

Securities’ trading is one of the few business activities where a one-second processing delay can cost company big bucks. Wachovia Corporate and Investment Bank is addressing the growing competitive push toward instantaneous trading with a comprehensive systems overhaul.
In a project that has cost more than $10 million so far, Wachovia is tearing down its systems silos and replacing them with an infrastructure that stretches seamlessly across the firm's many investment products and business functions.