One big theme in the institutional trading world at the moment is the desire of buy-side firms to tap the leading edge tools of sell-side trading outfits.

Deutsche Bank, for example, has launched an effort to bring leading edge high-frequency tools to its clients. In a similar vein, RBC has launched Thor, a tool that uses high-frequency like techniques to ensure that buy-side orders are not picked off. GETCO has also joined the battle, offering a new product called GETAlpha, which will use GETCO's proprietary software to execute customers' orders in the same way as it does its own orders.

Getco touts GETAlpha as "the first product to provide the investment community with the same high-tech trading tools as a dedicated electronic, or high frequency, market maker." It hopes to entice customers by noting that "by utilizing the same strategies as GETCO's core market making business, GETAlpha enables institutional investors' order executions to mimic the order execution behaviors of a dedicated market maker, thus minimizing order detection and information leakage, and providing superior executions."

GETCO is apparently counting on customers adopting an "if you can't beat them, join them" attitude. While many buy-side firms have complained about the tactics of high-frequency traders, they have also asked GETCO for a product that would give them the same trading capability. Now they have one.

For more:
- here's the release

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