• 97% of employees use Google Workspace daily

• +3 NPS in user satisfaction with Google Workspace

• 15 applications developed from 30 ideas generated through a hackathon using AppSheet

• 345 employees actively using one app developed from the hackathon

• Accelerates the recruiting process by analyzing resumes and drafting job descriptions with Gemini for Google Workspace

In 2021, four financial service leaders—MarkitServ, Traiana, TriOptima, and Reset—came together to become one brand. Representing more than 25 years of evolution in post-trade, the newly formed OSTTRA became a combined critical player and powerhouse in supporting global financial markets. From trade capture through portfolio optimization to clearing and settlement, the platform connects thousands of counterparties on its multi-asset networks that underpin the post-trade lifecycle.

Combining decades of expertise increased the companies’ firepower. However, consolidating four disparate tech stacks created significant challenges. “It was an interesting jigsaw puzzle,” says Lee Cox, Project Manager at OSTTRA. “We weren’t coming from a single domain or tech stack, so we had unique security considerations when we brought it all together.”

OSTTRA teamed up with Google Cloud to migrate its data centers to Cloud Storage, making it fast, easy, and cost-effective to store and retrieve all its data. However, the company’s communication and collaboration processes remained siloed and clunky between teams, so it sought a new solution to empower more agile teamwork.

“As an organization with innovation in our DNA, we have an appetite for change and a mindset of constant improvement,” Cox says. “We chose Google Workspace because it shares our approach to innovation. Things are always evolving and that’s a good thing.”

To bring OSTTRA onto Workspace, the team began by issuing new devices and then migrating 1,450 employees and contractors. Now, 1,100 team members actively use Workspace and OSTTRA aims to complete a company-wide migration within two months.

Previously, OSTTRA used virtual desktop infrastructure to access information across its disparate parts. With Workspace, employees have one place for all their communication and collaboration processes. And in a highly regulated industry where clients regularly share market-sensitive data and OSTTRA is accountable to regulators, data protection is paramount. Workspace offers built-in security parameters to ensure only the right people can access the documents and data they need.

“Google Workspace is user-friendly, mobile-friendly, and simple,” says Barry Kelly, Head of Enterprise Platform Technology at OSTTRA. “Our teams can log in through a browser and have everything they need at their fingertips.” 

The platform’s intuitive interface has changed how OSTTRA’s teams work together. By offering instant updates within a single document, Workspace tools like Google Drive, Docs, and Sheets have empowered real-time information sharing, streamlined workflows, and enabled collaboration at scale.

“Many users haven’t experienced something like this before, so they don’t understand the value until they’ve used it,” says Stylianos Thomas, Product Manager and Application Developer at OSTTRA. “All of the tools are interconnected. The more you use one, the easier it becomes to use the others.”

OSTTRA's migration to Workspace hinged on three key ingredients: engagement, empowerment, and ease of use. Due to the disparate nature of the tech infrastructure, the team couldn’t execute a company-wide switch, so they began migrating employees in phases. This allowed for targeted training, ongoing support, and stronger adoption, ensuring a broader understanding of Workspace benefits across the organization.

The team also created Google Academy, a hub of shared knowledge where users can find training materials, ask questions, and provide support to peers. By supplementing this program with regular training sessions focused on specific tools and functionalities, OSTTRA has fostered a collaborative learning environment and reduced reliance on IT support.

“Our journey with Workspace is a continuous process,” Cox says. “We have many users who have been using it for over a year now and some who are newer to the platform, but they can work together, share knowledge, and find new ways to collaborate.”

These expert users, dubbed "OSTTRAnauts," serve as dedicated points of contact for colleagues seeking guidance. This peer-to-peer approach further encourages a sense of community and knowledge sharing. Because of these in-depth training programs, OSTTRA’s average NPS score reflecting how satisfied people are with Workspace went from 5.4 to 8.7 within the span of six months.