thinkorswim Group, Inc. Acquires Institutional Equity Order Management Leader, Arrowhead Solutions

thinkorswim Group, Inc. :: thinkorswim Group, Inc. Acquires Institutional Equity Order Management Leader, Arrowhead Solutions: "Acquisition Enhances Institutional Equities Trading Platform With Straight- Through-Processing, Compliance and Risk Management Services for Sell-Side and Buy-Side Participants

thinkorswim, an industry-leading online brokerage and financial technology pioneer, today announced the acquisition of Arrowhead Solutions ( http://www.arrowheadsolutions.com/ ), an institutional equity order management and technology company. The acquisition will enhance thinkorswim's institutional product suite, allowing Sell-Side and Buy-Side participants to tap into Arrowhead's direct market access software. Arrowhead offers advanced order routing and execution logic, client anonymity, and compliance and risk management services.

"Arrowhead's solid track record of growth, outstanding customer support, deep client relationships and innovative software meshes perfectly with the thinkorswim culture and technology," said Tom Sosnoff, CEO of thinkorswim. "This acquisition makes us the most technologically advanced, one-stop shop on the street and further deepens our range of products and services, allowing us to truly meet all of the needs of our market participants. I honestly don't think that there is another brokerage firm in the world with our product and service offerings."

Arrowhead currently routes approximately 1/2 billion shares of stock per month for its institutional clients. thinkorswim, one of the industry's largest providers of retail option order flow, plans to quadruple the Arrowhead client base by 2007. Additionally, all current Arrowhead clients will gain access to the full suite of thinkorswim's software products including its institutional platform, Liquid.

"We're thrilled to join the thinkorswim team. After using their trading platforms, we believe this is one of most innovative companies that is continually pushing the envelope," said Bob Mahoney, CEO of Arrowhead. "We are confident Arrowhead customers will greatly benefit from the combination of our institutional expertise and thinkorswim's technological, market and business intelligence. We feel this is an unbeatable combination."

The Arrowhead platform now called Pipes ( http://www.tospipes.com/ ) will be customized and white-labeled for each client. Pipes will provide order facilitation through a stable DMA platform, technical and compliance support for institutional trading firms and innovative order management systems for any size trading desk. Additionally, Arrowhead's software offers FIX connectivity to broker dealers and hedge funds and offers multiple clearing choices. Arrowhead also enables customized stock execution strategies and a comprehensive range of features including algorithmic, rule based, and basket orders. Trade reporting, embedded risk management software and the system's ability to perform EOD file transfers to clients' clearing firms are additional OMS integration benefits.

About thinkorswim Group, Inc.

thinkorswim, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Chicago, Ill., with offices in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. and Ardmore, Penn., is a leading online brokerage company specializing in options that also offers customers a broad range of products including equities, futures, mutual funds, and bonds. The company supports retail and institutional traders through its own trading platforms and is widely recognized as the premier option software for execution, professional analytics and real-time position management. thinkorswim has revolutionized the option industry by teaching and executing complex, non-directional option strategies with single-click functionality that has now become the industry standard. thinkorswim continues to evolve the financial marketplaces by delivering products that benefit the customer whether they are hedging, speculating or enhancing returns. For more information about thinkorswim and its subsidiary companies, thinkorswim, Inc., thinkorswim Advisors and thinkorswim technologies, Inc., or education courses, visit http://www.thinkorswim.com/ or call 1-866-839-1100.
Website: http://www.thinkorswim.com/
Website: http://www.tospipes.com/
Website: http://www.arrowheadsolutions.com/ "