BT International wins UBS cloud trader voice overhaul

BT International has been selected by UBS to modernise the bank's global trader communications. The project is already live in several markets and supports more than 2,400 traders.

UBS is rolling out a cloud-native trader voice platform in Microsoft Azure through BT Trading & Command, a specialised trading unit within BT International. The system is live in Singapore, Hong Kong, the UK, the US and Switzerland, and is operational across 17 countries.

The deployment is among the earliest live uses of cloud-based trader voice services in a banking environment, where communications systems face strict operational and regulatory demands. Trading floors require resilient voice services, recording and monitoring, and controls over where data is held in each jurisdiction.

Under the project, UBS is consolidating its trading communications estate from 20 platforms into a single global system. The platform is intended to reduce complexity while maintaining regulatory compliance and data sovereignty requirements in local markets.

The service is hosted in Microsoft Azure and includes encrypted voice services, integrated recording and monitoring, and communication application server oversight middleware. These elements are designed to support compliance requirements for regulated trading communications.

For UBS, the shift also standardises a fragmented technology environment used by traders across multiple locations. The new system can scale further as additional markets are added by the end of 2026.

Cloud adoption for mainstream business communications has become common, but trader voice systems have been harder to move because of the specific controls required by banks and regulators. As a result, many financial institutions still use older local or regional voice platforms rather than a single cloud-based architecture.

Industry shift

The UBS deployment suggests large banks are becoming more willing to move some of the most tightly controlled parts of their communications infrastructure into public cloud environments, provided they can meet local compliance and operational rules. It also reflects pressure on banks to simplify legacy systems built up over years of expansion across regions and business lines.

BT said the platform gives UBS a base for further use of automation and AI-driven insights in its trading operations. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

UBS is headquartered in Zurich and operates in more than 50 markets. The bank said it had $7.3 trillion of invested assets as of the second quarter of 2026.

BT International is part of BT Group's business serving multinational organisations headquartered outside the UK and overseas public sector customers. BT has previously said the International unit is due to be contributed into a new joint venture expected to complete in the second half of 2027.

Brandon Benson, Managing Director at UBS, said: "BT was chosen as our preferred technology partner with the capability to deliver a fully integrated solution that meets our technical, regulatory and operational requirements. This ensures our traders have a robust, flexible and future-proof communication platform."

Joris van Oers, Managing Director, Sales & Commercial, BT International, said: "This marks a significant milestone for the industry. UBS' transformation demonstrates that cloud can now meet the highest standards of security, compliance and performance. As a trusted partner, we're proud to support UBS in building a future-ready foundation for its global trading operations."