Financial information systems, methods, interfaces, and software
Within the financial-services industry, there are online centers that allow brokers to match sellers with buyers of financial instruments based on indications of interest. To follow up on these indications of interest, users of such centers are now using proprietary instant-messaging (IM) systems, which allow them to instantaneously exchange text messages over the Internet with other users. The present inventor recognized that these communications are often inconvenient because the IM programs are isolated from the financial information. Accordingly, he devised systems, methods, and software that integrate IM and other communications-related functions into financial-data displays. Ultimately, one of more of these or other embodiments promise improved efficiency and convenience of online interactions not only for financial trading partners and others in the financial-services industry, but also for those in any private, public, and commercial domain where rapid or convenient online communication is desirable.
1. A method comprising: determining a plurality of instant messenger applications via which a sender of financial information is currently available to communicate; displaying an interactive control, wherein the interactive control is configured to: specify a plurality of presence indicators, wherein each presence indicator indicates a status of the sender of the financial information regarding a respective instant messenger application of the plurality of instant messenger applications, the status indicating whether the sender of the financial information is currently available to communicate via the respective instant messenger application; and specify a preference indicator for at least one instant messenger application of the plurality of instant messenger applications indicating that the at least one instant messenger application is a preferred instant messenger application of the sender of the financial information; and initiating, based on a user's selection of the interactive control, an instant messenger session including at least the user and the sender of the financial information, wherein the instant messenger session is initiated m in the preferred at least one instant messenger application of the plurality of instant messaging applications via which the sender of the financial information is currently available to communicate, and wherein the initiating the instant messenger session includes automatically populating at least one field associated with the instant messenger session with data retrieved from the financial information.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the instant messenger session is initiated in at least two windows of the plurality of instant messaging applications that the sender of the financial information is currently signed into and through which the sender of the financial information is currently available to communicate.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein each of the at least two windows is associated with separate instant-messaging systems.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the financial information includes an indication of interest (IO1) from the sender.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the interactive control is further configured to specify information describing the 101, wherein the specified information describing the 101 is retrieved from the 101.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the financial data includes data identifying an economic instrument and a prospective trading entity or agent.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interactive control is further configured to receive a user input for at least one of: dragging and dropping of financial content or predefined text strings into a text window of the instant messenger session; adding one or more predefined text strings to the text window; and invoking a sorted display of the plurality of instant messenger applications via which the sender of the financial information is currently available to communicate based at least in part on the each presence indicator and the preference indicator.
8. A system comprising: a processor operable to determine a plurality of instant messenger applications via which a sender of financial information is currently available to communicate; and a display operable to display an interactive control, wherein the interactive control is configured to: specify a plurality of presence indicators, wherein each presence indicator indicates a status of the sender of the financial information regarding a respective instant messenger application of the plurality of instant messenger applications, the status indicating whether the sender of the financial information is currently available to communicate via the respective instant messenger application; and specify a preference indicator for at least one instant messenger application of the plurality of instant messenger applications indicating that the at least one instant messenger application is a preferred instant messenger application of the sender of the financial information; and wherein the processor is further operable to initiate, based on a user's selection of the interactive control, an instant messenger session including at least the user and the sender of the financial information, wherein the instant messenger session is initiated in the preferred at least one instant messenger application of the plurality of instant messaging applications via which the sender of the financial information is currently available to communicate, and wherein the initiation of the instant messenger session includes automatically populating at least one field associated with the instant messenger session with data retrieved from the financial information.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the instant messenger session is initiated in at least two windows of the plurality of instant messaging applications that the sender of the financial information is currently signed into and through which the sender of the financial information is currently available to communicate.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein each of the at least two windows is associated with separate instant-messaging systems.
11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the financial information includes an indication of interest (IOI) from the sender.
12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interactive control is further configured to specify information describing the IOI, wherein the specified information describing the IOI is retrieved from the IOI.
13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the financial data includes data identifying an economic instrument and a prospective trading entity or agent.
14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the interactive control is further configured to receive a user input for at least one of: dragging and dropping of financial content or predefined text strings into a text window of the instant messenger session; adding one or more predefined text strings to the text window; and invoking a sorted display of the plurality of instant messenger applications via which the sender of the financial information is currently available to communicate based at least in part on the each presence indicator and the preference indicator.
15. A computer-based tool including non-transitory computer readable media having stored thereon computer code which, when executed by a processor, causes a computing device to perform operations comprising: determining a plurality of instant messenger applications via which a sender of financial information is currently available to communicate; displaying an interactive control, wherein the interactive control is configured to: specify a plurality of presence indicators, wherein each presence indicator indicates a status of the sender of the financial information regarding a respective instant messenger application of the plurality of instant messenger applications, the status indicating whether the sender of the financial information is currently available to communicate via the respective instant messenger application; and specify a preference indicator for at least one instant messenger application of the plurality of instant messenger applications indicating that the at least one instant messenger application is a preferred instant messenger application of the sender of the financial information, and initiating, based on a user's selection of the interactive control, an instant messenger session including at least the user and the sender of the financial information, wherein the instant messenger session is initiated in the preferred at least one instant messenger application of the plurality of instant messaging applications via which the sender of the financial information is currently available to communicate, and wherein the initiating the instant messenger session includes automatically populating at least one field associated with the instant messenger session with data retrieved from the financial information.
16. The computer-based tool of claim 15 , wherein the instant messenger session is initiated in at least two windows of the plurality of instant messaging applications that the sender of the financial information is currently signed into and through which the sender of the financial information is currently available to communicate.
17. The computer-based tool of claim 16 , wherein each of the at least two windows is associated with separate instant-messaging systems.
18. The computer-based tool of claim 15 , wherein the financial information includes an indication of interest (IOI) from the sender.
19. The computer-based tool of claim 18 , wherein the interactive control is further configured to specify information describing the IOI, wherein the specified information describing the IOI is retrieved from the IOI.
20. The computer-based tool of claim 15 , wherein the interactive control is further configured to receive a user input for at least one of: dragging and dropping of financial content or predefined text strings into a text window of the instant messenger session; adding one or more predefined text strings to the text window; and invoking a sorted display of the plurality of instant messenger applications via which the sender of the financial information is currently available to communicate based at least in part on the each presence indicator and the preference indicator.