MARKET DATA

Safeco Mutual Funds will implement FT Interactive Data's new Fair Value Evaluation Service. The service creates a price adjustment factor to be applied to local market closing prices of equities and a confidence interval to help mutual fund managers decide whether or not to apply the fair value evaluation for a given security. Based on the SEC suggested "bottom-up" methodology, the service provides a valuation for each security in a portfolio rather than applying broad changes across sectors, countries or portfolios alone.

HyperFeed has appointed Paul Pluschkell as executive vice president of strategic business development. Pluschkell will head up a new HyperFeed initiative to apply the company's technology to a new and expanded customer base. Pluschkell previously served as president of Global Crossing's NextGen. Separately, HyperFeed disclosed that its Board of Directors recently rejected two conditional and non-binding offers to purchase the company's assets.

SunGard Market Data Services is making its SunGard PowerPartner market data terminal accessible through ordinary broadband Internet connection in addition to the traditional LAN or server environment implementation. SunGard PowerPartner users can now access the information using a standard cable modem or DSL connection and minimal bandwidth per workstation. SunGard acquired the PowerPartner product and data center from Bridge last year and has been upgrading and enhancing the product and its facilities.

GFI Group, a provider of software, brokerage and market data services, has launched its new information portal, powered by Epicentric's Epicentric Foundation Server. The GFI Portal aggregates and delivers content and services, including data on energy, debt, equities, foreign exchange, commodities and credit derivatives. The portal integrates the data from multiple sources and delivers it to end-users in customizable formats.