G�mez Performance Index adds real-world context to brokerage industry performance metrics
through utility ratings, synthetic and actual user site experience and transaction consistency measurements.
Waltham, MA, May 7, 2002 — A new online brokerage industry index developed by G�mez, Inc.,
the Internet Quality Measurement firm, provides business and technical managers with an unprecedented
real-world view of Web site performance across heavily trafficked online offerings in the U.S.
The new G�mez brokerage GPI measures and compares Web site performance and availability
of eleven top firms: Ameritrade, Brown & Co., Charles Schwab, Datek, HARRISdirect, E*Trade Financial,
Fidelity Investments, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Quick & Reilly and TD Waterhouse.
Published since October 2001, G�mez�s brokerage GPI is respected industry-wide as an
authoritative and objective performance index. The new brokerage GPI is the first in a series of industry
indices that use G�mez�s updated methodology to put Web site performance into real-world context. G�mez
plans to introduce additional indices for online banking in the coming weeks, followed by enhancements to
the Canadian banking and brokerage indices.
Going beyond existing industry indices, the new brokerage GPI provides detailed information
concerning transaction performance and availability, as well as transaction consistency. Contained within
the brokerage GPI are online metrics of each firm listed, such as total online assets, number of active
online accounts and total number of online trades. The new brokerage GPI also maps peak performance times
against overall Nasdaq market activity (index performance is correlated with trading volume).
This level of transactional detail and mapping helps put performance into business context
— and is especially useful when assessing online trading performance relative to market volatility.
For the two-week period ending May 3, Ameritrade was the top-performing firm, completing
a GPI transaction in 5.9 seconds; Merrill Lynch was the slowest performer at 17.5 seconds. The average
GPI transaction took 13.2 seconds to perform (click
here for more information).
“As evidenced by our consumer surveys, site performance is a critical element to
the adoption of the Internet channel,” stated Jeff Banker, Vice President of the firm�s G�mez Performance
Network (GPN) business unit. “However, performance alone does not always indicate a positive user
experience. The GPI is constructed to provide a more comprehensive view of the customer experience that
will be valuable to an institution�s overall business objectives.”
In that vein, the new GPI includes a Utility Rating that draws upon G�mez�s customer
experience expertise to identify functionality deemed critical for online brokerage customers. The Utility
Rating characterizes the efficiency and performance of GPI-monitored transactions based on site
architecture and navigational structure.
The new GPI uses data supplied by Porivo, Inc., a Research Triangle Park, NC firm that
measures actual end-user experience across multiple bandwidth connections, and ComScore, Inc., a Reston
VA-based firm that tracks the surfing behaviors of more than 1.5 million opt-in users. This data enables
G�mez to ensure that GPI accurately reflects a multiplicity of user experiences at the most popular
online brokerage sites.
G�mez�s brokerage GPI enhancements follow the release of Version 3.0 of its G�mez Performance
Network (GPN), which is at the core of the firm�s performance assessment suite of products. GPN provides
in-depth reporting on Web site performance, technical infrastructure and key internetworking functionality.
Construction of the GPI starts with the identification of high demand functions within a site.
The GPN then evaluates performance relative to key transaction types such as quote requests, news and research
information as well as equity trading. Clients are compared against the top competitors and receive an initial
Performance Assessment followed by detailed monthly analysis. They can also request status reports e-mailed
daily, which are used as benchmarks for measuring Internet success.
About G�mez Performance Network
Businesses across all industries use the GPN to measure Web page and transaction performance
of their global Web sites in real-time. GPN continuously monitors site availability and responsiveness
worldwide and offers recommendations for improving performance, helping companies differentiate their sites
and improve the quality of the end user�s Internet experience. Additionally, Gomez offers clients a fully
outsourced load testing service that can be performed in a hosted environment or at a client�s location.
About G�mez
G�mez provides financial services firms and other leading companies committed to the Internet
with competitive intelligence, benchmarking and expertise that enable effective business prioritization and
alignment. Only G�mez integrates actionable research and applied analytics with performance measurement services
to provide a comprehensive view of the entire customer experience.
Contact: Richard Longland, product marketing director, (781)768-2118, or
[email protected]
