We announced today that GETCO LLC is expected to become a designated market maker (DMM) on NYSE, and that GETCO has purchased approximately 350 NYSE DMM assignments from Barclays Capital.

This is a very positive and important development for NYSE and our communities of traders and issuers and their investors. Here’s why:

• The firm is a major participant in more than 30 markets around the world, and has an excellent track record of deploying market-making expertise and technology. Its broad market participation also gives it a wealth of insight with which to serve issuer customers.

• GETCO is well known to us, as a participant in several of NYSE Euronext’s markets, including NYSE (as a supplemental liquidity provider), NYSE Arca (as a lead market maker), NYSE Arca options and NYSE Liffe. They also will be joining our planned program to trade Nasdaq issues on our NYSE Amex platform, also as a DMM.

• To have a firm of GETCO’s caliber step up its participation in our market by joining our outstanding group of DMMs is a validation of our high-tech, high-touch market model.

The new year has brought with it a sense of renewal and reaffirmation for NYSE. New participants are joining the market. Within the next few weeks, we’ll implement significant enhancements to the close of trading (blogged here, updated here). We’ll unveil the first leg of our NYSE next-generation trading floor, with a more robust network and top-flight workspace to better enable brokers to particpate in our market and other markets effectively and efficiently, right from our floor. That would be followed by the planned trading of Nasdaq issues on NYSE Amex.

Will be posting more on these topics in the coming weeks.

Here’s the press coverage we’ve seen to date on today’s news.

• High-speed trader GETCO becomes Big Board player (Reuters)

• High-Frequency Trader Getco Becomes NYSE Market Maker (WSJ)

• Getco to become NYSE market maker - (FT)

• Quick View: Getco goes back to the floor - (FT Trading Room)

• Getco Buys 350 Designated Market Maker Slots at NYSE (Bloomberg — no link)

• NYSE to Add GETCO as a Designated Market Maker (Securities Industry News)

• Out With the Old, In With the New (Forbes)

Have a good night, folks. Unanswerable questions of the day: During yesterday’s near-blizzard in NYC, the snow was blowing in my face as I walked to work in the morning. Well, I figured, at least the wind will be at my back on the way home. No such luck. The wind was in my face again as I walked home in the opposite direction last night. Seems to happen every time. Is this Murphy’s Law of wind? What gives? I mean, I’m not paranoid, I just think the weather is out to get me.