June 01, 2010 12:00 ET

Zecco's Michael Raneri Wins InfoWorld CTO 25 Award

Following a Series of Technology Milestones for the Company, Award Highlights Zecco's Dedication to Innovation During Tough Economic Times

BURLINGAME, CA--(Marketwire - June 1, 2010) - Online brokerage firm Zecco (www.zecco.com) today announced that Chief Executive Officer Michael Raneri has been named a winner of IDG's 2010 InfoWorld CTO 25 Awards. Prior to being named CEO, Raneri served as Zecco's chief information officer (CIO). 

"Within the online brokerage industry, innovative technology and powerful web tools have become an important differentiator for us," said Zecco CEO Michael Raneri. "Zecco has pushed innovation on many levels throughout the company and it's an honor to see our hard work recognized."

This honor follows a series of recent technology milestones for Zecco. Last week, Zecco announced Zap Trade, the world's first plug-in trading experience for the web, enabling investors to place trades directly from top finance and investing websites. Earlier in the year, Zecco launched the Zecco Streamer and a new website.

Internally, Raneri led the rollout and integration of a new customer relationship management (CRM) system which has resulted in dramatic improvements in Zecco's customer service. The system was integrated with a number of disparate information systems coming from both internal data sources and external partners.

"Everyone knows that 2009 was an extraordinarily tough year for most organizations, so most IT groups had to hunker down and defer many innovative efforts as revenues dried up and keeping the lights on became the only focus," said Galen Gruman, Executive Editor/News and Features, InfoWorld.

"Despite that environment, some CTOs were able to move forward with innovation, in some cases finding ways to create new opportunities for their business and in others leveraging the economic crisis to make their IT operations significantly better even as they got leaner. The ability to be innovative and cost-effective was very evident in this year's InfoWorld CTO 25 winning entries. These IT leaders combined management savvy, technological insight, and the ability to lead a team to success despite difficult circumstances. This year's honorees reinvented untenable legacies, provided game-changing insight, and managed both their own teams and key organization stakeholders to make their businesses succeed through the use of technology. Our honorees did much more than implement technology well; they brought its use to a new level."

Chief technology officers are often the unsung heroes of IT. They may drive new technology development for customer-facing and/or internal use. They may manage and improve the core technology that underpins the business operations. In any case, they translate the promise of technology into business benefit. Each year, the InfoWorld CTO 25 Awards honor senior IT executives who have demonstrated leadership within their companies and in the IT community. Inclusion in the InfoWorld CTO 25 rankings does not imply endorsement of an organization's products or services.

About Zecco Holdings, Inc.
Zecco Holdings (www.zecco.com) is a leading online investing website that offers access to free stock trading and low-cost options trading through its wholly owned subsidiary, Zecco Trading, Inc., member FINRA and SIPC, and foreign exchange trading through its wholly-owned subsidiary Zecco Forex, Inc.

Zecco Trading account customers receive 10 free equity trades per month when they maintain a minimum net equity of $25,000 or execute 25 total trades per month; otherwise orders are $4.50 per trade.

About InfoWorld Media Group
InfoWorld Media Group helps IT Decision Makers choose the right technology, within the context of a cohesive strategy for business impact at their organizations. InfoWorld identifies and promotes emerging technology segments that add unique value for the organizations that implement them, as well as the vendors that provide those solutions. Using an integrated communications approach including online, events, research, and a continued investment in an independent Test Center, InfoWorld analysts and editors provide hands-on analysis and evaluation, as well as expert commentary on issues surrounding emerging technologies and products. Visit InfoWorld at http://www.infoworld.com.

About International Data Group
International Data Group (IDG) is the world's leading technology media, events, and research company. IDG's online network includes more than 450 web sites spanning business technology, consumer technology, digital entertainment and video games worldwide. IDG also publishes more than 300 magazines and newspapers in 85 countries. IDG's media brands include CIO, CSO, Computerworld, GamePro, InfoWorld, Macworld, Network World, and PC World. IDG's lead-generation service, IDG Connect, matches technology companies with an audience of engaged, high-quality IT professionals, influencers, and decision makers. IDG is a leading producer of more than 750 technology-related events including Macworld Conference & Expo, LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, Entertainment for All Expo (E for All), DEMO, Storage Networking World, and IDC Directions. IDC, a subsidiary of IDG, is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events. Over 900 IDC analysts in more than 90 countries provide global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends.

Additional information about IDG, a privately held company, is available at http://www.idg.com.