More than half of traders claim IT providers do not understand their needs completely, according to a survey conducted by communications technology provider IPC Systems.
The research also found many IT professionals admit a lack of knowledge, with 38% saying their departments don't completely understand the needs of the traders they serve.
IPC surveyed 120 IT professionals and traders during TradeTech in London in March and while traders welcomed the benefits technology could bring, many were also concerned about its impact on work stress and performance expectations.
A clear majority of 86% of traders said they had experienced increased performance expectations as a result of technology improvements, and 77% reported increased stress levels linked to technology.
Matthew O'Donnell, director of product management at IPC Systems, said that technology could lead to traders being bombarded with too much data and communications. "Information overload is one of the biggest issues we hear about from traders and this is being compounded by technology. As well as all the conventional data sources feeding through to traders, they also now have to deal with new developments like social networking information coming from sources like Twitter as well."
Providing ways for traders to better manage information sources and tools to improve trader workflow are key areas technology providers should look to work on to benefit their customers, according to O'Donnell.
Despite these issues, there is an overwhelming agreement that technology has been a major boon to the industry, with 85% saying technology had increased trading efficiency, and 87% reporting increased earnings potential as a result.
"Technology that helps automate trading has been beneficial, but it's important to remember there is a time and a place for technology," O'Donnell added.
"Trading is still fundamentally based on trust and relationships, there is a human element that technology can't replace."