An automated trading system (ATS) is a computer program, often referred to as an algorithm, that creates orders and automatically submits them to a market center or exchange.  Automated futures trading might involve the purchase of a trading algorithm, or it might involve the development of the system by the individual trader via a capable futures trading platform. 

Automated trading systems and electronic trading platforms can execute repetitive tasks at speeds with orders of magnitude greater than any human equivalent. Traditional risk controls and safeguards that relied on human judgment and manual speeds that were appropriate to manual and/or floor-based trading environments, are now being automated to evaluate and control automated trading.