As the world's largest electronic stock market, Nasdaq is not limited to one central trading location. Rather, trading is executed through Nasdaq's sophisticated computer and telecommunications network, which transmits real-time quote and trade data to more than 1.3 million users in 83 countries. Without size limitations or geographical boundaries, Nasdaq's "open architecture" market structure allows a virtually unlimited number of participants to trade in a company's stock.
Today, Nasdaq lists the securities of nearly 4,100 of the world's leading companies and each year, continues to help hundreds of companies successfully make the transition to public ownership.