Ongoing client issues:

Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, today launched seven new solutions, and two new features for the international markets at the Mobile World Congress. The launches range from serverless computing, data analytics, global networking, high performance storage, and enterprise database that let customers easily and reliably derive actionable business insight to thrive in the age of intelligent business.

Various national government initiatives, mandating E-Invoicing and realtime tax controls, pose a big challenge for many corporates within their future digitization strategy. However, innovative technologies such as blockchain, robotic process automation (RPA) and artificial intelligence (AI) are at the ready to provide completely new perspectives for the whole E-Invoicing sector.

Sliding quietly into the Making Tax Digital (MTD) discussion recently was news from HMRC: it announced an extension to the MTD pilot, so all eligible businesses mandated to use the MTD service from April 2019 are now able to access the public pilot.

During the first stage, only certain types of business could join, so firms based overseas, partnerships, those submitting annual returns, and those making VAT payments on account were not able to use it. These restrictions have now been lifted.

Style Analytics, the provider of factor-based analysis software for investment professionals, announces the opening of new offices in Paris and Shanghai.  

The Paris office will be run by Zenja Sabah Randjelovic who joins as Sales Director for Continental Europe. Zenja has over 20 years in selling financial software solutions. Zenja will be based in the new office located at 6 rue Duret, 75116 Paris and will focus on extending the Style Analytics footprint throughout Continental Europe. 

The combination makes CACEIS a leading asset service provider in the Netherlands and allows KAS BANK to export its expertise in servicing institutional investors such as pension funds and insurance companies to all the European markets CACEIS is currently servicing. CACEIS’ pan-European ambition is therefore confirmed, with a reinforced position in the Netherlands, a major country in Europe for financial activities, that will serve its clients’ international development strategy. The acquisition is expected to create value through substantial potential synergies.

Bittium exhibits its advanced R&D services and technology expertise at Embedded World, on February 26-28, 2019 in Nuremberg, Germany. Strong competence in wireless devices, network infrastructure, internet of things and information security enable us to create next generation’s products and solutions. We can help at every stage, from technology consulting and concept strategy, through to turnkey product and service development.

Winners in the 13th annual 

Nearly two thirds of technology, media and telecommunication (TMT) businesses (62%) say that Making Tax Digital is a good idea but that they need more support with their plans ahead of the deadline of April 1^st 2019 for VAT, according to new research from KPMG.

Making Tax Digital is a key part of the government’s plans to make it easier and more effective for individuals and businesses to get their tax right and keep on top of their affairs.  

Inmarsat, the world leader in global mobile satellite communications services, today announced that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with Microsoft, which will enable Inmarsat’s customers to transfer data collected through their Industrial IoT solutions to the Microsoft Azure IoT Central platform.