H2O.ai, a leading AI technology software company, has announced that İşbank, officially Türkiye İş Bankası, the largest private bank in Turkey, has selected H2O’s Driverless AI platform to upgrade its Income Prediction, Cash Forecasting and Check Default Prediction applications, to improve the accuracy of the bank’s business planning with on-going AI projects.

In close partnership with İşbank’s San Francisco-based innovation arm Maxitech, who is leading the initiative, İşbank has agreed to adopt the H2O Driverless AI platform after a successful project which saw: machine learning (ML) performance improvements, revenue increases and cost reductions on existing application development processes.

Ümit Bilik, Chief Data Officer, Head of Data Management & Artificial Intelligence at İşbank said: “We are delighted to have selected H2O.ai through the work with Maxitech for this important step towards empowering our AI capabilities. Our selection decision was driven by the proven creation of successful high-performance machine learning models, demonstrable efficiency improvements and H2O.ai’s technical and domain expertise.”

Andrew Morris, Senior Vice President, EMEA, H2O.ai said, “The decision by İşbank to use Driverless AI is another shining example of how a progressive-thinking finance organisation in EMEA is embracing innovative AI and ML technologies to improve the accuracy of its business planning predictions, and be even more competitive in an increasingly challenging market. We look forward to working closely with İşbank, and its innovation arm Maxitech, on the next stage of this IT business transformational initiative.”

During the initial project stage, İşbank, saw the following results: ·

Income Prediction Results:

• 8% performance increase with Automatic Machine Learning (AutoML).

Cash Forecasting Results:

• Increased revenue by optimized cash management across 4000 piloted ATMs with up to 50% reduction in cash forecast deviation
  Reduced re-training effort of models from five days to six hours

Check Default Prediction Results:

• With AutoML, a decrease in the time to develop new models from 2 months to 2.5 hours
• Teams with in-depth AI knowledge can learn/use model in shorter timeframes

In addition to the primary selection agreement by İşbank, Maxitech introduced İşbank’s software development subsidiary Softtech which is one of the leading tech companies in Turkey to H2O.ai. Both parties worked together on assessing how H2O.ai’s Driverless AI platform would enable the business unit to digitally transform its customers in the Turkish marketplace into more AI driven organisations. In 2021, Softtech strategically positions as the visionary for Automated Machine Learning Platform needs in the Turkish market.

Checkout.com, the leading payments service provider has partnered with Homebase, the UK's home and garden experts, as its new online payments provider.

Homebase, which is now live on the Checkout.com platform, selected the provider as part of its ongoing strategy for creating a seamless shopping experience for customers. Homebase.co.uk offers over 35,000 products for the home and garden, offering a range of delivery options and one-hour click and collect across its 150 stores throughout the UK and Ireland.

Thanks to the industry-leading capabilities of the Checkout.com cloud payments platform, Homebase will now be able to accept a wide range of payment methods including PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay, increasing choice, convenience and flexibility. Checkout.com’s proprietary technology also offers the most comprehensive data and reporting suite on the market. It provides the best acceptance rates and reduces declined transactions to drive revenue growth – empowering companies to seize the eCommerce opportunity.

Dave Elliott, Commercial & Marketing Director at Homebase said, “Our new website offers customers more ideas and inspiration to help them turn their ideas into reality, and partnering with Checkout.com makes shopping even easier for our customers with a wide range of payment options.”

Moshe Winegarten, Senior Vice President at Checkout.com said: “Homebase has transformed its website to offer a seamless shopping experience for their customers. We’re proud to unify that experience with a frictionless checkout process, offering a comprehensive suite of payment methods and the tools to enable an optimisation of acceptance rate to unlock more value from every transaction.”

With pandemic-related restrictions seeing consumers spend more time at home, Britons’ appetite for renovating and improving their homes and gardens has soared. Shoppers are turning to eCommerce sites to find the products they need: online sales of paint grew 47 percent year-on-year in 2020, while plants, seeds and bulbs saw a 48 percent increase*.

Platform allows wealth firms to offer a superior trading ecosystem for active self-directed investors powered by detailed, timely information and insights, making for an integrated digital experience.

Refinitiv today announced the launch of Refinitiv Active Investor for wealth managers and their customers.  Active Investor provides advanced technology along with a fully customisable look and feel that enables wealth management firms to optimise their brand identity, while giving self-directed investors looking for a more comprehensive trading platform, the flexibility to seamlessly invest their way.  

The wealth management industry is rapidly transforming, resulting in the need to dramatically improve the client experience. Against a backdrop of substantial intergenerational wealth transfer, vast quantities of data are increasingly available to investors. This has led to enormous growth in the self-directed market, and a new generation of active investors who have an urgent need for leading-edge tools and reliable data to help them manage their portfolios.
Active Investor addresses this challenge by offering features that are built with HTML5 technology to allow for a responsive design and seamless integration into one’s current experiences and apps. The solution provides enhanced flexibility, streaming content, advanced charting and analytics tools, and a ‘plug and play’ range of components, data and functionality. It can also integrate into the wealth firm’s existing order management system for efficient trade execution. Users can define the layout, capabilities and content based on a workflow that meets their style and preferences, creating a truly personalised and compelling investing experience.

Sabrina Bailey, Global Head of Wealth Management at Refinitiv, said: “In the future, we believe that wealth management firms will need to be able to meet customers at any point along their investing journey – from full service to self-service. The launch of Active Investor expands the toolset for wealth firms looking to connect with self-directed clients in a powerful and personalised way.”

Charles Smith, Head of Digital Solutions, Wealth at Refinitiv, said: “Wealth firms are focused on building personalised experiences to cater to different investor profiles. With Active Investor, we are offering a solution to help firms deliver a compelling experience to investors who require a complete self-directed platform that has market leading data, insights and all the tools active investors need.”

William Trout, Director of Wealth Management, Javelin Strategy & Research, said: “Sophisticated analytics, personalized content and an easy-to-navigate interface form the centerpiece of a modern digital proposition. Younger and active traders constitute a particularly demanding population. The Refinitiv Active Investor platform provides firms a robust and customizable means of serving the next-generation investors driving the growth of the wealth management market.”

As with all Refinitiv wealth management solutions, Active Investor offers: a holistic source of news, events and commentary, access to leading valuation content and advanced analytics, macroeconomic and market data insights, along with benefit from a wide range of data and content including alternative data, and pricing and reference data. 

Find out more information - Refinitiv Active Investor

Refinitiv Active Investor is a scalable market data and trading platform, offering a truly integrated experience for active investors who rely on detailed, accurate and timely information and insights. Refinitiv has a rich history of servicing the Wealth Management industry from front to back office. Over the last year, the firm has invested heavily in the business and is committed to bringing the most advanced solutions to the market. The ongoing transformation includes building out the firm’s solutions through strategic acquisitions such as Scivantage and the launch of Refinitiv Digital Investor. 

You want to make sure that your business's charitable donations are as tax-effective and efficient as possible. That's why we created this guide to help you navigate the complicated world of giving back while also taking care of yourself and your company.

We'll walk through how to find charities with good track records, how much should be donated each year, what types of donations qualify for deductions, and more. This guide will give you all the information you need so that when it comes time to donate money or goods, it won't feel like a chore but instead an opportunity to do something great in your community while also saving some money on taxes.

Why should my business do more when it comes to charity donations?

Besides the obvious benefits of helping out an organization or cause in need, charitable donations will also engender greater relations between your organization and your customers.

Donating money for a cause that's important to your customer base will give back and show them that you care about what they care about. It will be an opportunity for them to see that you are committed and invested in making a difference in their lives.

Helping others is good for your business. Studies show that employees who volunteer feel more engaged with their work, leading to them being more productive at work and happier overall. Plus, donating helps build relationships with other organizations in your community.

The best ways to give to charity

Simple tax-deductible donations (more on that later) are still common, but if you want to maximize the exposure of your contribution to your target audience, other methods will attract more attention online, including:

• Volunteering: This is the best way to get boots on the ground and maximum exposure. It is also an excellent opportunity for your employees to work together on something meaningful while building camaraderie among themselves. It's also an opportunity for them to learn more about their community and to connect with people.

• Charity drives: You can organize a toy drive, collect non-perishable food items or even donate money to a charity of your choice. These charitable donations will impact people in need and show that you care about making the world better for everyone. The best is this method allows you to involve your customers and clients in the activity as well.

How to check if charity organizations are legitimate

Unfortunately, many scammers are using charity as their method to tug on the heart (and purse) strings of their potential victims. Before donating your time or money, be sure to check that they are a registered charity organization. 

The IRS maintains an online database where you can check whether an organization is a registered charity and if your donation will be tax-deductible. You should also keep in mind that not all charities are eligible for tax deductions, so it's essential to do some research before making any donations.

The best and most effective ways to give to charity and claim tax deductions

Unfortunately, giving to charities and claiming it on tax is not that simple. First, you need to determine if the charity is registered with the IRS. Even then, the Tax Cuts and Job Act of 2017 made it harder to claim tax deductions for charitable giving.

Donor-advised funds are a great way to get around this change because they allow you to make a donation now and then decide later which charity the money should go towards. This is especially helpful if you're not sure what your favorite charities need right now or if you want to help out multiple organizations at once.

Three types of charitable donations can attract tax deductions, including cash, gifts of property or equipment and travel expenses accrued (14 cents per mile travelled) when helping a charitable organization. 

One of the most important things is knowing what type of donation will get you the largest deduction for charitable contributions. For example, if you donate clothing to a homeless shelter, your deduction would be based on fair market value rather than new value. There are many other IRS rules to follow, including:

• The IRS requires all donations over $250 to be documented with an official letter from the charity

• You can deduct up to 50 per cent of your adjusted gross income for cash or property donations if they exceed 2 per cent of your AGI.

• Contributions to certain private foundations, veterans organizations, fraternal societies, and cemetery organizations are limited to 30 per cent of your AGI.

• A non-cash charitable deduction of $500 requires you to fill out a Non-cash Charitable Contributions form 

It can be challenging, but many online resources include the IRS' detailed tax code and online calculators to assist. You should always consult with an accountant before making any decisions about donating to charity to know what type of contribution is best for your situation. 

WealthBuilders Together Ltd has launched an online Academy as it looks to help 50,000 people achieve financial independence within five years.

The financial education community was founded in 2013 by economist and author Kevin Whelan and offers a blueprint for financial independence through a programme of training courses.

The launch of the Academy, which is built on established economic principles of wealth accumulation, is designed to broaden access to its core programme and help address the issue that 95% of the UK population live without financial independence. 

The programme – which launched in 2019 and now has over 250 members – includes elements such as the reduction of personal debt, utilisation of space capacity, development of new assets such as intellectual property and the use of SSAS Pensions.

The Academy will provide access to a new Recurring Revenue Roadmap, and members will also join a growing community of like-minded people who are learning how to build wealth for themselves and future generations. 

It comes as the Money Advice Service estimated that, even before the pandemic, 8.3 million people in the UK were over-indebted and 22% of UK adults had less than £100 in savings. 

A survey from Aviva also found that 59% of adults worry about having sufficient savings to last them in retirement, but only 44% were actively saving and just 31% checked each month to see if they could afford to save more.  

Kevin Whelan, founder of WealthBuilders Together, said: “We believe that everybody has the right to be, and importantly can be, completely financially independent so that they can live life on their own terms." 

“The WealthBuilders Academy provides a proven, accessible and affordable path for enterprising people who have a desire and commitment to build wealth and become financially independent within five years, without overwhelm and fear of making mistakes.” 

The Academy launch follows a new strategic partnership that has seen Whelan join the board of SSAS Alliance, the UK’s largest independent group of SSAS Trustees, and he is also due to headline the Business Excellence Forum & Awards 2022.

Earlier this month, the WealthBuilders podcast WealthTalk marked its 100th episode by hitting 100,000 downloads across 105 different countries. 

The Academy is open for applicants now – for more information visit: https://www.wealthbuilders.co.uk/Academy-launch-offer/

CTERA, the edge-to-cloud file services leader, announced it was named Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Edge-to-Cloud Momentum Partner of the Year for 2021 during the Partner of the Year Awards presented at HPE Discover.

The 2021 HPE Partner of the Year Awards recognise HPE partners from across the ecosystem for their incredible commitment to customer excellence, continued strong performance, focus on growth, and dedication to mutual achievements. Winners were selected based on financial performance, innovative solutions, and ability to drive transformative business outcomes for shared customers.

CTERA offers a software-defined, multi-cloud data management platform enabling modern file services across HPE’s data storage and HCI portfolio. CTERA’s global file system technology connects core, branch, and remote users over a single namespace and delivers HQ-grade performance and security from any edge location or device, dramatically simplifying the cost, scale, and complexity challenges of traditional file storage solutions for the new era of distributed and remote work IT.

George Hope, Worldwide Head of Partner Sales, HPE: “In the last year, I’ve seen HPE partners go above and beyond the call of duty. I’m incredibly proud to honour them with these accolades. As a channel-led company, HPE is committed to supporting our partners with the best-in-industry innovation, initiatives, and expertise to drive differentiation and deliver better outcomes to our shared customers. We are grateful for the continued strong partnership, which allows us to collaborate and grow together, while setting a new standard for our joint success.”

Oded Nagel, Chief Strategy Officer, CTERA: “As organisations rethink their file storage strategies in the post-COVID era, they are shifting away from traditional NAS systems to cloud-native solutions that provide fast and secure user and application data access wherever they are. We’re proud to partner with HPE to provide holistic unstructured data management across all clouds and edges. It’s a tremendous honour to be named Edge-to-Cloud Momentum Partner of the Year at HPE Discover, the premier edge to cloud conference in the world.”

Blockware Solutions (BWS), an industry leader in blockchain infrastructure and cryptocurrency mining is proud to report the sale of their 200,000th Bitcoin mining rig.

BWS operates at the center of the digital asset and proof-of-work ecosystem supply chain working as a critical partner for miners, pools, manufacturers, hosting facilities, exchanges, and new protocols – offering hardware sales, research insights, consulting services, investments, colocation services, mining pools, and validator nodes to the Blockchain industry.

Since its founding in 2017, BWS has accumulated significant mining hardware and hashpower, and established relationships in the hardware primary and secondary markets. In 2019, BWS launched the BWS pool including their hosting-as-a-service (turnkey) offering, the Pool (mine.blockwarepool.com) is currently at 500+ PH/s and is projected to more than double that number in 2021.

Hyper growth in the last year

Last year, BWS began to significantly scale self-mining and diversify service offerings which escalated company revenue to see it surpass its 2020 revenue results in the first quarter of 2021.

In 2020, BWS also launched its SKALE Labs Validator and BWS was one of 10 companies selected to be a validator for Dfinity (ICP). BWS continues to invest in new projects, offering early stage companies a proven partnership with a leading service provider to grow their infrastructure needs.

CEO and Co-founder, Mason Jappa comments: “In the last year, we have seen BWS grow exponentially as our diversified services continue to support the increasing global demand for Bitcoin Mining, Blockchain-as-a-service, and general network advice. Our valuable research reports offer a data and thesis driven approach to the latest updates in the industry, making it accessible for all those that are interested to learn more. We are proud of the network that we have built and to see our first quarter’s results for 2021. We look forward to continuing to grow BWS.”

A fully integrated offering

BWS offers a unique suite of services from turnkey mining solutions to a differentiated infrastructure supply distribution and management, staking nodes and producing industry leading research on bitcoin (BTC) and mining. BWS is helping to drive adoption across miner manufacturers, publicly traded mining companies and hosting providers through their position in the ecosystem.

A booming market

At current prices, over $10 billion worth of BTC is mined each year, with 328,500 new BTC being released. The last of the 21 million BTC will be mined in 2140, meaning mining will continue for at least another 100 years. With this as the market context, BTC’s price is forecast to increase with JP Morgan setting a $146,000 price target for 2021 and CitiBank publishing a report calling BTC the “21st century gold” predicting a $318,000 BTC price by the end of 2021. While BTC is the market leader within the cryptocurrency landscape holding a $606 billion market capitalisation, it accounts for 45.6% of the total cryptocurrency market cap, with alternative cryptocurrencies making up for the remaining 54.4%

An expert team

BWS is led by market and subject matter experts regularly referenced in global media outlets. The team includes CEO and co-founder Mason Jappa, who additionally sits on the advisory board of Nasdaq-listed RIOT Blockchain and Sam Chwarzynski, co-founder and Chief Investment Officer. Matt D’Souza, prior CEO and co-founder, passed away in 2020. BWS will carry on the torch and preserve Mathew’s legacy.

https://www.blockwaresolutions.com/

Soracom, Inc., a global provider of advanced IoT connectivity, today  announced completion of a Proof of Concept (PoC) demonstrating integrated SIM (iSIM)  capability designed to support the next generation of IoT devices. This demonstration  represents a joint effort between Soracom, Sony Semiconductor Israel Ltd. ( Sony), a leading  cellular IoT chipset provider, and Kigen, a global security leader, which provides secure  authentication for cellular IoT devices. 

In conventional cellular applications, a device uses a hardware communications module to  establish a network connection and a SIM card or eSIM to validate identity. The iSIM technology  combines these functions within a single, purpose-built system-on-a-chip (SoC). 

By eliminating the need for a physical SIM (or eSIM), iSIM technology addresses multiple key  challenges at once, streamlining supply chains and allowing significant reductions in the circuit  board footprint, circuit complexity, manufacturing cost, and power requirements while  increasing processing capacity. In addition, iSIM is considered highly threat-resistant and is  attracting attention as a next-generation SIM technology. 

“We are honored to collaborate with industry-leading technology partners on this  demonstration of iSIM capability,” said Kenta Yasukawa, co-founder and CTO, Soracom. “We  believe that iSIM technology will support a new wave of innovation in industry and in everyday  life, and we look forward to democratizing this capability as we have with eSIM technology and  ‘subscription containers’ for over the air (OTA) subscription management.” 

In this working PoC, a hardware-secured area was established within Sony’s Altair ALT1250  cellular IoT chipset and a unique Soracom carrier profile was then provisioned on the Kigen™  iSIM OS. This solution delivers full functionality, including the generation of Soracom's unique  key information, secure loading of the carrier profile information onto the module, connection  to the cellular network, and connection to Soracom's advanced platform services. 

“Sony is a pioneer in developing the iSIM and we have seen this technology play a key role in  the ongoing growth and adoption of cellular IoT,” said Dima Feldman, VP Product Management  and Marketing at Sony Semiconductor Israel. “Our chipsets are the industry’s smallest and most  feature-rich solutions, providing the longest battery life in the market for numerous IoT  applications. We are excited to see Soracom’s use of iSIM technology on its network, as it  enables customers worldwide to provide easily integrated, economical, long-lasting, and secure  IoT solutions on a massive scale.”

Based on this initial success, Soracom, Sony and Kigen will continue joint development with the  intention of offering iSIM solutions for commercial use. 

“We believe innovation for the next shift to billions of IoT devices will need foundational  security that is easy to build with and manage at scale, which iSIM technology provides,” said  Loic Bonvarlet, VP Product and Marketing at Kigen. “The combination of Kigen’s market-leading  secure iSIM OS, provisioning services and market expertise, SONY’s iSIM chipsets and Soracom’s  global connectivity will pave the way for power-efficient, compact and secure-by-design IoT  solutions.”

E-current account provider Unizest has launched in the UK with support from Mastercard, Railsbank, Association of Labour Providers (ALP), and several international recruiters. Unizest’s mission goes beyond traditional fintech solutions, as the company aims to help solve the long term problem facing UK recruitment agencies when arranging payment for overseas workers, and offer a better start for newcomers to the UK. 

In a simple and secure five-step onboarding process, Unizest allows workers and students coming to the UK to open an e-current account before they leave their home country. Upon arrival in the UK, customers receive their Debit Mastercard.

Helping recruiters attract overseas workers and remove friction

Restrictions as a result of the pandemic, coupled with the implications of Brexit, have left the UK facing a significant shortage of staff across many sectors - including healthcare, hospitality and agriculture. These industries play a vital role in the recovery of the UK’s economy, and yet recruiters are having to work even harder to attract overseas workers to fill thousands of vacancies.

Unizest recognises that one of the causes of friction for people who newly arrive in the UK for work and study is the simple need to open a bank account. The team’s mission is to support recruiters - Unizest is already working with recruitment agencies such as Response Recruitment, Australasian Recruitment Company and Tri Consulting - and in turn, candidates, with this important stage in the transition to life and work in the UK.

"On a daily basis, we have overseas workers walking off the street into our office looking for employment. Many can't open a traditional UK bank account but obviously need to set up a basic banking service. We can now offer Unizest's new e-current account. It's a win-win for recruiters, their clients and candidates," says John Devine, managing director at Response Recruitment. 

Matt Oldham, co-founder of Neofin Ventures - the company behind Unizest’s launch - says: “Our aim with Unizest is to ensure that all newcomers to the UK, whether that be for work or for study, are given the best start when embarking on their new life here. We want to help smooth the transition by removing one of the biggest hurdles they face - setting up basic banking services.” 

“By kick-starting the process of getting an account, before new hires even arrive in the UK, Unizest enables businesses to focus on the many other processes and aspects of recruitment.” 

More than a fintech solution

Offering a fairly priced fintech solution for overseas workers and students, Unizest customers can manage their money through the Unizest app - available to download on iOS and Android:

• E-current accounts can be opened before arriving in the UK through a secure five-step onboarding process including facial recognition. Once a UK address is confirmed, customers receive a contactless Debit Mastercard. 

• Onboarding is five steps: the process links to Home Office Share Code to ensure customers have a confirmed right to reside in the UK, making the set up simple for Unizest users. 

• Sending and receiving money both in the UK and overseas;

• Setting up of direct debits;

• Contactless payments;

• ATM withdrawals;

• Integrated ‘community’ feature with useful information, advice and tips in conjunction with Just Good Work.

• Partner offers - tailored discounts for products and services relevant to new-to-UK customers including education, training, travel, telecoms and groceries.

Support from industry partners

After going through a rigorous approval process, Unizest has become an approved service partner of the Association of Labour Providers (ALP). Instigated by the UK government, the association promotes responsible recruitment and shares Unizest’s values of integrity and putting people first. 

"We are pleased to welcome Unizest as an ALP service partner and look forward to their e-current account helping to promote good practice," says David Camp, chief executive of the Association of Labour Providers.

Unizest’s partnership with Just Good Work demonstrates its commitment to empowering its end-users, by providing them with independent advice and guidance on work and life in the UK - including rights and obligations, recruitment and employment information directly on the app. 

“People coming to a new country to work or study are making a big life change. By partnering with Unizest, Just Good Work provides practical help and support at every stage in multiple languages. Whether that be understanding how things work here or getting sound advice in avoiding deception or exploitation. We are excited to be supporting Unizest, who share our desire to protect and support people newly arriving in the UK,” says Quintin Lake, director of Just Good Work.

Unizest has already attained Pending B Corp® status, reflecting its ambition to meet higher standards of transparency, accountability and performance.