Published
- Reports
- 29.11.2017 09:41 am
Key findings include:
Robo-advisors in the U.S. invest more aggressively than in Germany
Robo-advisors use on average 10 ETFs to compose an investment portfolio
Robo-advisors rely on different optimization approaches to determine the recommended asset allocations
Losses can still occur, even for conservative investment strategies
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- 09:00 am
ThingLogix, Inc., a provider of cloud-based Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and services, announced today that it is introducing event-based pricing for Foundry, its cloud-based platform (PaaS) for Internet of Things applications. The company announced this change during the annual Amazon Web Services (AWS) conference, re:Invent 2017, where ThingLogix is showcasing its technologies in collaboration with AWS and its other business partners.
For ThingLogix, this change evolves the pricing model from a fixed annual subscription price for Foundry to a usage-based model. The new model allows customers to experience greater flexibility in terms of aligning costs with actual usage volume as they develop, test, deploy, scale, and evolve their smart, connected solutions architected on Foundry and AWS core infrastructure.
For the industry as a whole, this change reflects a significant shift in standard pricing practices, which tend to be opaque, based on arbitrary tiering structures, and misaligned with actual platform usage and the volume of data that deployed devices and solutions actually generate. Such pricing models often lead customers to pay for capacity and capabilities that they do not need. These typical pricing structures also fail to align with the non-linear cloud resource utilization of IoT applications as they evolve from test environments to mature, market-facing solutions.
"We're very excited to be taking this step, as event-based pricing is really the right thing to do for our customers," says Carl Krupitzer, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of ThingLogix. "ThingLogix has always sought to deliver phenomenal value and capabilities to our customers, and with event-based pricing, we're able to improve the flexibility they experience while using Foundry, as well as provide full transparency along the entire lifecycle of their smart, connected solutions. We like to say that this is pricing for a smart, connected world."
A key element of the new pricing structure is a free tier, which will allow companies just getting started with IoT, or companies seeking to compartmentalize their development and test efforts for new IoT solutions, freedom to conduct initial proof-of-concept testing without incurring platform usage charges. As they evolve their solutions from laboratory concepts in test environments to robust, market-facing solutions in deployed environments, they incur charges commensurate with the volume of events that their deployed solutions are generating. Pricing is denominated in micro-cents per event, metered on a monthly basis.
ThingLogix defines an "event" as a single communications transmission from a deployed device or application to Foundry, or from Foundry to the deployed device or application (i.e. events can be bi-directional). Events in Foundry are synonymous with events as AWS defines them in the context of its Lambda compute service. AWS defines Lambda as follows:
AWS Lambda is a compute service that lets you run code without provisioning or managing servers. AWS Lambda executes your code only when needed and scales automatically, from a few requests per day to thousands per second. You pay only for the compute time you consume - there is no charge when your code is not running.
AWS describes event types and the capabilities of Lambda as follows:
You can use AWS Lambda to run your code in response to events, such as changes to data in an Amazon S3 bucket or an Amazon DynamoDB table; to run your code in response to HTTP requests using Amazon API Gateway; or invoke your code using API calls made using AWS SDKs. With these capabilities, you can use Lambda to easily build data processing triggers for AWS services like Amazon S3 and Amazon DynamoDB process streaming data stored in Kinesis, or create your own back-end that operates at AWS scale, performance, and security.
"Event-based pricing aligns with IoT technology fundamentals," says John Mack, Chief Marketing Officer of ThingLogix. "The occurrence of a predefined event drives a predefined action or series of actions, triggering a metered price associated with the event. This creates substantial advantages for our customers: events trigger responses, systems become more self-aware and self-regulating, and IoT solutions become easier to measure and audit."
Event-based pricing for ThingLogix Foundry eliminates the traditional fixed annual subscription pricing model that ThingLogix has historically used and replaces it with a fully transparent pricing schema that scales with the needs of organizations developing and operating IoT solutions. The actual fee that a customer pays depends on the volume of events that the customer's smart, connected solution generates through Foundry, and will vary each month commensurate with usage. In addition to the free pricing tier (i.e. unit price equals zero), ThingLogix has defined four additional pricing tiers that align with event volume. If customer usage volume exceeds the range that defines a pricing tier, then the unit pricing resets at a lower price as stipulated by the volume range for that next higher tier of event volume. ThingLogix has defined the event volume ranges to accommodate the volume that most enterprises are likely to experience with their deployed IoT solutions at this stage of the market's evolution. If a customer's usage volume routinely exceeds the range that defines the maximum level of the highest volume tier by a significant factor, ThingLogix may suggest a lower, customized unit price unique to that customer.
- 08:00 am
There is nothing like the BUTLER BLACK CARD anywhere," said Butler co-CEO Can Baydas Uzuner. "Just download our app, enter the cryptocurrencies you hold and the currencies you want them compared against, and Butler does the rest, sending live updates to the BUTLER BLACK CARD 24/7.
The cryptocurrency world is exploding, with valuations exceeding $300 billion and $8 billion daily transactions. More than 3 million people are engaged in cryptocurrency commerce, and the number continues to grow, according to a recent University of Cambridge study.
"Butler is a logical response to growing demand for fast access to relative values in the cryptocurrency industry," said co-CEO Can Baydas Uzuner. "Cryptocurrency valuations against major currencies can change by full percentage points in a matter of minutes, so super-fast access to live information is crucial. Butler delivers in a sophisticated, unique and completely new way."
Users simply glance at the Butler Black Card to see their selected cryptocurrencies on one screen, and the value of those currencies against user-selected major currencies on the other screen. "You select euros, dollars, pounds, even gold," Uzuner said. "Butler constantly scrubs the internet and provides an up to the minute, averaged value of your cryptocurrencies real-world currency terms."
And it does it all without ever requiring users' private information. "Absolutely not," Uzuner said. "It's completely safe. We never ask for user's personal information."
Butler's R&D is complete and marketing is in place, Uzuner said. Now, Butler is bringing the Black Card to Indiegogo, launching an aggressive campaign and special promotions.
"Prolonged BLACK FRIDAY – CYBER MONDAY WEEKEND is not only launch day and weekend for our Indiegogo campaign, it is also an opportunity for new customers to pre-order the BUTLER BLACK CARD at a deep discount," Uzuner said. "Visit our campaign page from November 24 and on, place your pre-order. You will get a chance to see 70% and OVER FOUNDERS DISCOUNT as well as FREE WIRELESS CHARGER and also FREE SHIPPING to your home or office. "
"BUTLER is a massive advantage for cryptocurrency investors and shoppers, who currently have to log onto websites to find the relative value of their currency," Uzuner said. "This is a powerfully attractive product for the millions of people already engaged in cryptocurrency."
"Even if you are not active in the cryptocurrency market, we think Butler will make it so easy and attractive, you will jump in and tell all your friends," he added.
The promotion is also a heads-up to the Indiegogo investor community. "We are confident Indiegogo investors will respond, since they are excellent at spotting opportunities and they are responsive to new ideas," Uzuner said. "BUTLER delivers on both counts."
Ralf Gladis
CEO & Payment Service Provider at Computop
Imagine a time when you walk into a shop to do some shopping, and there are no sales staff, no tills and no way to pay with cash. That may seem futuristic, but some of these things are happening a see more
- 03:00 am
Société Générale Expressbank, the seventh largest financial institution in Bulgaria and part of Societe Generale group, has partnered with Salt Edge Inc. to employ Spectre API into the development of their new Digital Banking PFM Solution.
All of the 1600 SGEB’s employees firmly believe that offering their customers comprehensive, flexible, high quality, and innovative products are crucial for retaining and increasing customer loyalty and satisfaction. With the help of Spectre’s financial data aggregation and enrichment capabilities, SGEB aims to provide their customers with a new intuitive way to manage their financial lives, without having to use third-party money management apps.
Societe Generale Expressbank has received a number of prestigious recognitions during the year, such as the “Most Active Bank Primary Deal on behalf of the clients” from the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance, an award it has won for seven years in a row (2010-2016). The bank was also awarded the No.1 position in Bulgaria by Euromoney FX Survey, for the market share of foreign exchange transactions with corporate clients and financial institutions in 2017, a position it also held in 2014, 2012, and 2011.
“Salt Edge Inc. is glad to collaborate with such a multinational household name as Société Générale. We believe that by uniting our efforts with the Bulgarian branch, SGEB will be able to deliver a complete and efficient product to the customer. At the end of the day, everything that we do is dedicated to the end-user. I’m sure that this will be a long and mutually beneficial relationship,” said Dmitrii Barbasura, Salt Edge’s CEO.
- 02:00 am
SIX is introducing a new mobile terminal – mPRIME – offering merchants and traders maximum flexibility for cashless payments.
mPRIME is cost-effective and time-efficient: the SIX mPRIME app for Android and iOS can be downloaded free of charge from the respective stores. mPRIME allows acceptance of all major credit and debit cards (Visa, V PAY, Mastercard, Maestro, American Express, PostFinance, Diners Club, Discover, UnionPay and JCB) and meets the latest security standard. Contactless payments using near-field communication (NFC) and billing in customers’ home currency (DDC) are also provided. For large companies, mPRIME can also be enhanced with a barcode scanner and integrated into existing cash register systems.
Roger Niederer, Head Merchant Services at SIX Payment Services, views mPRIME as an on-trend addition to the SIX portfolio: “With the new mPRIME mobile payment terminal, we are responding to the growing demand for mobile points of sale and also supporting smaller merchants with straightforward, modern payment solutions.”
mPRIME is now available in Switzerland. SIX is planning rollout in Luxembourg and Austria for spring 2018.
- 05:00 am
Thomson Reuters has launched ESG Peer View on its flagship desktop product Eikon, a significant enhancement of its ESG data capabilities that is designed to facilitate more customizable and detailed analysis for socially responsible investing (SRI) and risk analysis.
ESG Peer View enables investment professionals to compare a set of companies or industries by individual or sets of ESG data points, thus allowing for comparative analysis relative to peers. Peer analysis can be done by industry, geography, market capitalization, or a combination of these. By being able to evaluate a company relative to its peers, financial professionals may gain a deeper and more holistic view of the market to incorporate into their investment decisions and portfolio risk management.
“With socially responsible investing and use of ESG data in the mainstream of the asset management sector, there is a need for more related solutions for investment professionals,” said Pradeep Menon, managing director and global head of Investment and Advisory, Thomson Reuters. “ESG Peer View on Eikon provides a deep level of analysis that aims to empower asset managers to deliver greater value and results in their investing decisions.”
Thomson Reuters Eikon includes ESG data and scores for 6,000+ public companies with historical data going back to 2002, longer than other providers in the marketplace. In partnership with TruValue Labs, Eikon offers real-time ESG signals from 75,000 sources for portfolio structuring and company monitoring. Through Thomson Reuters Eikon, investment professionals can seamlessly integrate ESG factors into portfolio analysis, screening, and/or quantitative analysis. Eikon users can also utilize ESG data to help effectively meet investment mandates and identify potential risks across investment portfolios.
These capabilities are just one element of a wider portfolio of solutions designed to enable investment professionals interested in ESG and SRI. In tandem with the publication of the United Nations’ flagship emissions gap report, Thomson Reuters launched a new report “Global 250 Greenhouse Gas Emitters – A New Business Logic,” which presents the latest greenhouse gas emissions data from the world’s 250 largest publicly traded emitters. The report looks at best practices across the economy and aims to demonstrate the relationships between decarbonisation and long-term financial performance, and helps promote transparency in emissions data.
- 02:00 am
Libra, the premier provider of accounting, audit, and tax software for the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry, today announced the launch of Libra Crypto Office, an enterprise application that automates and optimizes back and middle office processes and reporting for funds, market makers, and exchanges.
Libra also announced two premier customers, leading trader and liquidity provider XBTO and ShapeShift, a blockchain asset exchange platform.
Libra Crypto Office offers the industry its first institutional-grade solution with a product that’s purpose-built for the technical nature of blockchains and cryptocurrencies while also meeting institutional investor, fund administrator, and regulatory requirements. The product provides customers the information accuracy and transparency required to grow quickly while managing compliance needs.
“We partnered with Libra because its solutions allow us to operate better,” said Philippe Bekhazi, CEO of XBTO. “Libra Crypto Office eliminates manual and inefficient back and middle office processes. The crypto markets operate 24/7/365, which means we must be able to produce accurate financial reports automatically, and in real time. Libra’s software will meet the needs of XBTO and our investors as we grow our business.”
Libra Crypto Office adds value through a three-stage process. First, it offers a single on-ramp that connects to exchange platforms, blockchains, and other data sources within the ecosystem. Second, the solution continuously normalizes and enriches millions of transaction records through real-time data processing engines. Finally, it assembles actionable insights and reports such as trading, inventory, and tax information which can also be delivered to other enterprise systems via APIs.
The launch follows Libra’s recent announcement of its $7.8 million Series A round led by a prominent, multi-billion dollar European family office. Participating investors included Liberty City Ventures, XBTO, Boost VC, and Lee Linden.
“Cryptocurrency transaction volume is growing exponentially while financial accounting, reporting, compliance, and control processes are performed manually or with retrofitted applications that aren’t blockchain-native,” said Jake Benson, CEO of Libra. “Based on conversations with leading industry players, we found that organizations that trade large volumes of cryptocurrency hit a point where they can no longer scale because of manual processes and use of spreadsheets. Further, without the right systems and processes, institutional investors were unwilling to allocate significant capital to the sector. With the introduction of Libra Crypto Office, we will help to solve these challenges and we’re thrilled that both ShapeShift and XBTO are customers and look forward to supporting other similar organizations.”
- 07:00 am
BitFlyer, the Tokyo-based operator of the world's largest bitcoin exchange, today announced the official launch of its US-based virtual currency exchange platform.
The US expansion comes on the heels of bitFlyer's explosive growth in Japan with more than $100 billion in virtual currency traded year-to-date. With more than 30 percent1 of worldwide Bitcoin exchange volume currently facilitated through bitFlyer, the US-based expansion has opened the doors for US traders to connect to the company's Japanese exchange.
The company is bringing deep expertise and proprietary technology to the US market, targeting institutional investors, an audience currently untapped in the United States.
"Our expansion and upcoming cross-border trading addresses a huge unmet need in the US by institutional traders looking to access large amounts of liquidity across multiple virtual currency markets," said bitFlyer USA's Chief Operating Officer, Bartek Ringwelski. "Through our web interface or API, approved professional traders can be up and running and making trades in a matter of minutes."
In addition, the company announced the approval from the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) to operate in New York as a virtual currency exchange. bitFlyer is now the fourth company to be granted the coveted 'BitLicense' by the NYDFS, representing another major milestone for the company and virtual currency industry at large.
"bitFlyer is proud to have been granted a BitLicense to do business in the state of New York," said bitFlyer CEO Yuzo Kano. "This is a nod of approval from one of the most influential state financial services regulators in the nation."
During its closed beta, bitFlyer USA invited 2,000 experienced traders to buy and sell Bitcoin on its platform. The bitFlyer platform enables traders to place market, limit and complex trade orders. The platform also contains a powerful API for programmatic traders. Now open for business, bitFlyer's US marketplace is designed for professional traders who trade $100,000 or more in virtual currency each month. bitFlyer USA will launch additional features in the coming year to make virtual currency trading more widely accessible, including global trading.
"Yuzo was helpful in cementing Bitcoin's place in Japan by working with regulators to help form their virtual currency law" Barry Silbert, CEO of Digital Currency Group said about bitFlyer's founder and CEO, "As an investor in bitFlyer, we're excited to welcome bitFlyer to the US and look forward to seeing them build equally strong relationships here."
In early 2018, bitFlyer plans to expand its cryptocurrencies to include altcoins such as Litecoin, Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, Bitcoin Cash and more. bitFlyer USA is offering zero percent trading fees as an introductory promotion through the end of 2017.
- 04:00 am
Tieto has entered into an agreement with the City of Stockholm to provide next-generation IT services for the city´s administration and municipal owned companies. The procurement includes workplace services, server and application management and service desk. The agreement is valid until 31 December 2023 and includes an option for extension with a maximum of six years.
The agreement is part of the City of Stockholm’s ambitious vision to make Stockholm the world’s smartest city by 2040. In order to achieve this goal, it is essential that the city is equipped with modern IT infrastructure and that employees have access to digital tools and services which meet their needs.
“We are pleased that we now, together with Tieto, can embark on our project to implement the next generation of IT services for the city´s administration and municipal owned companies. Modern IT services are an important part of the City of Stockholm’s digitalization efforts,” says Ann Hellenius, CIO at the City of Stockholm.
“The City of Stockholm has big ambitions and focuses heavily on digitalization with many investments to build a smart and sustainable city. We’re very proud to be a part of that journey and to contribute to the city´s development so that Stockholm can offer the best possible services to its employees and inhabitants,” says Cristina Petrescu, Executive Vice President, Public Healthcare and Welfare, Tieto.
