Comments for Kurtosys Blog http://www.kurtosys.com/blog FinTech articles for the asset management industry Fri, 04 May 2012 15:35:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Comment on Running multiple versions of Firefox in Windows by ramonhimera http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/running-multiple-versions-of-firefox-in-windows/#comment-8865 ramonhimera Fri, 04 May 2012 15:35:09 +0000 http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/?p=179#comment-8865 Ok, a very important step was missed out here. You need to switch off automatic updates otherwise it will keep upgrading to the latest version! This is a bit of a pain as these settings seem to apply for all versions of FF but so be it. To switch off auto updates go to: Tools->Options->Advanced->Update and select anything apart from 'Automatically Install Updates' :) Ok, a very important step was missed out here. You need to switch off automatic updates otherwise it will keep upgrading to the latest version! This is a bit of a pain as these settings seem to apply for all versions of FF but so be it. To switch off auto updates go to:
Tools->Options->Advanced->Update

and select anything apart from ‘Automatically Install Updates’

:)

]]> Comment on A platform to build on: Will it be all change for the role of platforms post RDR? by Stanley Kirk http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/a-platform-to-build-on-will-it-be-all-change-for-the-role-of-platforms-post-rdr/#comment-8565 Stanley Kirk Tue, 10 Apr 2012 09:53:22 +0000 http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/?p=2044#comment-8565 The Prudential have run at least three different 'wrap development' projects over the last decade - I presented to all of them, possibly more, each at a cost of several £millions. The latter two knew nothing about the previous efforts and inherited nothing from them. What they did all have in common was an intimate knowledge of Cofunds (through Pru subsidiary M&G which was one of the founders) and a burning desire not to repeat that waste of money. The Pru was of course also the founder of the Egg online banking operation including their B2C fund supermarket (the latter also cost far more than it ever made) - but that piece of history seemed to have disappeared (and any lessons from it) as far as these projects were concerned. At the highest level - there have always been two competing versions of 'wrap', the data aggregation and asset aggregation models. Indeed, many IFAs will argue that they are the 'wrap' for the client because they are the people who present the client with a consolidated report of all their assets (data aggregation) and make transactions with the providers on behalf of the client when necessary. Most of this happens with enormous manual effort even today. One solution would be to make it all happen much more efficiently through electronic communication. This has always been a pipe dream because any such system could only ever be as efficient as the weakest link and many of these links are legacy provider administration systems designed for batch processing over night or even weekly or monthly and never designed for 24/7 open access for 'transactions' (which might only be a change of address or a fund switch). Basically 'diversified administration' through many linked but fundamentally different systems is a 'boil the ocean project'. It was at least tempting to Capita who tried it with their failed 'Enabler' project. Mr O'Dwyer may have got that wrong but he is quite correct that 'transparency' will cause pricing pressure on other parts of the value chain - mainly fund management at this stage - which is one of the reasons that index trackers, at a third of the price of traditional active fund management, are gaining rapidly in popularity. The Prudential have run at least three different ‘wrap development’ projects over the last decade – I presented to all of them, possibly more, each at a cost of several £millions. The latter two knew nothing about the previous efforts and inherited nothing from them. What they did all have in common was an intimate knowledge of Cofunds (through Pru subsidiary M&G which was one of the founders) and a burning desire not to repeat that waste of money. The Pru was of course also the founder of the Egg online banking operation including their B2C fund supermarket (the latter also cost far more than it ever made) – but that piece of history seemed to have disappeared (and any lessons from it) as far as these projects were concerned.
At the highest level – there have always been two competing versions of ‘wrap’, the data aggregation and asset aggregation models. Indeed, many IFAs will argue that they are the ‘wrap’ for the client because they are the people who present the client with a consolidated report of all their assets (data aggregation) and make transactions with the providers on behalf of the client when necessary. Most of this happens with enormous manual effort even today. One solution would be to make it all happen much more efficiently through electronic communication. This has always been a pipe dream because any such system could only ever be as efficient as the weakest link and many of these links are legacy provider administration systems designed for batch processing over night or even weekly or monthly and never designed for 24/7 open access for ‘transactions’ (which might only be a change of address or a fund switch). Basically ‘diversified administration’ through many linked but fundamentally different systems is a ‘boil the ocean project’. It was at least tempting to Capita who tried it with their failed ‘Enabler’ project.
Mr O’Dwyer may have got that wrong but he is quite correct that ‘transparency’ will cause pricing pressure on other parts of the value chain – mainly fund management at this stage – which is one of the reasons that index trackers, at a third of the price of traditional active fund management, are gaining rapidly in popularity.

]]> Comment on How to connect your Facebook Page with a Twitter account, YouTube channel, WordPress Blog and add a welcome screen by CravenGames http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/company-facebook-page-how-to-connect-your-twitter-account-youtube-channel-wordpress-blog-and-add-a-welcome-screen/#comment-8552 CravenGames Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:42:29 +0000 http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/?p=131#comment-8552 Yes, I did find this information very helpful, even if I am only going to use one or two of your suggestions. Thanks, Luke! Yes, I did find this information very helpful, even if I am only going to use one or two of your suggestions. Thanks, Luke!

]]> Comment on First Direct Lab: How First Direct are bringing crowdsourcing into UK financial services by The MEFAS Connection | International Facilities & Sourcing Ltd http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/first-direct-lab-how-first-direct-are-bringing-crowdsourcing-into-uk-financial-services/#comment-8470 The MEFAS Connection | International Facilities & Sourcing Ltd Sun, 01 Jan 2012 09:25:25 +0000 http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/?p=745#comment-8470 [...] First Direct Lab: How First Direct are bringing crowdsourcing into UK … – In August, First Direct re-emphasised their position as the UK’s most social bank by launching the first crowdsourcing platform to hit the UK financial sector. First Direct have long been the UK’s most advanced bank when it comes to social media. Initiatives such as Little Black Book’ and its online forum Talking Point’ have established its reputation for embracing everything that the web has to offer in terms of customer engagement. [...] [...] First Direct Lab: How First Direct are bringing crowdsourcing into UK … – In August, First Direct re-emphasised their position as the UK’s most social bank by launching the first crowdsourcing platform to hit the UK financial sector. First Direct have long been the UK’s most advanced bank when it comes to social media. Initiatives such as Little Black Book’ and its online forum Talking Point’ have established its reputation for embracing everything that the web has to offer in terms of customer engagement. [...]

]]> Comment on Running multiple versions of Firefox in Windows by John http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/running-multiple-versions-of-firefox-in-windows/#comment-8370 John Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:21:13 +0000 http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/?p=179#comment-8370 Can I use the same profile for different versions of FF....e.g. FF 3.6.24 AND FF 8 etc.. Just save each version to different folders ? Can I use the same profile for different versions of FF….e.g. FF 3.6.24 AND FF 8 etc..
Just save each version to different folders ?

]]> Comment on Running multiple versions of Firefox in Windows by John http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/running-multiple-versions-of-firefox-in-windows/#comment-8369 John Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:18:01 +0000 http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/?p=179#comment-8369 Are the quotes used in setting the the file path necessary to use too ? Are the quotes used in setting the the file path necessary to use too ?

]]> Comment on 4 ways that technological innovation will change wealth management by Luke Hinchliffe http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/4-ways-that-technological-innovation-will-change-wealth-management/#comment-8065 Luke Hinchliffe Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:02:51 +0000 http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/?p=653#comment-8065 Brett King is also on Quora and has posted some interesting answers around banking, NFC, smartphones etc http://www.quora.com/Brett-King Brett King is also on Quora and has posted some interesting answers around banking, NFC, smartphones etc http://www.quora.com/Brett-King

]]> Comment on The virtuous circle of online communities by phil black http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/the-virtuous-circle-of-online-communities/#comment-7956 phil black Fri, 23 Sep 2011 19:08:27 +0000 http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/?p=787#comment-7956 Mash and Hazel - Nicely written piece. What i always like to say is that you "can't buy community". so, you have to provide the community with the type of content and user experience that compels people to work with you. Kurtosys is taking a leadership role in the Global Financial Services market. Well done! Phil Black @TrueVentures Mash and Hazel – Nicely written piece. What i always like to say is that you “can’t buy community”. so, you have to provide the community with the type of content and user experience that compels people to work with you. Kurtosys is taking a leadership role in the Global Financial Services market. Well done!
Phil Black
@TrueVentures

]]> Comment on OPEN your mind to branded communities: AmEx’s OPEN Forum paves the way for financial providers by Julie Blutstein http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/open-your-mind-to-branded-communities-amex%e2%80%99s-open-forum-paves-the-way-for-financial-providers/#comment-7948 Julie Blutstein Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:53:29 +0000 http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/?p=763#comment-7948 I'm the Community Manager for OPEN Forum and wanted to thank you for such a complimentary write-up of our site. I hope you'll keep stopping by to see the features and functionality we continue to add to help small business owners support and grow their business. I’m the Community Manager for OPEN Forum and wanted to thank you for such a complimentary write-up of our site. I hope you’ll keep stopping by to see the features and functionality we continue to add to help small business owners support and grow their business.

]]> Comment on The growing role of crowdsourcing in financial services by Matthias Schubert http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/the-growing-role-of-crowdsourcing-in-financial-services/#comment-7472 Matthias Schubert Tue, 13 Sep 2011 23:47:18 +0000 http://www.kurtosys.com/blog/?p=697#comment-7472 Dear Hazel, Thank you for this interesting article. Maybe it is of interest for you and all readers of this article that I started to create a list of crowdsourcing and open innovation projects of banks and financial services in the world this year. The list can be found here: http://www.matthias-schubert.com/marketing/crowdsourcing-and-open-innovation-at-banks-and-financial-services It may not be complete yet. Therefore everybody is welcome to help me in creating the first list of this kind of projects in the world. Regards, Matthias Schubert Dear Hazel,
Thank you for this interesting article. Maybe it is of interest for you and all readers of this article that I started to create a list of crowdsourcing and open innovation projects of banks and financial services in the world this year. The list can be found here: http://www.matthias-schubert.com/marketing/crowdsourcing-and-open-innovation-at-banks-and-financial-services
It may not be complete yet. Therefore everybody is welcome to help me in creating the first list of this kind of projects in the world.
Regards,
Matthias Schubert

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