Social Media’s growing Influence among High Net Worth Investors

Social media is one of the biggest digital revolutions that has transformed every aspect of our life. In recent years, the influence of social media has extended to wealth management as well, with more and more High Net Worth Individuals (HNWI) turning to social media for better investment decisions. A study by Cogent group shows that more than five million HNWI in the US and Canada use social media to help with their financial decisions. As a result, they are less likely to have a financial adviser when compared to non-social media users.

The big question is what drives them to use social media over traditional investment advisers.

Firstly, the traditional methods of investing do not appeal to Gen X and Gen Y investors because they are more tuned to technology than their older peers. Most of them have grown up seeing or using some form of technology such as computers, so they understand its potential and want to make the most of it.   As of now, 70 percent of Gen Y investors and 44 percent of Gen X use social media. When the millennial generation becomes affluent, the usage of social media for wealth management is only going to increase because they will be more adept in using social media.

Besides the age and mindset, the availability of information makes it easier for HNWI to make better investment decisions. Social media gives users a larger information stream that comes through many voices. This vast amount of information reduces the chances of impulse and rash decisions, which means users are more likely to evaluate their options before investing.  This is why nine out of every ten HNWI investors use social media for their research. Moreover, 70 percent of investors have changed the way they interact with an investment provider or have reallocated their investments because of something they have read on social media. These numbers go to show how a majority of HNWI trust the information on social media and are willing to manage their finances on their own.

Other than the above factors, another important reason is that the existing investment technologies used by traditional investment advisers do not appeal to many HNWI. Research shows that only 49 percent of HNWI feel comfortable with the technologies used by their advisers. This is why HNWI are two times less likely to delegate their financial research and decision making to an investment professional.

All these reasons affirm the growing influence of social media on the investment decisions of HNWI. Currently, it is estimated that 74 percent of HNWI use some form of social media and this has gone up from 52 percent in 2008. Going forward, the number of users using social media for wealth management is only going to go up due to rapid technology adoption and transfer of wealth to the millennial generation.

Above statistics show how social media has evolved into a platform for wealth management. Inspired by the success of HNWI investors, ordinary investors are also likely to embrace social media in the future for their investment decisions.

This growing use of social media presents enormous opportunities for financial service providers. It is time for these providers to change their business practices to proactively adopt social media as a part of their marketing strategy.

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Kubernetes launches version 1.8 with focus on security and sustainability

The latest iteration of Kubernetes has launched, with the open source company promising 1.8 will be laser focused on security and sustainability.

The launch – the third of its type this year – offers a variety of new initiatives, from greater support for role based access control (RBAC), to transport layer security (TLS), to promotion for a series of workload APIs.

“Kubernetes 1.8 represents a snapshot of many exciting enhancements and refinements underway,” a company post explained. “In addition to functional improvements, we’re increasing project-wide focus on maturing process, formalising architecture, and strengthening Kubernetes’ governance model.

“The evolution of mature processes clearly signals that sustainability is a driving concern, and helps to ensure that Kubernetes is a viable and thriving project far into the future.”

The note came from four executives; Aparna Sinha, Kubernetes group product manager, Ihor Dvoretskyi, developer advocated for the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), Caleb Miles, technical program manager for CoreOS, and Jaice Singer DuMars, Microsoft Kubernetes ambassador.

It’s safe to say that Kubernetes’ profile has been raised by the latter’s additions to CNCF, the San-Francisco based organisation focused on sustaining containers and microservices architectures. Microsoft signed up in July saying it was ‘another natural step’ on its open source journey, while Oracle signed up in September.

Writing for this publication back in January, Rob Greenwood, technical director at Steamhaus, said now was the time for organisations to take the plunge with Kubernetes.

“The layer of abstraction that Kubernetes provides means we now only need to talk to one technology to gain a higher level of control over everything at a lower level,” he wrote. “It also means we can take a cloud infrastructure built in one cloud environment, such as AWS, and move it into another environment, including Azure or Google Cloud.

“This really is the next generation of cloud, with lots of big name organisations already jumping on the bandwagon and embracing Kubernetes,” he added. “However, this move will not be as simple for everyone. Many companies will need to undergo a major cultural shift before this is possible.”

You can read the full blog post announcing 1.8 here.

Read more: Why Kubernetes promises much for those willing to embrace a cultural shift

Virtus reveals plans for London’s largest data centre campus

Virtus Data Centres, a UK-based data centre colocation provider, has announced the launch of two new facilities to create London’s largest data centre campus.

The two buildings, known as VIRTUS LONDON5 AND LONDON6, will total 34,475 metres squared, and will aim to deliver 40 megawatts of IT load with the secured power capacity to increase to 110 MVA.

The move will ‘further strengthen’ Virtus’ claim as the largest hybrid colocation provider in the London metro area, according to the company, with the site being located 16 miles from central London, and 7 miles from Slough on the primary fibre routes.

“As we move with our customers into an increasingly digital future, we help them deliver high performing applications and content,” said Neil Cresswell, CEO of Virtus Data Centres in a statement. “We provide fast, seamless connectivity to networks and public cloud, along with the capacity for vast data storage and compute processing power – all for lower costs.

“This investment in LONDON5 and LONDON6 means we can grow with our customers and help them achieve their ambitions,” Cresswell added.

Even if the site ends up being London’s biggest, it pales in comparison to what is planned as being the largest in the world, in Norway. Last month, Kolos announced the launch of a proposed site, in the Norwegian town of Ballangen, inside the Arctic Circle, that could cover 6.46 million square feet and stretch across four storeys.

The largest data centre in operation today is in Langfang, China, at 6.3 million square feet, while a site in Tahoe Reno, Nevada, is set to be 7.2 million square feet when it becomes fully operational.

Three Foundations of #DevOps | @DevOpsSummit #Serverless #Monitoring #DX

Many organizations adopt DevOps to reduce cycle times and deliver software faster; some take on DevOps to drive higher quality and better end-user experience; others look to DevOps for a clearer line-of-sight to customers to drive better business impacts. In truth, these three foundations go together.
In this power panel at @DevOpsSummit 21st Cloud Expo, moderated by DevOps Conference Co-Chair Andi Mann, industry experts will discuss how leading organizations build application success from all three of these foundations of DevOps – speed, quality, and impact.

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Interface Corporation to Exhibit at @CloudExpo Silicon Valley | #ML #IoT #M2M #AWS #Cloud

SYS-CON Events announced today that Interface Corporation will exhibit at the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Pavilion at SYS-CON’s 21st International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on Oct 31 – Nov 2, 2017, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Interface Corporation is a company developing, manufacturing and marketing high quality and wide variety of industrial computers and interface modules such as PCIs and PCI express. For more information, visit http://www.interface-amita.com/aboutus/interface_profile.asp.

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Enroute Lab to Exhibit at @CloudExpo Silicon Valley | #AI #IoT #M2M #Cloud

SYS-CON Events announced today that Enroute Lab will exhibit at the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Pavilion at SYS-CON’s 21st International Cloud Expo®, which will take place on Oct 31 – Nov 2, 2017, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA.
Enroute Lab is an industrial design, research and development company of unmanned robotic vehicle system. For more information, please visit http://elab.co.jp/.

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Coolest Drone Videos

Drones have given us a greater understanding of the world, thanks to its capability to provide information from the remotest corners of the world where human inhabitation is impossible. In fact, drone photography has caught on in a big way, and it’s being used to capture moments from disaster zones, sporting events, concerts, nature and so much more. There are also some funny moments captured on quadcopters that is sure to bring a smile on your face.

To get a glimpse of the power of drones, we have compiled a list of the coolest drone videos for you.

Dolphin Stampede and Whales:

This jaw-dropping footage of a mega-pod of thousands of dolphins stampeding off the coast of Dana Point in California gives a rare glimpse into the life of dolphins. Also in this video, is a heartwarming close-up of a new humpback whale snuggling with its mother.

Dji Phantom flies into volcano:

This drone was sent straight into the Yasur volcano on the island of Tanna in the Pacific nation of Vanavatu. This volcano has been erupting continuously for eight centuries, so this drone brought back some spectacular images of this phenomenon to give geologists a better understanding of what’s going on here.

Angry ram takes down a drone and its owner:

In this hilarious video, a confused ram uses its horns to take down a drone hovering over it. The owner also has a close escape as he was knocked down into a bush by the raging ram.

Aerial video of tornado damage in Vilonia and West Pulaski county in Arkansas:

A tornado struck near Little Rock, Arkansas on April 27, 2014. This drone video shows the images of the disaster, including a heartbreaking footage of a home that was wiped off its foundation.  Such videos can greatly help with rehabilitation and emergency response systems.

Beijing from above:

In this drone video, Trey Ratcliff caught an aerial view of Beijing with his drone. However, he was detained by the police as drones are forbidden in the Chinese capital. He was later released and was allowed to keep the video because it gives a fresh perspective of Beijing and the everyday life here.

Drone’s eye view of Burning Man 2013:

Once a year, artists come together to create Black Rock City, a temporary city on Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. The incredible creativity and energy of this event was captured by drones to give an idea of what 70,000 people can do together.

Postcards from Pripyat, Chernobyl:

A city called Pripyat was evacuated in 1986 due to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Almost three decades later, Danny Cook of CBS TV visited this place. The video footage he filmed using drones showed how the city had frozen in time, allowing nature to take over much of the city’s open spaces.

Koh Yao Noi:

Philip Bloom went to a Thai island called Koh Yao Noi near Phuket to showcase the beauty of this island to the rest of the world. This enchanting video is different from other drone videos as it’s shot very close to the ground to give a whole new perspective to viewers.

Drone hits groom in the head:

Drone videos like this are sure to give you a hearty laugh. During a couple’s bridal shoot, the drone hit the groom’s head and knocked them down to the ground, right when he was about to kiss his bride-to-be!

OK Go – I won’t let you down:

This rock band called OK Go used a drone camera to capture the entire dance sequence performed using umbrellas, Honda unicycles and school girls. The camera starts inside a building and zooms out into the air to provide the most entertaining dance ever. No wonder it’s one of the coolest drone videos at more than 28 million views on YouTube.

Have you come across any interesting drone videos? Do let us know by commenting below.

 

The post Coolest Drone Videos appeared first on Cloud News Daily.

How commercial blockchain deployments are gaining traction

Many organisations are now actively considering blockchain deployments, and a significant proportion are already anticipating integration of blockchain into their IT systems within the next 18 months, according the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research.

The Juniper survey found that among the largest companies (those with 20,000 of more employees) that were considering deploying or were in the process of deploying blockchain, 54 percent had reached the PoC (Proof of Concept) stage, with a further 16 percent involved in trial deployments.

Among all companies that have reached the PoC stage, 66 percent expected blockchain to be integrated into their systems by the end of 2018. Integration was expected to take longer as companies got larger among the smaller companies surveyed (i.e. those with less than 1,000 employees), 81 percent expecting integration to be completed by the end of 2018 – compared with 57 percent of companies with over 20,000 employees.

IBM leads blockchain market development

That being said, IBM is regarded by survey respondents as having the most proven credentials within the emerging blockchain sector, well ahead of all competitors. That’s based upon almost 400 company founders, senior executives, managers and IT leaders that responded to Juniper’s survey.

Among enterprises either actively considering, or in the process of deploying blockchain technology, 43 percent of the survey respondents ranked IBM first – that’s more than twice the proportion selecting second-placed Microsoft (20 percent).

According to the study, this reflected IBM’s high-profile R&D engagement with initiatives such as the Hyperledger project, and its extensive list of blockchain clients across an array of key verticals and use cases – including banking, asset tracking and the music industry.

Among respondents who were prepared to state their levels of investment in blockchain, 67 percent stated they had already invested more than $100,000 by the end of 2016, while 91 percent of these companies confirmed that they would be spending at least this amount in 2017.

The study findings stated that this suggested most initial investments had delivered results that were sufficiently encouraging for companies to pursue more extensive trials and/or integrations.

Outlook for blockchain application growth

When challenges are measured against the scale of the upside market opportunity, automotive, financial settlement and land registry emerge as particularly interesting growth prospects.

However, Juniper analysts urge interested companies and other organizations to focus on private blockchains for commercial deployments, rather than attempt to utilise public chains – such as Bitcoin.

It also argued that most corporate applications would require the capability to restrict access to permissioned users, while companies would also need to have a degree of control over the development of the blockchain on which their systems have become dependent.

«Even if companies conduct initial testing using a public blockchain, in most cases the shortcomings of these chains should disqualify them from many use cases,» said Dr Windsor Holden, head of forecasting & consultancy at Juniper Research.

Editor’s note: Read more about blockchain technologies at our sister publication, The Block.

Should You Be Considering Web-Scale Networking? | @CloudExpo #IoT #M2M #Cloud #DataCenter

Web-scale networking, also known as hyperscale, is a concept that has been popularized by companies like Google, Netflix and Facebook, who adopted this model for its proven cost economics, resiliency, scalability, and in some cases, better performance for large companies.
In recent months, the web-scale strategy has begun to gain the attention of enterprises in response to the changing data center landscape and growth of compute-heavy, complex technologies like AI, machine learning, and big data analytics initiatives. What should IT pros know about web-scale?

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Nine out of 10 CIOs see DevOps skills as key for developers and infrastructure professionals

Demand for DevOps professionals continues apace, according to the latest analysis from Robert Half, with nine out of 10 CIOs in the UK seeing DevOps as a core competency for developers and infrastructure professionals in the next five years.

The study, which is based on more than 100 interviews with CIOs from companies across the UK, found that for 90% of respondents DevOps would be effective if security was built into continuous service and application delivery. 94% agreed that DevOps would need to incorporate greater security measures.

When it came to more specific routes to success, 37% of those polled said establishing IT security checks was a primary consideration when thinking about skills needed for effective DevOps implementation. 34% opted for incorporating data regulation requirements.

Respondents, when faced by the challenges of DevOps implementations, found them much of a muchness. 32% said needing strong management structures was key, as well as enhancing communications within the IT team, while 31% opted for getting the right skills within IT.

As other research has shown, if you have the right skills in this domain then you can be set up nicely. Earlier this month, a report from Puppet revealed that 66% of DevOps engineers and 69% of software engineers in the US took home pay packets of more than $100,000 per year.

“In this new age of digitalisation, DevOps is creating new opportunities for technology professionals to support the business and opening up new career paths,” said Neil Owen, director at Robert Half Technology UK. “There is a growing need for IT and technology professionals to become more business and commercially savvy.

“As the DevOps movement increases the collaboration between technology functions and the business, this is a key way for technology professionals to improve their opportunities for career progression.”