What to Aim for When Negotiating With Telecom Vendors in New Hampshire

The first step in securing telecom plans would involve asking for proposals from the various telecom vendors servicing the area. In New Hampshire, there is a wide range of options, owing to the state’s thriving telecoms industry.

For companies, this means having to screen numerous offers, the terms of which would not necessarily be perfect the first time around. Because of this, businesses would have to engage in telecom contract negotiations, which can only be successful when it is based on a concrete set of goals.

Below is a list of what to aim for, when negotiating with these telecom partners.

Responsive service level agreements (SLAs). Service level agreements articulate the commitment between the telecom service provider and the client, in terms of such parameters as availability, location and duration of service, and time required to complete repairs. Among the best of breed providers, SLAs would be crafted so thoroughly as to reflect even more specific commitments to boost the delivery of their company’s promises. Said provisions would, for example, indicate what happens when the client is not satisfied with the proposed resolution to a telecom issue, or if an untoward incident happened for the second time. The company may promise service extensions, discounted packages, or credit, and more importantly, articulate how these may be availed.

Better pricing. Businesses, especially small and medium-sized ones, should have in mind a range of how much it is willing spend on telecom services. Otherwise, it will be drawn to spend on whatever add-ons sound appealing, but which it does not actually need. The goal of telecom negotiations should be gaining more useful features, more coverage for the services, for less. Terms can be adjusted to prolong the contract’s effectivity period, or using a technology that is not necessarily the latest but is more relevant to the company’s requirements.

Reliable customer service. At the heart of any telecom contract should be the expression of the service provider’s genuine desire to assist its clients in achieving its telecommunication goals, especially through providing reliable customer support. Always, this should mean well-trained and knowledgeable warm bodies who will be devoted to responding to queries and troubleshooting demands as they arise - and not simply based on pre-set schedules.

Access to the best technology and services. It should be the goal of any telecom partnership to provide businesses with access to the best technologies and services: from mobile devices, to data storage systems, internet access, and voice services. The client’s representative should negotiate for a contract that indicates the telecom partner’s commitment to offering timely updates on tech developments in the industry, and upgrades should it be deemed necessary.

If you are looking for the best of today’s pool of telecom vendors in New Hampshire, talk to the Noble Eightfold team. Noble Eightfold offers best-in-class telecom proposal evaluation, wireline and wireless contract negotiation, vendor screening and selection, and telecom expense management services.

Mobile Device Management

Today is the age of mobile. Owing to itsaccessibility, affordability, and flexibility, it now pervades daily life across the globe, and has become acritical business tool for a growing number of companies.To fully realize its potential, however,these companies will benefit from tapping mobile device management services.

Mobile device management puts businesses in complete control of this technology as a communication platform.With its adoption comes the promise of being able to procure the right devices for the organization’s communication needs, optimize the use of mobile for daily operations, manage all costs related to its deployment, and implement policies regarding security, governance, and compliance.

Firms offering this service regularly monitor trends in the telecommunications industry, while keenly probing the communication and information exchange requirements as well as the business goals of their clients. Because of this, they are able to help respond to the following pertinent questions regarding mobile usage: What mobile solutions should the company invest on? What are the regulatory standards that govern corporate use of mobile?What kinds of transactions can be authorized on company issue mobile devices? How can sensitive corporate data be protected while being accessible to the entire organization?What is the best way to distribute applications, data, and software upgrades on multiple units? How can expenses related to all mobile use be accounted for, settled, and audited promptly?

In so doing, mobile device management services can help businesses simplify processes and workflows regarding corporate mobile use, drastically reduce operational costs, promote data security, and ensure growth within their organizations through efficient communication.

Talk to us today here at Noble Eightfold to learn more about mobile device management services and telecom contract negotiation for your small or medium-sized business. We pride in our thorough understanding of the conditions faced by emerging entrepreneurs, as well as our constantly updated knowledge of what is new in the mobile industry.

What is WAR?

Personally, I don’t think I have ever heard one stat so closely related and synonyms with a player then Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is with Mike Trout.  The reason being is that is an annual occurrence that Trout puts up video-game like numbers, thrusting him into the MVP discussion but this is where it gets dicey.  It is widely known that the Angels have under performed in stocking talent around Trout which usually results in the team narrowly missing the playoffs. But the problem that most MVP voters argue is: If Trout isn’t good enough to single handedly drag the Angels into the playoffs, then is he really the Most Valuable Player in the League?

Now you don’t need to be an expert in fantasy baseball strategy to realize the obvious point that the game of baseball is more of a team sport than almost any other in existence.  Players only get a handful of opportunities to impact the game, but baseball is a game known for it’s failures so you can’t expect one to dominate in day in and day out.  So like everything else in the MLB, there is a stat the solely measures the number of wins a player brings to his team and that is WAR.  In the most simplest terms, WAR measures how many wins a single player brings to his team. They do this by comparing how the team would do if instead of that player being in the lineup, if a readily available minor leaguer or veteran player was instead inserted into the lineup for that player.  This part of the stat is where it is not so black and white but the basis for each player is the same.  Note this has no direct fantasy baseball impact but rather indirectly is based on the fantasy baseball numbers a player is able to put up throughout the entirety of a season.

So to give you some sort of scale on what is a good and bad WAR, we present the following.  A player with a WAR of 0 is average, actually more than average, meaning that he is easily replaceable by any one in the league.  A player with a negative WAR is plain bad and really shouldn’t be starting in the majors on a regular basis.  On the other edge of the spectrum, a player with a WAR eight or better is going to be into MVP contention because that, on it’s own, could be the difference for a team being a playoff team or not. So what kind of WAR does Trout sport?  Not including his rookie season (where he only played 40 games) not including the 2017 season, Trout’s lowest season WAR is an astonishing 7.9.  That should come as no surprise as Trout has finished first or second in MVP voting in every season of eligibility for the prestigious award.

McGregor v. Mayweather

On Saturday August 26th, in Las Vegas, Nevada, one of the biggest sporting events in history will be on display as the two of the biggest superstars in all of sports go against each other in the ring.  Conor McGregor, the biggest name in fantasy UFC, and Floyd “Money” Mayweather, the undisputed champion of boxing, will square off for what will surely be a pay-per view event for the ages.   I think it is fair to say that whenever either of these men’s names are attached to a sporting event, a majority of the daily fantasy MMA population will tune in, and rightfully so. Let’s break down the tale of the tape so you know everything vital to your fantasy MMA research so you can win big on whatever or whoever you bet on.

First, let us start with the foreigner, Conor McGregor.  McGregor hails from Ireland and is the reigning UFC lightweight champion and former UFC featherweight champion.  In his career, McGregor holds a record of 21 wins and 3 losses, with 18 of his wins coming via the knockout.  He is no stranger to the big stages as he holds four of the top six highest grossing pay-per-view fights in UFC history; in addition to the most buys ever during UFC 202 against Nate Diaz.

On the other hand, Mayweather has quite the number of accolades his name as well.  In his professional career, he has garnered the following stats:   49 wins, 0 losses, 26 wins via the knockout, Bronze medal in 1996 Olympics, Five-Division world champion, and Fifteen total world championships. Put that all together, and at the age of 40, Mayweather has to be the most decorated boxer of all time.

You are probably thinking to yourself: “If Mayweather is the best boxer of all time, then what the heck is McGregor doing going into this element and trying to beat the undisputed champ in his backyard?”  Nobody really knows what McGregor is thinking other than the fact that he thinks much differently than the rest of us. He is a true showman and is looking for the next bigger stage for him to conquer.  Now, this is no small feat going into Las Vegas and attempting to dethrone the best boxer, this generation, and possibly all-time.  Make sure to tune in on the 26th to see what surely will be a fight for the ages.

Taking Advantage of the Dog Days in June

Because the baseball season is a long one with a total of 162 games, it can take a toll on the players during the middle of the season. Players may lose motivation and start to tire out from playing so many games. Not only this, but with the blistering summer heat coaches are more inclined to rest players in games in the middle of the season because they seem “meaningless”.

In order to prevent this from happening, coaches often bring up younger prospects to play. Coaches put in newer pitchers in the middle of the season so the new pitchers can potentially get into the major leagues of baseball and be apart of the everyday roster.  It is very advantageous to roster players from a team who is facing a younger pitcher because younger players do not have much experience and they are usually not as skilled has an average major league pitcher. This a very interesting daily fantasy baseball strategy to utilize. Granted, this takes a large amount of research and prospect watching in order to target the correct youngsters to stack your team against.  Younger pitchers also lack the skills and tricks that regular major league pitchers have which can give your team an advantage. When you have a new pitcher getting called up for the first time, their ability to play is unpredictable.

Younger pitchers are also more prone to making mistakes due to lack of experience.They may play very well one time , yet play badly in another game. This is advantageous to fantasy baseball teams because new pitchers are not as consistent in their pitching skills as seasoned major league pitchers. Younger pitchers don’t have as much experience as they have just started in the leagues, they must build up their repertoire in order to climb up to the major leagues. It is interesting to see younger pitchers face off against teams with experienced pitchers because it add pressure to the younger pitchers to do well for their team. When the younger pitcher is not as skilled, the other team has a much better chance of winning the game if the opposing team has a seasoned pitcher on the team.

Draftking's Interleague Slates

If there is one thing soccer enthusiasts could agree on it is this: There is not enough of it in DFS.  Draftkings was the pioneer of making Daily Fantasy Soccer a reality and the userbase ran with it.  Draftkings simply could not make enough slates to make, some of the most passionate sports fans in the world, satisfied.  FanDuel recently stepped into the DFS soccer realm but did so minimally only offering slates for the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League games.  About a month ago, DraftKings revolutionized fantasy soccer by creating their own kind of soccer slates called Interleague.

The Interleague slates are simply extraordinaire.  These slates are comprised of some of the biggest soccer matches around Europe’s top five leagues. The leagues that have been featured so far are: Barclay’s Premier League (in England), La Liga (in Spain). Ligue 1 (in France), Bundesliga (in Germany), and Serie A (in Italy).  This allows for some pretty awesome lineup construction and even harder fantasy analysis for the top plays of the slate.  Imagine pairing Gigi Buffon in your goal with Lionel Messi at the Attack and David Alaba anchoring your defensive line. To have this much exposure to some of the greatest in the world translates into some of the most exhilarating one hundred and fifty minutes in Daily Fantasy Sports.

Although with this much exposure to all of these different leagues, these slates can be some of the hardest.  Previously, the soccer novice could join a Champions League and/or a Barclay’s slate and comprise their team of the big name super stars (Cristiano Ronaldo and Alexis Sanchez) and fill their team around them with guys they have little knowledge about.  Unfortunately in Interleague, that soccer strategy is doomed.  With soccer being the world’s most popular sport, there are fanatics everywhere looking to get into any kind of fantasy action.  Against these passionate and knowledge fans, it will be nearly impossible to compete in these slates without the proper fantasy soccer research, strategy, and analysis.  Although Draftkings made fantasy soccer more accessible to everyone; they definitely upped the ante quite a bit thanks in part to this large increase in competition as more players than ever are playing fantasy soccer.

Promoting efficient data management among hedge funds

Data management is a critical component of any hedge fund operations. After all, datasets – from client investors, from the financial market, or from the global economy in general – form the basis of any investment or policy decision for hedge funds.

More specifically, fund managers use data to determine market trends, and predict the potential returns that will come with each particular investment move. They use data to evaluate the investment-worthiness of companies, or the costs that the client investors’ assets can carry. They also use data to conduct risk modelling analyses.

Fortunately, we live in a time when most hedge fund executives already have a deep appreciation of the importance of proper data management. Moreover, so many tools are now available for efficient and cost-effective execution of this function.

Cloud-based platforms, for one, may be a taken-for-granted development, but it adopting this kind of solution represents a huge step for any hedge fund management firm. Through a Cloud-enabled technology, real-time collaboration is now possible online – an affordable, fast, and convenient way to perform data management tasks. Client investors, the fund managers, partners, and other stakeholders can now easily make complex calculations, communicate, and upload, access, and edit files – from wherever they are on the globe.

The best breed of these platforms offer access configurations that promote security and privacy of information, can accommodate the use of multiple languages and currencies, accommodate different report types, are capable of different kinds of data visualization, and allow for easy retrieval of information.

Adopting the latest solutions can admittedly be cost-prohibitive for hedge fund management firms. But today, an option that many managers are adopting is tapping the assistance of asset servicing firms.

The top third party service providers help hedge funds access first-rate technology for data management sans the usual costs involved. Instead, this access becomes part of a bigger package of many functions that they can take on as they perform asset servicing tasks, which include such middle and back office functions as risk management, compliance management, accounting, shareholder reporting, fund payments, and tax reporting.

In addition, these asset servicing firms free their client hedge fund managers from the hassles of choosing the best out of what may be a hundred solutions for their business type, as well as the costs involved in recruiting and training people how to take advantage of these technologies. With their help, the task of data management becomes much more manageable.

Benefits of efficient data management in hedge funds

Data management is an important determinant of a hedge fund operation’s success. This makes it crucial for hedge funds to invest in a state-of-the-art platform for storing and managing data from various asset stakeholders – from the fund manager, to the client investors and industry partners.

Here are the benefits of a smart and efficient data management practice in hedge fund management, made possible by a portfolio management system with superior features:

Improved accuracy of output. Where advanced computation capabilities are involved, there is going to be significant improvement in terms of the accuracy of data being produced. There will be decrease in human error, as functions may now be automated.

Faster performance of tasks. Through the use of technology, tasks can be performed much faster, saving the company hours and hours and precious manpower that could be devoted instead to more strategic goals. Data can be retrieved and organized in less than a minute, if not with the click of a button, based on specified parameters. And when the employees can do their tasks with speed and ease, they will be much more driven and register higher productivity.

Savings on the use of physical space. When data is kept on physical records, the space to be consumed for a filing system could be significant. Today, innovative data management tools save an enormous amount of information on the cloud – ready to be accessed and updated by authorized users anytime, anywhere. No need to maintain transaction records and the equipment used to store them.

Improved ability to share data. With technology, users can easily share information via their common platform. Cloud-based solutions can be used to upload and download data, and to facilitate collaborations, too.

Promotion of data privacy and security. Speaking of authorized users, the first-rate data management systems can assign access codes to categories of information, so that only the select users within the system can view them. Privacy and security of company and client investor data are paramount and are given much emphasis by industry regulators of hedge funds.

More convenient compliance management. Adhering to the various regulations covering the hedge fund management business can be quite a challenge. With a good data management tool, tasks related to compliance can be made easy. Reporting can be facilitated by features that arrange raw information into required formats, and fund managers may receive alerts for submission deadlines.

Topnotch portfolio management software solutions with these features are available through asset servicing firms.

Best practices in data management for hedge funds

Our age has been dubbed the age of information. Vast amounts of knowledge are now at the tips of our fingers, and platforms already exist for the transmission of data at the click of a button. For hedge funds, trends involving the improved access to data have become crucial in promoting evidence-based investment decisions – decisions influenced by an analysis of fund growth patterns, interest rates, and risk measures, among other factors.

Below is a list of best practices to adopt, to make the most out of the present crop of data management technologies, and the next ones to come:

Adherence to security protocols. Data is now easily accessed, and shared, across platforms, across continents, in the real-time. Hedge funds need security protocols in place to prevent any breach to the network, which will make a company’s digital infrastructure and business strategy vulnerable to attacks. Protocols should cover such practices as the use of encryption when sending files to other networks, setting up of protection for data storage units and mobile devices, and the installation of advanced antivirus solutions, firewalls, and security patches to the network computers. Staff should be properly briefed – and trained – regarding protection of company information, and strict measures should be in place for any such process of allowed data release.

Automation of select processes. Humans can be prone to errors, especially in tasks marked by repetition and calculations. For these cases, automation features of data management solutions should be duly explored and optimized, because this will ensure accurate and precise outputs. At the same time, this practice reserves the precious time and high-level skills of the staff for core and complicated functions, such as strategizing, building relationships with client-investors, or conducting thorough risk analysis involving the assets under their management.

Use of cloud-based solutions. Data management lends much more benefits when access to information is easy and convenient. A cloud-based data management platform allows this. When data is on the Cloud, multiple parties can simultaneuously view files from wherever they are, make changes that will be reflected in the real-time, and even engage in collaborations. The more advanced solutions are capable of instant data aggregation and validation – functions that only raise the bar in data warehousing.

Among today’s breed of hedge funds, leading asset servicing firms provide the much-needed staff and technology support for adopting these best practices, ushering in a new era in data management among fund managers.

Private equity: Marching towards 2020

The domain of private equity is marked by increased competition, as spurred by growth of capital, the emergence of new markets, the rise in the number of players, as well as tightened regulation.

To be able to stay ahead in the game, private equity management firms need to be armed with the following sound strategies:

Devote more resources towards understanding new or reformed policies. New protocols or policy reforms are being implemented left and right, and it would do well for fund managers to try to understand their repercussions. Some firms make the mistake of treating compliance as an afterthought, in their bid not to allow it to change the way they do business. But the best and most sustainable way to go about it is to seamlessly integrate it in all stages of the company’s operations. Automation of reporting and audit processes is key, along with a step-by-step compliance monitoring. It’s also important to look closely at how tax reform is being discussed within and outside the industry, and contribute to voices that will promote the standing of private equity business in this aspect.

Consider asset servicing. Private equity management firms need to save every resource they have towards successful steering acquired companies to profitable operations – in levels that will mean high yields for the investors. Enlisting the services of outsourcing partners will greatly help them free up precious manpower and budget, while being able to access first-rate support. The best asset servicing firms possess advanced tools for accomplishing middle and back office functions, including portfolio management systems. They also maintain a pool of professionals who are experienced in these tasks.

Pay attention to cybersecurity. Promoting cybersecurity is no longer just an option to private equity these days. In the age of cyberattacks, it is crucial that asset managers guard themselves against efforts to cull sensitive information that may compromise their business operations at various fronts. Cloud-based data warehousing is fast becoming the way of the future for all fund management businesses, and it poses challenges as regards keeping data accessible only to the right parties. By making more investment towards cybersecurity, not only do firms protect their valuable business data. They also protect the company’s reputation, which in turn boosts the confidence of all prospective client-investors.

By keeping abreast of these pointers, private equity firms are set to generate optimum returns – a win for the client-investors, the fund manager, and the industry.

Fund administration and the role of third-party asset servicing firms

Fund administration is undoubtedly a very important task nowadays. And it pays for fund managers to have third-party administrators help manage their business. But what do these third party companies do anyway?

Calculating the values of net assets

Fund administrators are usually independent companies that offer a wide range of solutions and services that are mainly designed to assist hedge fund managers in verifying the values of assets, reconciling data, ensuring fair pricing for traded securities, preparing investor statements and other reports, and other tasks.

It is the first task that is arguably the most important, as many people who work for asset servicing firms would agree; accurately calculating net asset values and ensuring all transactions on record had actually happened is vital to the integrity of every hedge fund or similar vehicle.

Data reconciliation

The second of the aforementioned tasks, which is the reconciliation of data, is another key service offered by third-party asset servicing firms, and one that is closely related to asset value verification. Usually, toward the end of the month, broker statements and investment manager statements are checked and verified to make sure they are not inconsistent with one another. Administrators also have to consider different variables that could affect net asset values, such as the inflow and outflow of investor assets.

Fair pricing

Fund administrators also have to make sure that each traded security has been priced fairly. This could require a lot of mathematical grunt work, but thanks to the experienced staff that are now de rigueur for third-party asset servicing companies, this is easier to complete than what one may think. In fact, administrators typically use the averages of three quotations from brokers, and only use sophisticated math when a particular holding is a rather complex one.

The cloud plays a valuable role in administration

In today’s fund administration industry, more and more companies are leveraging higher-end technologies to ensure they take good care of their funds their clients manage, and deliver accurate information on time, all while being compliant with all laws, regulations, and statutes.

Cloud-based technology is a requisite for these firms, who offer a wide variety of middle- and back-office solutions, and handle the tasks mentioned above, among many others. Considering the repercussions of the Bernard Madoff scandal and the higher premium on transparency demanded by investors, hedge fund managers will certainly be better for dealing with third-party companies for their asset servicing needs.

What is PER in NBA?

The 2015-2016 NBA season has been a historic one to say the least.  It first started blowing up social media when Aaron Gordon and Zach Lavine had a dunk off for the ages culminating to be one of the most successful NBA all star weekends in recent memory.  Pair that flurry of excitement with oh just the most dominant single-regular season run in NBA history by the man, the myth, the legend Stephen Curry.  He led his team to a ridiculous 73-9 that shattered the GOAT Michael Jordan’s 95-96 Bulls for the best regular season record.

On top of that, Curry and the boys continually broke shooting and scoring records which propelled him(Curry) to his second Most Valuable Player award and the first unanimous in the history of the league!  Let the claim to fame sink in: THE FIRST UNANIMOUS MVP EVER.  We have been blessed with some great legends of the entire tenure of the National Basketball Association but Curry is the first to ever accomplish such a remarkable feat.

On paper, Curry’s single season stats are impressive but not as Godly as you think.  You would have been giddy as all hell if you had Curry on your fantasy NBA team as he averaged for the season: 30 points per game, 6 rebounds per game, and nearly seven assists per game.  Comparatively Jordan during his legendary run in the ‘95-96 season he averaged nearly identical numbers: 31 points per game, 7 rebounds per game, and nearly five assists per game.  Although both of these men led their storied franchises to unbelievable seasons and great overall stat lines they still remain inferior in possibly one of the most overlooked yet important stats.

This stat is PER or Player Efficiency Rating and has been dominated by one man for almost the entire tenure of the NBA.  Wilt “The stilt” not only holds the coveted number one spot on the best PER for a single season in NBA history, he actually holds the top two!  If Wilt was available for NBA daily fantasy he would have been locked in to everyone’s lineups on a nightly basis.  The man was a freak on the court and ultimately reigns supreme.  The stat is a measure of based on a player’s playing time, ball touches, shot attempts, and multitude of other factors meaning the more this guy touched the ball the deadlier he was.

For those looking for daily NBA fantasy sleepers, consider veying for low minute players that have excellent PER.  Granted if players don’t hit minute floors they undoubtedly won’t be able to produce to a sufficient level, but if the extra opportunities present themself your guy could be in for a huge night.

The value of adopting a state-of-the-art portfolio management system

Portfolio management is a complex business. Aside from requiring thorough and regular monitoring of asset performance, managers need to deal with growing demands for transparency and oversight in and outside of the investments and securities industry. Thankfully, these challenges can now be addressed with the adoption of a good portfolio management system.

Below is a discussion of some of the benefits of investing in the best version of this tool.

Keeping up to date with industry developments. With the help of a portfolio management system, client-investors can be provided with reporting tools that are always available online. This allows asset managers to look at upcoming trends, assess their impact on the fund’s performance, and accordingly prepare measures that address emerging risks.

It offers a comprehensive view of all factors needed in making investment decisions. Portfolio management is about dealing with a lot of metrics, and using the insight derived from them to guide future actions. The best of breed portfolio management systems offer a consolidated view of past transactions, the assets under management, and cash flow, allowing for quick and sound decision-making.

Complying with all pertinent regulations becomes much easier. The past financial crises and major investment scandals truly rocked the industry, and spurred a number of government regulations designed to protect the interest especially of the client-investors. But dealing with all of these tight regulations is a huge and time-consuming chore for most firms. When they fail to comply, they are subject to penalties and legal action, on top of seeing their reputation crumble. By adopting a portfolio management technology, most of the procedures related to compliance can be automated, such that the entire process need not take up so much of the company’s resources.

It enables strategizing towards the achievement of financial goals. With a cloud-based portfolio management system, asset managers are able to gather all the data they need in one hub. This in turn allows them to provide all the relevant stakeholders easy access to files, enabling collaboration. When portfolio managers, fund administrators, and other third party service providers can effectively and quickly exchange information, the experience of asset management becomes a seamless process that fosters quick return on investment (ROI).

Firms may invest towards the set-up of in-house portfolio management systems, or access these through top asset servicing firms. These firms can develop proprietary tools, on top of handling a full range of back and middle-office functions.

How technology impacts the fund administration business

Market conditions are driving the sustained growth of the fund administration sector. Indeed, more and more business and investors are getting enticed by the benefits of using a third party administrator. At the same time, as the market grows, competition also becomes stiffer. Performance is key to gaining competitive advantage among peers. Of course, performance is affected by how effective the tools used by the administrators are.

Technology and analytics play a big role in setting the operational conditions. Through technology, administrators are given the tools to establish the most efficient and least costly operating model. With the growing clamor for transparency and reporting, the role of data analytics in fund administration becomes more pronounced. Investing in innovative technologies that help establish best practices and consolidate information has become an integral strategy to remain competitive.

However, this increased dependency on technology has also exposed the industry to cyber attacks. Cyber criminals have also become more and more sophisticated with their technologies and approach that cyber risk management can no longer be relegated to the periphery but must be included in the core competencies to ensure security. Funds are associated with a great deal of personal information that must be protected and kept private. An administrator’s policy on how this set of information is protected is a key factor for clients. Now it is fundamental to put in place a robust cyber risk assessment process that tries to strike a balance between accessibility and protection.

Data management and analytics also plays a big role in the struggle of administrators to institute reliable customer identification.  Administrators must ensure that clients are protected from identity theft. It must also do its part in securing its own yard from perpetrators of fraud and money laundering. Regulatory requirements that compel administrators to perform the above obligations are enforced more strictly now that threats are more imminent.

In the United States, because of the regulatory requirements that have become stricter, transparency in fund administration has become ever more important. Existing standards and reporting methods are now put under pressure. The requirements compel administrators to gather data from different sources, aggregate it, and submit to the regulating body. To minimize its impact on resources, administrators turned to modern software solutions.

The environment continues to be challenging for fund administrators. Being able to adapt operational model to these changes and investing in technologies, as well as seeking the help of more experienced third party providers can help the firm become more agile.

Technology a Must for Hedge Fund Compliance

Years ago, incorporating cutting-edge technologies to investment operations was considered as mere luxury for only the biggest firms. But with the complexity of regulatory requirement and a rising demand for transparency from bodies like the SEC and CFTC, as well as the investors, technology is now a necessity for hedge fund compliance — regardless of the firm’s size.

According to Forbes, many hedge fund managers utilize technology for record-keeping requirements, as most solutions provide record retention features and electronic compliance certification features. Some also offer compliance calendars that automatically remind managers of compliance dates and regulatory deadlines.

While these solutions are primarily used for compliance management, here are other crucial and time-consuming areas that can be simplified through technology:

Database management and security. With an advanced data management platform, investors can easily transform details into meaningful insights for improved decision making.  Competitive tools now offer automated display and comparison of multiple and dynamic portfolios for faster data analysis. Additionally, with the help of technology, security of all confidential data is ensured through encryption, change privileges, audit trail and control access features.

Portfolio optimization. More than providing a dashboard that keeps all the big data, advanced tools now have the ability to evaluate and optimize multi-year plans and scenarios, perform business-case cash-flow analysis and even quantify project risks. These features further help streamline operations by computing and displaying an efficient frontier of portfolios and providing “sandbox analysis.”

Project management and resource management. As tools can now generate updated financial budget predictions though correlation of all data, technology is also utilized to ensure that assets are properly allocated to specific channels where they have great potential, and that investment strategies are executed at the right time.

Business continuity and disaster recovery. With the help of advanced portfolio management solutions, asset managers are considered more equipped when it comes to formulating disaster recovery plans, hence ensuring business continuity even during the most crucial times. In addition, corporate researchers Aberdeen Group found out that solutions help administrators to fix issues in an average of 2.1 hours, as compared to the traditional 8 hours.

In the end, hedge fund compliance is more than just about meeting regulatory requirements on time; it is a process that concerns the overall efficiency of an investment operation. Choosing a technology partner that can offer an efficient and complete solution can greatly help fund managers achieve thier clients’ goals, and attract even more investors.

Social Media Marketing: Tweeting 101

Nowadays, social media marketing through such platforms as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest has provided companies with a relatively cheaper way to market their product and service offerings.

Twitter in particular, has gathered millions of users across the globe, and remains a formidable platform and is often referred to as the ideal platform for interacting with one’s target market, potential business parters, and the public in general. Much of this can be attributed to its unique requirement: Brands should be able deliver their message in 140-characters.

The question is, how can a Twitter community manager post compelling content in this very little space available? Here are some tips.

Observe proper grammar and spelling. Social media has made a lot of things acceptable, as far as shortening and spelling words are concerned. But the smart community manager knows that not everything is to be toyed with. Don’t shorten proper names and compromise the spelling, for example. And there should still be proper syntax, and punctuation should still be used especially to facilitate reading (in fact, because of the brevity of each tweet, commas and hyphens have become all the more indispensable!).

Quote authoritative websites. The most read and shared tweets come from reputable news organizations. Know whom to retweet: Check out the most followed news accounts, and find a way to summarize their material and relate it with the company’s products. These links should be shortened (bit.ly is the most recommended), to keep the word count low, and make room for retweeting, mentions, and some comments. Some experts suggest leaving as many as 20 characters as “retweet space.”

Choose buzzwords. In the perfect tweet, there should be buzzwords – words that can be hashtagged to add to an ongoing conversation. These buzzwords should be based on trending topics of the day, or words that can be easily associated with the brand. But the content creator should limit hashtags to two per tweet, so that it will not be considered spam.

Put a call to action. Finally, include a call to action. After releasing the information, make the followers know exactly what to do with it. Encourage them to like, retweet, to share, or visit the company website through the tweet. Ask thought-provoking questions to promote engagement, and even tag some users in the post.

Partner with an expert in digital marketing to learn more about navigating Twitter and other social media marketing platforms.

Technology Features That Promote Hedge Fund Compliance Management

Across the globe, more and more hedge fund companies are investing in technologies to promote compliance management in their operations. This trend towards promoting hedge fund compliance through technology has been observed across small, mid-size, and large fund administrators: many are indeed willing to allocate the budget needed to enable their firms to comply with new regulations.

Triggering this development would be the increased reporting requirements set by SEC and CFTC, as well as the growing demands of investors who seek to know more about the performance of their funds. And these requirements are addressed by the following features of today’s set of compliance management platforms:

Portfolio management. Hedge fund managers benefit from advanced tools that allow for the monitoring limits, blocking trades that are prohibited by law, and recording of trade allocations. These allow for efficient management of trade portfolio and prompt and accurate reporting of positions in securities.

Reporting. The reporting requirements of authorities demand that hedge fund companies maintain infrastructure for the processing and storing large data, which can be a costly endeavor for smaller and mid-size businesses. This has encouraged many of them to purchase commercial hedge fund software, develop technology solutions in-house, or outsource to asset servicing firms.

Client relations management. Hedge funds management entails keeping track of a huge body of communications between investors and managers. Monitoring and storing this communication is not only important for compliance to regulatory demands; they are also necessary for the review of transaction histories and the conduct of post-mortem that clients may wish to embark in.

Recording of employee accounts. Recording, reviewing, and assessing personal account brokerage statements of employees is a tedious process that should nevertheless be encouraged to counter-check for suspicious or irresponsible trading practices. Through features that allow for surveillance and recording of individual accounts, hedge fund companies can ensure that they are after only the best execution of trade transactions.

Compliance management. Finally, new technologies have allowed hedge fund managers to more easily and conveniently adjust to the increased complexity of hedge fund compliance. These tools include compliance calendars with reminders for submission deadlines and registrations, automated recording, among other features.

With authorities in the securities sector here and abroad becoming stricter when it comes to the implementation of compliance regulations, hedge fund managers can truly benefit from forging relationships with asset servicing firms that can provide advanced hedge fund compliance management technology solutions.

Social Media Marketing: Tenets of Online Community Management

Most businesses today understand the importance of building and maintaining online communities on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, among other social media marketing platforms. However, not many understand what it truly takes to keep these communities alive.

Here are important principles of online community management:

Post regularly. A good social media manager is able to find good materials to share on a regular basis, so that page followers always have something to look forward to. This can be accomplished by setting aside at least 30 minutes a day to scour news websites, one’s Twitter feed, and the blogs of industry influencers to bookmark the promising articles or multimedia. Invest in the production of a varied set of content – text, photos, videos, infographic, etc. so that you have something for different kinds of people. And whatever you find or create, make it your own by integrating elements of your corporate identity, be it through the color palette, the captions, or the keywords you’ll use.

Keep the page clean. Monitor the page regularly to ensure that the page offers a pleasant experience for everyone. Promptly delete comments that are irrelevant and spammy. Ban users who have been reported to post messages of hate, discrimination, misogyny, or prejudice. If there are people expressing opposing thoughts about the topic, make sure the exchange is healthy, and that no one is using abusive language. In short, moderate your community well.

Maintain a consistent identity. Good social media management entails finding your voice as a brand and as an organization. This consistent voice will allow your followers to understand what you are about, and relate with your well-defined persona. Use language and other materials (logo, taglines, and introductory videos) that will reflect this identity. Stick to the same description of your company across all your social media communities. Partner with like-minded names in the industry.

Repurpose your content. Consider your social media content as legit assets. This mindset will encourage you to find ways to make the most of each material. Post it in all the platforms, but with some tweaking here and there to suit the particular platform: Shorten it for Twitter, find a good meme version for Instagram, or find a related link for Facebook. On each of these posts, place a link that directs them to your other social media pages. Be a good “recycler!”

Read up on social media marketing trends, or partner with experts in digital marketing, to learn more about navigating this emerging platform.

New Solutions For Streamlining Employee Shift Scheduling

If you are operating a business that has union employees then you know the problems that can arise from shift scheduling. Should someone call in sick and a replacement is needed it's just not that easy to find a replacement and be sure that your are in compliance with union regulations.

Shift Scheduling Problems

This is just one of the many reasons why more and more businesses both union and non union alike are relying on new shift scheduling software to keep their "trains running on time". For instance, even if your not a union operation, there is always the matter of overtime to factor in.

A Lot To Consider

Which employee can you call in as a replacement that you won't have to pay over time? Which employees have requested that they be used as fill ins when other employees call in sick. Which employees have the training or qualifications to even temporarily fill the position?

Real Solutions With the Click Of Your Mouse

All these factors can be accounted for automatically with new shift scheduling software. That means no more having to shuffle through records or documents and not having to make needless phone calls. Simply click the mouse on the computer and a whole list of viable replacements is instantly displayed.

More Time To Tend To Business

Shift scheduling software is just one version of software that now comprises a who genre of business management and human resources related software that is now freeing up managers and business owners to get to the business of actually running a business.

Increase Profits and Productivity

It's also allowing them to finally empty their cabinets and desks of cumbersome and inefficient paperwork and finally streamline their entire business operations to increase productivity and profits.

Debugging Source Code And Its Various Approaches For The Layman

Once errors are identified, it is necessary to first locate the precise program statements responsible for the errors and then fix them. Generally, the most difficult part of debugging is locating the invalid part of the source code. Once the error is found, correcting it is usually easy. Generally, debugging is a lengthy and tiresome task. The debugging skill of the programmer is probably the biggest factor in the ability to debug a problem.

There are several approaches for debugging. Programs known as debuggers exist to help programmers locate bugs. Debuggers enable the programmer to monitor the execution of a program, stop it, re-start it, set breakpoints, change values in memory and even, in some cases, go back in time. For debugging computer hardware and low-level software like device drivers, BIOS and firmware, instruments such as oscilloscopes, in-circuit emulators are frequently used.

Brute Force method is, though, the most common method of debugging, it is the least efficient method. In this approach, the program is loaded with print statements to print the intermediate values with the hope that some of the printed values will help to identify the statement in error. This approach becomes more systematic with the use of a symbolic debugger (also known as source code debugger), because the values of different variables can be easily checked and break points and watch points can be easily set to test the values of variables effortlessly.

Backtracking is also a fairly common approach. In this approach, beginning from the statement at which an error symptom is observed, the source code is traced backwards until the error is discovered. Unfortunately, as the number of source lines to be traced back increases, the number of potential backward paths increases and may become unmanageable large, thus limiting the use of this approach.

In Cause elimination method, a list of causes which could possibly have contributed to the error symptom is developed and tests are conducted to eliminate each cause. A related technique of identification of the error from the error symptom in the software fault tree analysis.

Program slicing is a technique which is similar to back tracking. However, the search space is reduced by defining slices. A slice of a program from a particular variable at a particular statement is the set of source lines preceding this statement that can influence the value of that variable.

Debugging is often carried out by programmers based on their ingenuity. Many a times, debugging requires a thorough understanding of the program design. Trying to debug based on a partial understanding of the system design and implementation may require an inordinate amount of effort to be put into debugging even for simple reasons. Debugging may sometimes even require full redesign of the system. In such cases, a common mistake that novice programmers often make is that they do not attempt to fix the error but only its symptoms. One must be beware of the possibility that any one error correction may introduce new errors. Therefore, after every round of error fixing, regression testing must be carried out.