Tag Archives: FaceTime

FPPad Bits and Bytes for January 25

Posted on January 25, 2013 by in Bits & Bytes

I’m under the weather today, so there’s no FPPad On Air broadcast. As conference season is in full swing including upcoming events of TD Ameritrade Institutional 2013 National Conference and T3 2013, broadcasts will return in mid-February.

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

Shoot for the Stars, Land in the Cloud – World’s First Mikogo Cloud Desktop from Mikogo.com

[Most readers recognize Mikogo for their screen-sharing app for virtual meetings. But here’s an announcement for an all-new product from the company, a cloud desktop. But “World’s First?” I don’t agree. Cloud desktops are not new: consider OnLive Desktop, which launched in January 2012, but this news is noteworthy coming from a company with more connections with financial services (and its compliance requirements) than the typical startup. Nevertheless, using a tablet to control a cloud desktop can lead to severe frustration since most desktop apps (read: Microsoft Office) are in no way optimized for touch.] The Mikogo Cloud Desktop is an innovative browser-based way of hosting an entire computer system in the Cloud. Built on HTML5 technology and 100% browser-based, there are no downloads, no software installations and no plugins, you can just open a browser on any computer or tablet and log in to your Cloud Desktop.

NetDocuments Upgrade Available to iManage, Worldox and OpenText Users at No Cost from CPAPracticeAdvisor.com

[With the exception of Laserfiche and Cabinet, news from the document management world has been quiet. This week, one leading cloud-based provider is converting users over from several legacy systems to its own for free. Really, I suspect Worldox is the only provider of note for subscribers, as iManage and OpenText are found much more in legal services than financial services.] NetDocuments announced today that it will offer a free upgrade to the cloud for current users of iManage, Worldox or OpenText. NetDocuments provides cloud content management and collaboration services to organizations of all sizes, including Charles Schwab.

How Do the New Wealthy Communicate? Digitally, Futurewealth Report Says from AdvisorOne.com

[Yes, this article is a bit short on details, but the main point comes through loud and clear: more and more of your clients (and future clients) are going to want to connect with you via Skype, FaceTime, text message, and other tech-enabled pathways. So the time to start developing practices around such technology is now!] The world’s up-and-coming wealthy are not only adopting new technologies, but also understand how digital communication tools can enhance experiences, according to a study released last week by SEI, Scorpio Partnership and Standard Chartered Private Bank.

An Inside Look at Smarsh, Inc. from YouTube

[Here’s a terrific video produced for Smarsh to give advisor clients and prospects an idea of what the company is trying to do to improve the businesses of their customers. It’s very well done and should serve as a model for a potential way you can highlight your business using this medium.]

FPPad Bits and Bytes for December 7

Posted on December 7, 2012 by in Bits & Bytes

Remember to watch today’s FPPad On Air broadcast at 4:15 pm ET with Blane Warrene.

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

Meet the wealth management firm of the future from Reuters.com

[Technology Tools for Today’s High-Margin Practice is being released in early 2013 as the 10th anniversary of their original book, Virtual Office Tools for a High Margin Practice, nears. It was a privilege to be asked to contribute to the new edition, as I submitted a chapter on collaboration tools financial advisers can use in their business. Pre-order the book on Amazon to lock in the pre-order price.] When David Drucker and Joel Bruckenstein wrote a book about technology innovations for advisers in 2002, many readers were skeptical of their recommendations to use email and create a website.

Junxure Cloud – The Clear Choice for Advisors from Junxure.com

[I will be honest: I think Junxure faces an uphill climb when it releases Junxure Cloud next year. The desktop version has so much in its interface, between notes, tasks, assets, documents, action sequences, etc. that I can’t help but be skeptical how it will translate to a web-based user interface. Junxure provided a sneak preview earlier this year (see: A sneak peek of Junxure Cloud), so take a look and decide for yourself. But give credit to Greg Friedman, the points in this article are valid; there are no overlays like there are in Salesforce, and support is handled internally and not farmed out to a third party. Will those benefits be enough to overcome the daunting interface?] Junxure attended Charles Schwab’s IMPACT® 2012 event, where we announced the spring 2013 release target for Junxure Cloud, our new web-based CRM solution. Attendees were treated to a preview demo, including how Junxure Cloud could help manage workflow, track a firm’s efficiency, and capture client documents and financial data through a wide range of integrations.

Why You Should Consider Online Meetings With Clients from RIACentral.com

[Again and again I counsel advisers that they need to be comfortable using online meeting tools like Skype, FaceTime from Apple, and Google+ Hangouts. Giving your clients options to meet with you remotely, when it is convenient for them, goes a long way in solidifying your working relationship. Here’s a good summary article from RIACentral about four key benefits of meeting online.] Meeting clients online may seem like technological overkill. After all, it’s much easier to just pick up the phone and chat, right? But, in reality, online meetings solve a myriad of practical everyday problems for you.

Technology Sure to Delight Your Employees

Posted on June 5, 2011 by in Technology

If you’re struggling to identify how to best reward your employees for their extra effort during the Great Recession, one adviser tells what he did that received overwhelming enthusiasm.

While attending the FPA NorCal 2011 Conference last week, I sat in on a presentation titled Technology Developments Over The Past 10 Years—Time Sinks & Time Savers by Dr. Dave Yeske of Yeske Buie in San Francisco, CA and Vienna, VA. Yeske offered terrific insight on a variety of technology tools his firm employs to systematize financial planning services and help all employees be as efficient as possible.

One of the takeaways from his session highlighted an employee incentive Yeske Buie provided to everyone that drew an overwhelmingly positive response. Yeske Buie offered its employees $599 plus tax to purchase an Apple iPad2. The award is enough to purchase a 32GB WiFi iPad2 outright and just $30 shy of a 16GB WiFi + 3G model.

Instead of making a bulk purchase of iPad2s, Yeske Buie’s award allowed employees to upgrade their units to ones with more space and 3G capability and pay for the difference out of pocket.

Yeske was amazed by the employees’ response to the award.

“I’ve never, EVER, seen them so excited about an incentive provided by our firm,” he told session attendees.

Yeske commented that the firm has paid out bonuses and other incentives in the past, but the award of an iPad2, “made our employees’ eyes light up!”

What’s even more interesting is what the employees have done after receiving their iPad2s. Yeske added that employees now use the FaceTime app as a video intercom to chat with their colleagues, both in the local office and in the office located across the country.

With the iPad2 paired with the firm’s voice over IP phone system, Yeske said the firm, “effectively has a 2,400 mile long hallway between the two offices.”

So if you’re seeking an incentive that will have a similar effect on your employees for the hard work they put in, look no further than your local Apple Store.