Tag Archives: Mikogo

FPPad Bits and Bytes for April 1

Posted on April 1, 2013 by in Bits & Bytes

Here are today’s top stories:

Mikogo Smell Sharing: New Feature “TelSmell” Transmits Scents via PC from Mikogo.com

[Finally, my most-wanted feature in screensharing apps is finally here! Sure, I’ve been a big advocate of financial advisers using screensharing and virtual meetings for years, but these interactive meetings were always missing one critical element of the engagement: odor. Thankfully the innovative crew at Mikogo has figured out the complicated science of transmitting scents over the Internet and has wrapped up this technology in an easy-to-use USB device. I just ordered mine today!] Mikogo, a global solution provider of online meetings, today introduced a new feature providing participants of online meetings and presentations with not only desktop sharing but also the sharing of fragrances. Fresh coffee, summer rain outside the office window or a colleague’s perfume, the smell sharing feature “TelSmell” transfers scents and odors easily between the remote computers in real-time.

Google Nose Beta from Google

[The folks at Mikogo aren’t the only ones experimenting with scents. Google just unveiled its latest search enhancement, Google Nose. This will work great  with my new USB dongle!] The new scentsation in search. Coming to your senses: go beyond type, talk, and touch for a new notation of sensation.

Welcome to Concatually! from Contactually.com

[Another service I’m using daily, Contactually, is also out with news today. However, it’s not news of the innovative variety, but rather the service has been taken over by cats. Oh my! Check out my screengrab below.] You may have noticed something a little different this morning when trying to follow up with your contacts: Contactually has been taken over. And no, not by extraterrestrials. Not by the Alexander the Great, either (although we’d prefer either). We fell subject to an even greater foe: cat sorcerers.

Contactually has been taken over by cats for the day! 

YouTube’s ready to select a winner from Google (see below)

[In another shocker, Google just announced that it is closing its YouTube “best video” contest after 10 years of uploaded content. Now Google’s minions will retreat to a cave for another 10 years to decide which one really is the #bestvideo on YouTube.] Thanks for all your great entries. YouTube finally has enough videos to begin selecting a winner. What do you think is the #bestvideo on YouTube?

Introducing Gmail Blue from Google

[Again, the geniuses at Google are bringing email into the 21st century! It’s all blue!]

FPPad Bits and Bytes for August 24

Posted on August 24, 2012 by in Bits & Bytes

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

Advent and RedBlack Join Forces to Offer Rebalancing Solution to Investment Management Professionals from MarketWire.com

[Not one to avoid integrations, Advent is starting to respond to the competitive landscape by supporting connections to third party providers, too. Here’s the latest partnership with portfolio rebalancer RedBlack, solidifying Advent as an end-to-end portfolio management solution when coupled with previously-acquired Black Diamond (see Advent Purchases Black Diamond Performance Reporting for Approximately $73 Million).] Advent Software, Inc., a leading provider of software and services for the global investment management industry, and RedBlack Software, LLC, the largest independent provider of portfolio rebalancing software for the investment management industry, today announce that the two companies have entered into an alliance agreement to improve client use of best of breed solutions and have completed full integration between Advent Portfolio Exchange(R) (APX) and Axys(R) platforms, and RedBlack’s portfolio rebalancing solutions.

Mikogo Releases HTML5 Screen Sharing for Faster Online Meetings from PRWeb.com

[I’m very critical of online meeting software these days, particularly of certain tools that casual Internet users find too cumbersome to use. Mikogo’s been highlighted on FPPad before (see BeamYourScreen Releases Mikogo 4.0 Beta, Adds New Features), and now the company has simplified its application for end users, as they no longer need to download and install a helper application prior to joining a meeting.] A leader in online meeting technology, Mikogo has today announced the release of a major update to its award-winning HTML Viewer with the incorporation of the new HTML5 standard for Internet browsers into the software. The HTML Viewer is a 100% browser-based way for participants to join online meetings and this new release built on HTML5 technology provides users with faster screen sharing,several new features and is multilingual.

With $4 Billion In Assets Under Wraps, FutureAdvisor Raises Another $5 Million From Sequoia Capital from TechCrunch.com

[FPPad readers know of FutureAdvisor and its free 401(k) aggregation tools for consumers (see: FutureAdvisor co-founder Bo Lu at FinovateSpring 2012). Just four months after releasing its tools to the public, the company completed a $5 million Series A round. The stakes continue to raise in this direct-to-investor advice trend.] FutureAdvisor has raised a $5 million Series A round from Sequoia Capital to accelerate its growth, and it’s also rolling out a new tool to help users save on fees in their 401(k) portfolio.

LPL Helps Advisors Use Social Media Compliantly from Financial-Planning.com

[If you’re still on the fence about whether to use social media, broker-dealer LPL has useful guidance in this article from Financial Planning. However, I find the ‘Yes’/’No’ format a little strange. Note that much of the social media compliance for LPL is handled by Erado (see: Six More Designate Erado as Their Social Media Compliance Provider).] Run by a firm called Erado, LPL’s social media compliance service costs $180 a year for its advisors to use Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (that’s $60 for each platform). It archives all social media communication for potential review by regulators.

BeamYourScreen Releases Mikogo 4.0 Beta, Adds New Features

Posted on March 24, 2011 by in Software

A new version of a popular desktop screen-sharing software called Mikogo was released today by Germany-based BeamYourScreen.

Click here to learn the details on Mikogo Version 4.0 from the Mikogo blog.

Bill recognized Mikogo as the Best Client-Facing Technology for 2010 in his column for MorningstarAdvisor.com. Mikogo is a free application advisers can use to conduct desktop screen-sharing sessions with clients when face-to-face meetings are inconvenient or impractical.

Version 4.0 is being released as an open beta, meaning the software is robust enough to be used by a large community, but periodically there may be minor issues that affect performance or usability. We invite you to download and try the latest version to see how you can engage more and more of your distant clients using simple screen-sharing meetings.

Do you have other screen-sharing applications you prefer, such as GoToMeeting, WebEx, Adobe Connect, or even Skype? Let us know by dropping a comment below and tell us how well it works (or doesn’t) in your practice.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for January 14

Posted on January 14, 2011 by in Bits & Bytes

We were on the road for the first half of this week attending Laserfiche Empower 2011 in Los Angeles. While we took extensive notes over the 2 1/2 day event, we haven’t had the time to review and summarize them for posting (or post anything else for that matter!).

So check back in a week or two for our thoughts on Laserfiche’s potential to increase its presence in financial services.

Meanwhile, here are this week’s stories of interest:

Fidelity, Schwab and TD Ameritrade prep for arms race in mobile technology for advisors from RIABiz

In the next few months, Fidelity Investments and TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. will launch mobile apps for advisors that deliver functionality from their respective technology platforms, WealthCentral and Veo, according to the companies.

Advisor Tested: iPad proves ideal for advisors on-the-go; the surprise is the effect on clients from RIABiz

Tech Enables Convenient Client Connections, my January column at Morningstar Advisor

Growing advisory firms need easy tools they can use to collaborate with busy clients in real time when an in-person meeting is not possible or practical. Here are four screen-sharing tools that advisors should consider adding to their technology toolkit to enhance client service.

FPPad Bits and Bytes for December 10

Posted on December 10, 2010 by in Bits & Bytes

Illness has infiltrated FPPad headquarters, preventing us from doing much of anything work-related. Nevertheless, we still gathered some of the best technology-related stories for advisors from around the Internet for you in one, consolidated post.

Here are this week’s stories of interest:

2010’s Best Tech for Advisors at MorningstarAdvisor.com

In an annual tradition at Morningstar Advisor, December’s column reviews the best technology of the past year for financial advisors and recognizes three truly exceptional products or services.

Laserfiche Announces Salesforce.com Integration for Financial Advisors at Laserfiche.com

Laserfiche today announced the availability of a prepackaged integration with salesforce.com designed specifically for Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs). By integrating Laserfiche enterprise content management (ECM) with their CRM systems, RIAs improve client service, enhance employee efficiency and facilitate compliance.

Socialware Named as Top Tech Company to Watch from Marketwire.com

Socialware, the leader in social media compliance, today announced it has been selected by Bank Technology News as one of the Top Ten Technology Companies to Watch. The company was recognized for its technology, which is helping more than 55 financial brands engage in social media through its Socialware Compass solution, which allows companies to tailor and enforce their social media policy, moderate employee posts and tweets, and archive social data, enabling compliant, secure social media usage.

Advent Software is squandering its market leadership by keeping focus on Axys, according to a hedge fund analyst’s report from RIABiz.com

Advent Software is losing its leading position in portfolio management systems in large part because of its strategy of milking an old, cash cow product just as a growing number of competitors pump out web-based solutions that more readily integrate with complementary applications, make conversions and upgrades easier and often cost less, according to a report by a small investment company owned by a former hedge fund analyst.