Category: Money Exchange

What Software as a Service Is and How It Can Help You

Software as a Service, also known as SaaS, is an application delivery system over the internet. E-mail was one of the first application offered in this manner. For business, the early innovations were things like recruitment, customer relations management, and expenses. SaaS has become a widely-used business model with more and more different kinds of applications available via the cloud.

The ability to get applications up and running very quickly is one of the attractions of SaaS. In-house IT projects can be quite complex and can take a lot of time to set up and implement. A major credit card company’s head of marketing was “like a kid in a candy store when told it would take only five weeks to get a cloud application running. IT had originally quoted 18 months”, according to the Harvard Business Review.

Using packaged or in-house software means that you have to shop around and evaluate, purchase, install, keep secure, maintain, and regularly upgrade. This places an added burden on your IT team, with the possibility of projects getting back-logged and not done on time. Integration of the various applications could be tricky and time consuming. SaaS comes as a relief.

SaaS keeps growing and more businesses are turning to this model for their applications. The growing use of mobiles in business has taken great advantage of Software as a Service. You no longer have to be in the office to be able to access your work. The increase in the standard internet connectivity speeds makes working remotely a lot easier these days. Files can be synced, as well, so when you return to the office you can continue on your computer as if you had never left.

The standardisation of digital technologies makes it easier to integrate and share cloud-based programs and services. These common protocols allow users to work on multiple devices, all the while having a better experience. More and more users are happy to work in this way thanks to the familiarity, usability and simplicity of web-like environments.

Having no software or hardware to purchase, install, maintain or update makes SaaS very attractive to many businesses. As a user, there’s little to do until you actually start using the software. Familiar web-based interfaces is a major draw to SaaS, building on the consumer web that users already know. Updates are often made regularly so there is no need to put IT resources into maintenance. The ability to work, in real time, either remotely or with others who are located elsewhere is a big draw for businesses towards SaaS.

As computing systems increase in sophistication and power, SaaS has kept pace, moving up from simple single applications and becoming a practical approach for large or enterprise-scale solutions. The benefits of SaaS are many. The service costs are scaled, depending on the size of your business and the number of applications you need and the number of people who will be working on them. If you have offices across the country or the globe, everyone in your company can access the same applications and the same data, at the same time.

The future of SaaS will see even more growth in the industry. The cloud approach can help companies develop end-to-end integrated solutions and allow them to concentrate on what they do best, leaving a wide range of hardware and software IT issues to service providers. Long-term relationships with SaaS will grow and the input from you, their customers, will help to make Software as a Service even better. Understanding customer’s needs and being able to deliver solutions is placing SaaS as the go-to service for many businesses.

PayPal seeking to increase mobile usage

The trend towards mobile engagement and ‘mobile-first’ business strategies is continuing virtually unabated for the vast majority of tech companies operating today. Even the largest global influencers, including the likes of PayPal, have made it clear that their next iteration of consumer engagement strategies will heavily rely on mobile-integrated design and deployment.

In reality, this news should come as no surprise. Recent studies have shown that a substantial majority of internet consumers now complete their online shopping using their mobile or portable device, such as a tablet. Although desktops and laptops (now considered ‘traditional browsing tools’) remain a potent force in the world of e-commerce, continued changes instigated by search engine giants such as Google (who has geared search engine page rankings in favour of mobile-optimised websites) have delivered a strong message to web-based companies that those who ignore mobile browsers and consumers will be heavily penalised.

Regarding PayPal, the company has made it clear that their primary objective remains to become an indispensable, highly utilised tool favoured by the general public at large. PayPal recently announced that 2016 will include heavy investments in mobile deployment strategies, new security measures and a host of other improvements, all of which will, it is hoped, help the company overshadow its competitors and become the de facto payment tool for individuals around the world.

The remittance software industry, which includes PayPal and a host of other applications, remains a highly competitive arena, even when considering PayPal’s historic dominance. The fact that so many new companies can make their mark here, either due to ease of use, security or convenience, has proved to be a sharp reminder for PayPal that their size and legacy could easily diminish if the company does not continue to adapt to the changing nature of the internet and the dynamics of consumer interaction.

As it stands, PayPal currently remains the leader in global remittance software by a hefty margin. In Q1 alone, the company processed well over $3.2 billion US in consumer transactions. Additionally, the company added well over four million new active accounts in Q1 alone. In the eyes of PayPal’s corporate leadership, however, this is just the tip of a much larger iceberg. More information regarding PayPal’s proposed mobile updates will likely be made available to the public in the upcoming months.

Currency Exchange for Summer Holidays

It seems that something always comes between you and the relaxing vacation you’ve been fantasising about for the past several months. Whether it’s work, family commitments, or whatever other obligations may arise, luck is rarely on the side of the busy working adult when it comes to planning their next summer holiday. This summer, however, poses its own series of unique challenges, most notably in the form of the Brexit vote, a referendum which, regardless of its outcome, is destined to wreak havoc on one of the most important institu-tions for travellers when it comes to preparing for a pending vacation – currency exchange.

The topic of currency exchange has gained a new degree of relevance as the outcome of the Brexit vote becomes increasingly uncertain. Although markets did tremble slightly as the “Leave” campaign began ramping up their efforts to woo would-be voters, the full effect of their actions is now being felt not only politically but fiscally as well. The pound has plummet-ed in recent weeks over fears that Brexit will result in a massive devaluation of the domestic currency. Although it is obvious that a host of other international parameters can also be con-sidered key influencers dictating the value of the pound, Brexit has loomed largest over these examinations.

So, as a would-be traveler, the question you are most likely facing is this: is it better to ex-change currency now, embracing a lower exchange rate while avoiding the potential of a massively diminished currency following the Brexit vote, or should you hold out in hopes of a strong British pound (due most likely to a successful ‘Remain’ vote). In situations such as these, it is, perhaps, best to listen to the experts. Goldman Sachs weighed in on the issue, stating, “A vote for the UK to exit from the EU is an event that would increase uncertainty, weigh on the UK outlook and raise concerns of foreign investors – potentially interrupting the flow of capital to the UK, sending the pound much lower.”

Of course, so much of this evaluation is based purely on speculation. To fully understand how summer travellers will be affected by Brexit, the simple truth is this – we have to wait for the final results of the voting. There has been an unprecedented level of speculation, postur-ing, and theorising regarding the consequences of the pending vote, but these dialogues are, on the most fundamental level – theories. Given the fact that there is no precedent for a Brex-it-esque scenario, it is virtually impossible to state with confidence what the concrete logistics of such an outcome.

That being said, it seems reasonable to assume that, if Brexit did occur, summer travellers may have far more on their minds than simply where they will be travelling during their holi-day or what their preferred currency exchange rate may be. Experts are theorising that a successful Brexit push could initiate a currency free fall, the likes of which have not been seen for decades. With that in mind, both summer travellers and workers alike may consider exchanging a reserve of currency simply so as to ensure that they are prepared for whatever events may unfold the evening of June 23rd. And, for those who are ready to embark upon their holiday in the days leading up to Brexit, consider it a worthwhile piece of advice to pay close attention to the daily shifts of the foreign exchange markets, as rates are likely to shift dramatically on a moment-by-moment basis during this tense period.

Great British Pound currency rate forecast for 2016

For those who follow currency news, it is, perhaps, restating the obvious that the British pound has been through its fair share of highs and lows in recent months as the Brexit vote draws ever closer. It doesn’t taken advanced currency exchange software to realise that the currency markets are in a period of turmoil. As polls continue to demonstrate a constantly shifting balance of influence between the ‘remain’ and ‘leave’ camps, the pound has sent for-eign exchange traders down a rabbit hole of frantic phone calls and urgent conversations with clients.

As we saw in the opening days of June, the pound was unable to achieve the bullish start that analysts had hoped for. As the ‘leave’ camp gained greater traction amongst voters, ex-change traders were hesitant to buy into the currency due to the potential for massive de-clines in the short term. That being said, a variety of metrics have been issued recently, such as the May Construction and Services PMIs, which may help to offset the negative effects of Brexit-inspired political and economic insecurity.

Perhaps yet another reason that the pound has been unable to shake off the shadow of Brex-it is due to the fact that typical campaigning methods used by politicians and political estab-lishments – such as the Bank of England – have failed to impress voters who have long ago grown cynical regarding their own representatives. Although outright fear-mongering on be-half of both parties has helped to serve as a ‘brute force’ influencer on some undecided vot-ers, the fact remains that deeply held convictions regarding immigration, economic produc-tivity, and a general sense of British identity will determine how this vote ends, not the base-less pandering of lobbyists and other promoters.

Of course, the pound will also be affected by various news being reported out of the US, in-cluding the monthly non-farm payroll data. Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen has indicated that any move to raise interest rates in the short-term will likely be influenced and moulded by the outcome of Brexit, which is reasonable given the extent to which either outcome will in-fluence the economy. Those hoping to stay abreast of current rates can do so using any one of several industry standard currency exchange software packages.

The differences between an online forex software to broker forex

Trying to introduce a newly minted investor to the forex marketplace can be quite challenging. Unlike standardised stock exchanges, the world of foreign exchange is a dynamic, round-the-’clock affair, filled with a sophisticated array of strategies and tactics which contain their fair share of risk and reward. In today’s investing environment, there are two predominant forms of forex trading, those being online forex software and broker-managed forex accounts. Depending upon your previous experience with forex and your level of interest in the day-to-day workings of your forex holdings, each of these two forms of trading may be a perfect match for your needs. With that in mind, we’ve taken the time to outline the key differences between these two platforms in order to help you determine what your next steps should be.

On a very basic level, the primary difference between a broker-managed forex account and online forex software is the level of oversight by investment professionals. As could be expected, broker-managed accounts are managed exclusively by a seasoned foreign exchange broker. In exchange for expert-level advice, casual investors will be required to pay their broker through either a commission basis or recurring fee. Although this will likely reduce profits over time, it’s important to note that the overall gains secured through this form of collaboration may exceed those obtained by a casual investor with little to no knowledge of the forex marketplaces who chooses to manage their own account.

For those who feel very comfortable with the fine details of the forex marketplace, forex online software will likely prove to be an excellent alternative to a broker managed account. Using forex online software, investors can access virtually all of the data that brokers rely upon to make their strategic decisions for clients. Although investors who choose to rely on software instead of a broker will likely be unable to solicit advice from investment professionals, they will also be the exclusive recipient of their profits. This is a significant advantage which will most appeal to those with extensive experience in this marketplace.

Regardless of where you may find yourself in the process of determining whether to hire a broker or become your own day trader, it’s worth taking the time to download all available trials of forex online software so that you can better assess the current state of the industry. We wish you the best of luck in your investment endeavours!

Exchange Rate Forecast for GBP Post-Brexit

It should come as no surprise that recent developments in British politics have proven to be a catalyst for significant fluctuations across a wide array of financial markets. The GBP has proven itself to be particularly sensitive to a post-Brexit reality, with a dramatic free fall in currency value occurring as the vote began to swing towards a Brexit victory. Now that the vote has passed and lawmakers have vowed to heed the will of the people on this issue, the next step for the British government is to trigger the much-discussed Article 50, which will kick off a two-year process of formal negotiation before the UK is no longer an EU member. Precise-ly when Article 50 will be executed however, is unknown, and this is uncertainty is keeping the GBP in rather tepid water as investors remain hesitant as to whether or not a re-investing is in their best interest. Although currency exchange software is not, in itself, a source of knowledge or advice, the charts for recent GBP activity found in these programs will provide no short supply of drama and suspense.

This is not to say, however, that the GBP has not regained some its value since hitting a mul-ti-decade low the day after the vote was completed. In fact, it could be viewed as some form of optimism that the GBP was able to weather as well as it did not only the Brexit results, but also the sudden resignation of David Cameron, a credit downgrade, and bitter infighting amongst members of Parliament. With this in mind, it seems reasonable to assume that, alt-hough progress may be slow, the GBP will continue to regain value as the world comes to grips with the new face of the EU and a starkly independent Britain.

In the more immediate future, many fx investors are waiting to see if the Bank of England opts to pursue a rate cut as a means to encourage business growth and investment in this critical time. Monetary policy easing is definitely one method by which supports can be erected to prop up the GBP and ensure that future declines will be limited in scope. At the moment, the GBP is hovering comfortably at 1.32 GBP / USD. Although many professionals are somewhat bearish regarding future price movements, it is widely acknowledged that the Bank of England pending announcements will significantly influence both short and long-term pricing. Those with currency exchange software are advised to watch the GBP closely in the upcoming weeks.

The Referendum and the GBP

Now that Brexit has finally arrived, it’s possible to dispense with the endless series of predictions and hypotheses related to currency issues and discuss the concrete reality of a post-referendum British pound. For many of us, it doesn’t take sophisticated forex software to predict that the GBP would suffer in the immediate aftermath of this landmark decision. In keeping with the assessments of virtually all analysts, the Pound initially experienced a tre-mendous pricing shock as it became increasingly clear that the referendum was swinging away from the “remain” camp towards a definitive “Leave” vote. As the tallying of votes neared to a close, investors fled from the Pound, causing its value to plummet to levels which have not been seen for the past several decades.

Fortunately for both investors and the economy at large, however, the Pound has begun its path to recovery. Coming off of an immediate post-Brexit low which involved nearly 11% be-ing shaved off the Pound, the British currency has experienced a largely optimistic rebound, sitting currently at nearly 1.33 GBP / USD. It will be quite interesting to observe how the GBP will react to international and domestic policy maneuvers in the upcoming weeks. A number of significant decisions are quite likely looming in the short term, including whether or not the Bank of England will issue a rate cut in an effort to reinforce economic stability in this volatile period.

Although much of British politics have been unpredictable and turbulent, experts are in agreement that the GBP is behaving within clearly defined and expected patterns, at least for the moment. Given the fact that the UK has expressed that they will not initiate divorce proceedings from the EU until the beginning of the new year, it stands to reason that this de-lay will likely mitigate some of the risks associated with this currency. That being said, it is, perhaps, implausible to believe that the GBP will recover significantly or even approach pre-Brexit value until some sort of decisive announcement is made relating to not only the time-line for the pending Brexit, but also the finer details which will properly illuminate how this his-toric moment will influence the political, economic and cultural spheres of the country at large.

Although many experts continue to express their skepticism regarding the short-term outlook for the GBP, it may be worth keeping a close eye on to see if any forthcoming politi-cal actions catalyse investor enthusiasm. For those with industry-standard forex software, a concise, up-to-the minute evaluation would be immensely interesting to observe

What exactly is Forex Trading?

The chances are good that most casual investors have, at some point or another, heard the term “Forex trading”. Many others are well aware what the term “forex” means, but simply had no idea that currency could be traded in similar fashion to stocks and bonds. With that in mind, we’ve decided to create this brief primer which should, hopefully, illuminate some of the more complex concepts and ideas within the forex marketplace.

At its most fundamental level, forex trading involves offering a single unit of a currency, be it the British Pound, US Dollar, etc., in exchange for a unit of a differing national currency. Be-fore these currencies are traded, a price is agreed to at which the units will be exchanged. Like bonds and stocks, currency is traded in a variety of marketplaces all over the world. What you may not have known, however, is that forex trading is by far the most heavily trad-ed market in the entire world. In fact, the estimated value of all daily forex transactions is ap-proximately $5.3 trillion.

The forex markets were created largely to facilitate international trade. In the era before the Euro, European forex trading was a highly active marketplace. Today, forex remains a hive of activity even with a common currency among the bulk of European nations. Savvy trad-ers attempt to speculate how future prices for currency will be affected by various parame-ters, be it political turbulence, economic news or other influential forces. Just like the tradi-tional stock market, the goal is to earn a profit by buying a currency at a low price and selling it when it is valued much more highly.

One of the primary distinctions between the forex marketplace and the more traditional stock markets is that forex trading occurs 24 hours a day, 5.5 days a week. This is due to the fact that there is no centralized trading hub for the forex market. Every forex transaction taking place today occurs through a sophisticated computer trading system. Although this may sound somewhat unreliable, it’s important to remember that these systems are used by countless professional traders on a daily basis. Believe it or not, there are no physical forex exchanges in existence!

Given the fact that only small changes seem to occur in the price of various curren-cies, forex traders often engage in extensive leveraging to maximize their profits. Leveraging can be thought of as borrowing large amounts of capital in order to engage in massive trans-actions within the forex marketplace. If you are trading through a large brokerage firm, it’s not uncommon for 1000:1 leverage to be offered to those interesting in taking it. That being said, it’s important to remember that, while leveraging offers the possibility of big gains, it can also result in crippling losses!

Although this may sound like a unique and exciting world, it’s important to remember that forex trading can be an unforgiving world for novices. Before beginning your pursuit into forex trading, it will well be worth your time to properly educate yourself in the fine workings of this sophisticated system. Without this knowledge, you may find yourself out of luck and out of cash!

Fortunately, a variety of powerful forex trading platforms are available for those who are willing to take a step forward and venture into this fascination world. In fact, many forex simulators are also available for individuals who would prefer to test their strategies with fake currency before investing their own funds. Best of your luck with your adventures into forex trading!

Banks close branches as things go Digital

The digital revolution has fundamentally changed how we think about a surprising number of facets of our daily lives. Whether it’s mail service, grocery store visits or retail shopping, there are no shortage of “substitutions” for experiences which, previously, had in-volved “real” interactions. Now, however, a new era of online security and digital perfor-mance has begun to threaten the time-honoured tradition of visiting the bank for deposits, withdrawals and consultations.

A number of high street banks have begun announcing that they will cease or dramatically reduce operations in brick and mortar locations across the country. Lloyds Bank, for exam-ple, has recently declared that they are planning on closing nearly 200 branch locations due to a decrease in in-store patronage and the rising costs associated with maintaining physical branch stores.

Lloyds is not alone. Barclays, HSBC, and RBS have each announced a series of layoffs which, they claim, are due in large part to the shifting nature of bank transactions and the in-creasingly widespread adoption of online banking as a credible replacement for in-store transactions. Although it may seem somewhat callous to believe that high street banks are terminating employment opportunities in order to preserve their financial livelihood, it is im-portant to remember that the banking industry has been just as affected by start-ups and dis-rupters as various other marketplaces around the world. Given the growing number of online-only banking systems, each of which requires substantially fewer charges and expenses for account access, it has become an absolute necessity for the banking giants to change with the times.

Only time will tell if the high street banks can survive the competition posed by fast-moving startups such as Mondo and Curve Card, each of which has their sights set on extracting market share from the titans currently dominating the industry. What is for certain, however, is that technological innovation and change are now undeniable facets of the banking indus-try as much as they are any other. Consumers will, it is hoped, be the ultimate benefactors from this dynamic and volatile period of growth and increased competition. That being said, it is far too early to gauge precisely how the finance industry will cope with such existential threats to its firmly embedded methods of operation. Currency exchange software and other services which may previously have been offered will likely continue to exist. For those seek-ing a viable currency exchange softwaresolution, a number of attractive options are current-ly on the market today.

Benefits of FOREX

The foreign exchange marketplace is arguably one of the most fascinating, complex and simultaneously intimidating trading environments on the planet. A decentralised, round-the-clock world of buying and selling, foreign exchange remains a somewhat opaque arena for those who have not been properly acquainted with the fine details of its workings. How-ever, those who are willing make the substantial time investment required to master its opera-tions will likely uncover many benefits.

Perhaps one of the most appealing perks of the foreign exchange marketplace is the oppor-tunity to practice and refine new strategies without any upfront financial investment. After selecting a preferred trading platform, both amateur and professional investors will gain the ability to undertake mock-trading. For those who have never traded within the foreign ex-change marketplace before, this will serve as an excellent hands-on introduction. Profes-sional investors will find such practice to be an excellent vehicle for simulating the effects of newly conceived investment strategies.In fact it is quite possible that an investor may actively trade in both a legitimate account as well as a practice account, ensuring that their real world trades are backed by extensive experience within simulators.

Investors who are savvy with technology will find the foreign exchange marketplace to be particularly stimulating due in large part to the fact that the trading platforms powering this marketplace are constantly evolving. The decentralised nature of foreign exchange has re-sulted in the growth of trading platforms in countries around the world, each of which Is ac-tively competing for the attention of investors. With this in mind it should come as no surprise that platform developers are constantly seeking to gain an edge over their competitors. Such competition can only serve to benefit investors. Instead of being forced to navigate ageing platforms commonly found in the equities and stock markets, foreign exchange investors will enjoy an intuitive and engaging experience powered by cutting-edge software.

For those with an appetite for risk, foreign exchange offers many benefits, namely an exten-sive leveraging system by which large amounts of investment capital can be accessed with relatively small initial deposits. It is quite common for investors to trade well over four hun-dred times the amount of capital they currently have available. While such a system obvi-ously comes with its fair share of risks, the rewards cannot be ignored. Far from an anomaly, leverage of this nature is a commonly observed phenomenon within the foreign exchange marketplace.

As stated previously, there exists fierce competition amongst platform developers seeking to attract new clients. Because of this, a growing number of loyalty programs now exist which provide financial rewards for investors who make repeated trades on a single platform. This is likely to be a refreshing change of pace from traditional online stock platforms, where hefty charges are levied against every trade. In fact, there now exist loyalty programs within the forex environment where investors are compensated for each trade they make.

Last, but certainly not least, among benefits found within the foreign exchange marketplace are the numerous opportunities for free education and consulting services offered by today’s leading forex platforms. In an effort to dispel notions that forex is a cryptic and undeciphera-ble world, trading platforms are working diligently to help new investors master the basics of trading as quickly as possible. In recent years, transparency and engagement have become core principles of operation.

As you can see, there are no shortage of benefits available to those seeking admittance into the exciting world of foreign exchange. Now is the time to begin your own personal journey into a fascinating niche of today’s financial services industry. Good luck, and happy invest-ing!

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