We all most likely think a lot of Apple, I am neck deep with this company and I read and read of Apple's inroads into worlds long thought dead for Apple and married to Windows. That was before.........
Here is an example of what I am seeing much of, just last week I sent out the email about the FAA approving the iPad for the Aviation industry, here is yet another example. March on Apple, march on. John Hedge Funds Want Their iPads Apple's tablet sensation is proving to be a game-changer. MARCH 08, 2011 In addition to being an excellent platform for playing Angry Birds, Apple's iPad has the potential to push the laptop out of the picture at hedge funds. As the tablet's popularity continues to skyrocket, it's proving to be a game-changer in terms of how hedge fund managers get their news and research, according to a survey conducted by Agio Technology, which manages IT for hedge funds. Hedge fund managers indicated that Steve Jobs' latest handheld device allows them to track down market intelligence more quickly with apps instead of cobbling it together from the web via laptops or desktops, Agio reports. The Norman, Okla.-based IT firm provided iPads to 14 hedge fund managers at five hedge funds with an average of $1 billion in assets under management and tracked the managers' use of the devices over two months. "The use of apps provides a very tailored environment. And they're able to dive right in and get the information they need as opposed to hunting for it," says Agio chief executive Bart MacDonough. "They were more efficient through the use of targeted apps." Such precision is invaluable since it means hedge fund managers can focus on returns and keep a closer eye on risk and exposure, says Tabb Group analyst Kevin McPartland. "It's about more easily keeping in touch with the market," he says. "The ability to just flip it on, look, and then continue about your day is a huge advantage." Nine out of 10 participants in the Agio survey said the iPad made them more efficient, and 70 percent said they are pushing their firms to provide iPads alongside other mobile devices. "They're using it primarily for ... the consumption of news, for accessing their computers at work or at home, and for more of the traditional e-mail and web surfing," says Agio's McDonough. Such functions traditionally were the domain of laptops, but McDonough contends their days are numbered at hedge funds. "A couple of people actually said that specifically in the results," he relates. "They tried to use it as a laptop and were successful." According to Agio, 90 percent of the hedge fund managers surveyed said the iPad was driving them to lean more heavily on mobile devices since it enables them to remotely access order management systems or internal research. The laptop's one saving grace, however, may be its ability to support trading functionality. While it is possible for a trader to make deals on the iPad, even for hedge funds that aren't using latency-sensitive strategies, it's not the most effective way to execute trades, Tabb's McPartland argues. "There are more efficient ways for an institutional trader than to sit there and tap away," he insists. "If you are really going to be actively trading, I still think you would open up your laptop." Souring on the Blackberry? Meanwhile, Agio's research suggests the iPad may spell doom for Research In Motion's BlackBerry devices, as well. Although the BlackBerry's extinction is a long way off, many hedge fund managers are beginning to clamor for iPhones and complete emersion in the Apple operating environment since the smartphone's apps are similar to the iPad's, Agio's McDonough says. "If you coupled this study with our real-world experience in managing hedge funds' mobile devices, it's not looking good for BlackBerry." But as momentum for the iPad and iPhone builds on Wall Street, the pressure on IT departments has never been greater. They simply are managing more mobile devices than ever before, placing an unprecedented burden on security and compliance, Tabb's McPartland notes. "Think about how many devices you had five years ago – we each probably had a computer that connected to our wireless network at home," he says. "Now you probably have seven or eight devices in your house between cellphones, laptops, iPads and the desktop computer. Firms are dealing with that on a much bigger scale."
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