Life in the cloud

How we interact with the cloud in our daily lives

an image cloud shows variations of using cloud revolution

Rathbones’ cloud philosophy

“A cloud-first approach is more of an exercise in enhanced functionality than a cost.”

From the MyRathbones app to our investment research, many of our services depend on the cloud every day. Here we outline a few of the different ways we use internet computing services to manage and protect your wealth, while ensuring your personal information is always safe and secure.

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You might not know it, but many of your daily routines depend on the cloud. Here we explore how this technology forms part of our everyday life, from ordering a takeaway to working from home.

The cloud in the workplace

The cloud in everyday use

We’ve embraced a more hybrid model of working, combining time in the office with working remotely. Microsoft Azure is an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud computing provider that makes sure we have the infrastructure to make this happen. In turn, it enables us to use Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions like Microsoft Teams for meetings and Microsoft Office so that we can work on projects remotely and simultaneously.

1. Remote working

7. Client communication

2. Virtual meetings

3. Investment research

6. MyRathbones app

4. Trade execution

5. Printing

6. MyRathbones app

We have meetings with our clients and colleagues using cloud-based video conferencing software like Microsoft Teams or Zoom. These tools enable us to offer a more flexible and convenient service to our clients, meaning we can speak to you whenever and wherever is best for you.

2. Virtual meetings

1. Remote working

3. Investment research

4. Trade execution

5. Printing

7. Client communication

3. Investment research

2. Virtual meetings

4. Trade execution

5. Printing

6. MyRathbones app

1. Remote working

We can access specialist investment research at any time through the cloud, including SaaS solutions like Oxford Risk, Bloomberg and FactSet.

1. Remote working

Our trades are executed through SaaS provider Fidessa, which uses cuttingedge cloud technology to automate and simplify trading on markets worldwide.

4. Trade execution

3. Investment research

5. Printing

6. MyRathbones app

7. Client communication

2. Virtual meetings

Online food delivery apps like Deliveroo use cloud technology to accept your orders, transmit them to restaurants and send you meals. Many of these services centralise all their data in one place on the cloud, allowing them to view your ordering habits and tailor the recommendations you receive.

Eating in

Listening to music

Using cloud-based data analytics tools, streaming services like Spotify predict the music or podcasts you’ll like based on the preferences of millions of other users who have listened to the same things as you. At the same time, artists also have access to dashboards that tell them about fans’ listening trends.

Some apps use the cloud to help you manage your household finances. For example, services like Hive mean you can control your heating remotely from your smartphone. Elsewhere, online banks such as Monzo use cloud infrastructure to provide efficient mobile banking technology and budgeting tools.

Managing household finances

Online gaming runs video games on remote servers and streams so you can play with other users from around the world in real time. This model allows video game companies like Ubisoft to update games with new experiences on a subscription basis or through in-game purchases.

Gaming

The increase in cloud technology has made it easier than ever for us to book trips online. Through its app, Airbnb enables you to select from a wide range of accommodation, manage your booking and communicate with the host at any time.

Travelling

The Covid-19 pandemic has created a huge shift in the way we work, with more companies now facilitating remote working. The cloud enables employees to access projects remotely and simultaneously, creating a more efficient process. Services like Zoom also use a cloud platform to provide seamless video conferencing tools.

Working from home

The cloud allows you to stream films and boxsets on services like Netflix and Disney+. These companies use cloud technology for functions such as online storage and analytics, as well as the recommendation engine that suggests what you might like to watch next.

Watching films and boxsets

2. Virtual meetings

Using the cloud technology underpinning Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Office we can print documents wherever we are, and even send them to a different location.

5. Printing

4. Trade execution

6. MyRathbones app

7. Client communication

1. Remote working

3. Investment research

The MyRathbones app uses Amazon Web Services technology to ensure you can securely access and monitor your portfolio. At the same time, you can also manage your personal information and communicate with us at any time.

6. MyRathbones app

5. Printing

7. Client communication

1. Remote working

2. Virtual meetings

4. Trade execution

We use cloud-based services to ensure your information is safe. For example, ServiceNow helps us manage client records and communication securely, while SmartSearch’s automated platform performs a wide range of UK and international anti-money laundering checks.

7. Client communication

6. MyRathbones app

1. Remote working

2. Virtual meetings

3. Investment research

5. Printing

Illustrations: Michael Driver, Folio Art

The cloud in everyday use

The cloud in the workplace

The value of your investments and the income from them may go down as well as up, and you could get back less than you invested.

The cloud revolution