WPP results are a mixed bag for investors

·         Pre-tax profits rose by a healthy 45.6%

·          WPP has raised the dividend by 37%

·         The Share Centre lists WPP as a ‘buy’ for investors

As WPP reports its interim results, Ian Forrest, investment research analyst at The Share Centre, explains what they mean for investors

“Global advertising giant WPP, run by Sir Martin Sorrell, reported its interim results this morning. Investors will be pleased to see that pre-tax profits rose by a healthy 45.6% to £710m on a constant currency basis. Revenues in the six months to June were also up 6.8% to £5.8bn. However, it is worth noting that sales in Europe and many emerging markets slowed, with WPP reporting that many companies have become more cautious about advertising spend. Adverse currency movements are also providing a headwind at present but the dividend was raised by 37% and the company said it expects the second half to be stronger than the first half.

“Overall, these are a very mixed set of results from WPP. While the profit and dividend growth is clearly good news for those invested, the slowdown in key emerging markets is concerning if not unexpected. However, the group still expects full year sales growth of 3% and better growth in the longer term. We are maintaining our ‘buy’ recommendation due to the strong trading in the UK and US, the good prospects for growth in new digital media and the potential for a recovery in growth in emerging markets.

eBay Alternative Brings the Latest Gadgets to Consumers Worldwide

Big Apple Buddy, a New York-based shopping concierge, offers a unique way for international shoppers to access the latest tech products

New York, New York (August 26, 2015) ­ Cross-border shopping is the fastest growing branch of international e-commerce with unprecedented global demand for the latest products on the market. The U.S. retail market is the go-to place for the newest tech products, but there are still many barriers for international consumers.

Global shoppers interested in the latest tech gadgets ­ whether it¹s the Apple Watch, Hello Sense Sleep Tracker,  Soundhawk Hearing Device orSeek Thermal Camera - often turn to eBay, but that remains an imperfect solution. Counterfeit merchandise abounds, shipping charges can be expensive, after sales service may not exist and many sellers are limited in the countries they can ship to. There is now a new alternative to access the U.S. tech market.

Big Apple Buddy is a New York-based online shopping concierge that helps international consumers buy the latest technology items direct from U.S. online stores. The company delivers a seamless shopping experience by taking care of the entire buying process, allowing clients to rest easy knowing their products will be reliably shipped to their doorstep, avoiding the hassle that is sometimes associated with marketplaces such as eBay.

For example, counterfeit goods remain a risk when buying from eBay sellers. As a result, consumers may pay high-end prices, sometimes well above retail price, but receive a poor quality, or possibly even illegal imitation items. Big Apple Buddy only buys items through reputable U.S. stores such as Amazon and Best Buy, ensuring shoppers receive authentic goods, often in as little as 2-4 business days.

With return policies set by individual sellers, buying from eBay is no guarantee of having a store stand behind the purchase. This means that if an item is defective, the consumer has no recourse. Because Big Apple Buddy only buys authentic goods, it can also help with manufacturer warranty returns and repairs.

Finally, eBay listings may not be available to shoppers everywhere around the world. Because shipping is handled on a seller by seller basis, shoppers often run into eBay sellers that do not ship to their particular country. Big Apple Buddy, on the other hand, has partnered with FedEx, DHL and UPS and already ships products to thousands of clients in over 190 countries worldwide. It has satisfied clients everywhere from the U.K. and Australia to more remote corners such as Tanzania and Oman.

³Our clients are mostly busy professionals who want the latest tech products, reliably and efficiently. We leave no stone unturned to deliver for them. We advise on products, pass on shopping discounts, and answer questions around the clock,² says Ms. Chan, the co-founder.

Big Apple Buddy has helped clients around the world buy exclusive items, including the very popular Apple Watch, direct from America.

With global e-commerce expanding rapidly, international consumers will continue to demand the latest tech gadgets as they are released in the U.S. and more convenience in acquiring them. Big Apple Buddy stands ready to deliver on both counts, providing access to the latest products together with exceptional client service that sets the bar for others in the ecommerce space.

For more information, please visit www.bigapplebuddy.com.

Signals Research Group and Spirent Publish the latest Study in the multi-part series on All Things VoLTE

Spirent Communications and Signals Research Group (SRG) revealed their collaboration on the next chapter in the multi-part study of all things VoLTE. With the current industry buzz around VoWi-Fi as the vehicle for carriers to deliver seamless voice coverage, the ability to provide a great user experience has been called into question. This report, “Behind The VoLTE Curtain, Part 4” addresses the immediate concerns around the ability of VoWi-Fi to deliver a favorable user experience and a seamless interaction with the macro cellular network.

SRG worked with Spirent to analyze VoWi-Fi call quality using both residential and public venue access points, such as a major convention center and an international airport lounge. These tests included the impacts of network loading and comparisons with VoLTE, 3G HD Voice, and Skype, including test scenarios involving a mix of the aforementioned voice applications. Finally, the study detailed call hand-offs between VoWi-Fi and VoLTE to determine what, if any, challenges exist with respect to network interoperability. In this report, SRG leveraged Spirent’s Nomad User Experience Analytics System to quantify the voice quality using the industry-standard POLQA algorithm for a large number of usage scenarios. 

“By and large, we found that VoWi-Fi is as good or as bad as the underlying Wi-Fi network,” said Michael Thelander, the President of Signals Research Group. “Without question, the call quality was much better and more consistent with a residential Wi-Fi access point in a controlled environment and with minimal network traffic. With public Wi-Fi access points, the consumer needs to be more forgiving, especially in areas where other Wi-Fi users like to congregate.”

“Collaborating with SRG on this live field study gives us the opportunity to evaluate initial deployments of VoWi-Fi devices and services and explore anticipated user experience challenges,” said Kurt Bantle, senior solutions architect at Spirent Communications. “For the next study, we are looking forward to working with SRG in a controlled lab environment where we can replicate many of the same VoWi-Fi test scenarios. This will provide a more definitive understanding of the potential performance differences in the various VoLTE-enabled devices.”

Part Four in the series of VoLTE reports answers the following questions:

What is the expected call quality (MOS) of a VoWi-Fi call and how does it compare with VoLTE and 3G HD voice?

How is the VoWi-Fi MOS impacted by other background traffic on the access point and how does the performance compare with an OTT voice application, such as Skype?

What are the differences in the call quality between an end-to-end VoWi-Fi call and a voice call which combines VoWi-Fi with either VoLTE, 3G HD voice, or Skype?

How well do VoWi-Fi to VoLTE handovers and VoLTE to VoWi-Fi handovers work?

What are the flies in the ointment, such as IMS interoperability and call handovers, which might detract from an otherwise favorable user experience or give operators cause for concern?

Spirent and SRG plan to continue the collaboration with additional VoLTE-related testing, including lab-based studies of VoLTE client performance and VoLTE performance in a multi-operator network. 

For a preview of the report in Signals Ahead, “Behind The VoLTE Curtain, Part 4” please visit:http://signalsresearch.com/issue/behind-the-volte-curtain-pt-4/ .

For more information on Spirent’s Nomad User Experience Analytics System, please visithttp://www.spirent.com/Service-Experience/Fit4Launch_Measurement_Systems/Nomad_HD.