HalcyonFT Quarterly Newsletter - Q1 2025 - Updates and Recommendations

Mar 28

In this issue:

HalcyonFT honored with WealthBriefing WealthTech Americas Awards 2025
AI tools delivering new capabilities
Increase in Microsoft Cloud pricing
Vendor spotlight: BlackCloak
Microsoft’s new Quantum chip, Majorana 1
New HalcyonFT Partners: Aaron Phipps and Andrew Vega

HalcyonFT honored with WealthTech Americas Awards

HalcyonFT has been honored as a winner in the "Implementation/Partner" category of The WealthBriefing WealthTech Americas Awards 20

The annual WealthBriefing WealthTech Americas Awards program recognizes the most innovative and exceptional firms, teams, and individuals. HalcyonFT is proud to be honored by a prestigious panel of independent judges as having "demonstrated innovation and excellence during the past year."

"Receiving our second WealthTech Americas Award is an honor for the entire team at HalcyonFT and a testament to the exceptional, high-touch service that we provide to our clients," said Rodric O'Connor, Founder and Managing Partner. "We appreciate receiving recognition for our work as a true implementation partner in the investment industry, with 136 projects completed in the last year, including complex cloud, infrastructure, and cybersecurity initiatives."

For more information, please read the press release.

AI tools delivering new capabilities

Rapidly evolving artificial intelligence (AI) tools promise new functionalities and competitive advantages for early adopters in financial services.

HalcyonFT continues to monitor and evaluate new AI technologies being introduced by industry leaders and new market entrants. We carefully review the potential benefits and risks for our clients, making recommendations accordingly.

OpenAI’s GPT-4.5 and Deep Research tool
OpenAI has introduced GPT-4.5, an advanced language designed to enhance pattern recognition and creativity, and Deep Research, which generates comprehensive reports by autonomously browsing the web and streamlining research tasks. In addition, OpenAI’s Responses API is expanding the AI toolkit, helping developers to create AI agents capable of web searches, file management, and other tasks.
Google’s Gemini Deep Research
Launched last month, Gemini autonomously gathers and synthesizes web data into detailed reports.
Apple’s AI Initiatives
Although its launch has been delayed, Apple Intelligence is expected to deliver significant enhancements to Siri by 2027. This postponement highlights development challenges and the nature of the competitive AI landscape.
Amazon’s Alexa+
An upgraded AI assistant with capabilities comparable to those of advanced models like ChatGPT, Alexa+ reflects rapid advancements and intensifying competition in the AI sector.
Emerging Technologies
xAI has launched Grok, a chatbot demonstrating the growing diversity in AI offerings.
DeepSeek – do not use it.
As noted in our previous communication, DeepSeek highlighted the emerging risk associated with foreign unregulated AI applications. DeepSeek concerns include data leakage, compliance issues, lack of transparency in data collection and a very unfavorable privacy policy.

To learn more about how these and other AI technologies can benefit your business, please reach out to your HalcyonFT representative.

Increase in Microsoft pricing

HalcyonFT clients may wish to switch from monthly to annual billing as a cost-saving measure.

Microsoft has announced that, beginning on April 1, 2025, monthly billing plans will be priced 5% higher than annual billing plans for all new and renewing annual subscriptions. Most subscribers may elect to switch from monthly billing to annual billing on their renewal date.

Please note that subscriptions for previous versions of Microsoft 365 E3/E5 and Office 365 E1/E3/E5 suites with Teams included may not switch billing types. Clients with those subscriptions can either (1) continue with their existing billing plan with the increase, or (2) cancel their current subscription and replace it with separate yearly M365 or O365 and Teams subscriptions if needed.

HalcyonFT will be contacting all that will be impacted by this pricing adjustment, with recommendations on the best path forward for each subscription.

Vendor Spotlight: BlackCloak

HalcyonFT has been working with BlackCloak, an award-winning concierge cybersecurity and privacy platform, since 2023

BlackCloak is a leading cybersecurity and privacy protection firm specializing in safeguarding high-profile individuals, executives, and their families from digital and personal security threats.

Recognizing that traditional corporate cybersecurity measures often leave executives vulnerable in their personal lives, BlackCloak offers a concierge-style service that bridges the gap between corporate and personal cybersecurity. The firm’s proactive approach helps protect executives from personal cyberattacks, financial fraud, identity theft, and privacy invasions.

Services include real-time alerts, continuous risk assessments, and hands-on remediation to address vulnerabilities before they become serious threats. By blending cutting-edge technology with human expertise, BlackCloak maintains the privacy and security of executives without disrupting their daily lives or business operations.

If you are interested in learning more about BlackCloak, please contact your HalcyonFT representative.

Microsoft’s New Quantum Chip, Majorana 1;

The new Topoconductor technology advances quantum computing but increases the future risk of breaking encryption protocols.

Microsoft recently introduced Majorana 1, a new type of quantum chip aimed to stabilize quantum computing using topological qubits. This technology promises a path to developing quantum systems that theoretically will tackle problems much faster than classical computers. However, one of those problems is compromising current encryption protocols.

Majorana 1 uses a new Topological Core architecture that leverages the world’s first topological superconductor. It uses a special category of material that can create an entirely new state of matter—not a solid, liquid, or gas, but rather a topological state. Experts have drawn parallels between the invention of the topoconductor material and the introduction of semiconductor technology, which led to the advent of smartphones, computers, and other modern electronic devices.

Topoconductors can process Majorana 1 particles to produce qubits, or quantum bits,

which are the building blocks for quantum computing. Qubits are analogous to the bits (ones and zeros) that computers now use. Unlike IBM and Google’s quantum chips with superconducting qubits, Microsoft’s unique approach is theoretically more stable and could deliver more reliable and scalable quantum computing.

We believe the practical application of quantum computing is now years away—not decades as previously thought. The development of quantum computing presents a significant cybersecurity risk to key cryptographic techniques used in digital currency like Bitcoin, secure communications like email and online banking, and many more. To mitigate the risks, quantum computing companies, including Microsoft, Google, and IBM, are developing new tools and encryption algorithms to withstand encryption-breaking quantum technology.

For more information, read Microsoft’s announcement.

New HalcyonFT Partners: Aaron Phipps and Andrew Vega

Please join us in congratulating our newest partners, Aaron Phipps and Andrew Vega.

HalcyonFT attracts the best and brightest IT professionals with an attractive total rewards package, including a partner track for those who demonstrate exceptional performance for at least five years with our firm. Today, we are pleased to announce that we have two new partners: Aaron Phipps and Andrew Vega.

Aaron Phipps, Manager of Projects, joined HalcyonFT in early 2020 as a Senior Information Services Advisor before advancing to Projects Lead and later Manager of Projects. With over 20 years of IT experience, he has successfully led multiple projects, ensuring compliance and timely delivery. Aaron holds a master's degree in Information Systems and Decision Sciences from Louisiana State University. Beyond his professional achievements, Aaron is deeply committed to community service within the Bay Area, where he actively supports initiatives that drive positive change.
Andrew Vega, Manager of Systems, joined HalcyonFT in early 2020 as a Senior Information Services Advisor before advancing to Systems Lead and eventually into his current role. He holds a degree in Computer Management and Information Technology Administration from Adelphi University and brings 14 years of IT experience, including a decade in financial services. Specializing in cloud infrastructure, he focuses on deploying and securing cloud-based solutions with a multi-layered security approach to safeguard identities and data against evolving threats. Andrew provides organizations with strategic guidance on IT operations, cybersecurity, and scalable technology solutions.

We invite you to read profiles of these and other HalcyonFT team members.