Content posted in October 2006
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Tracking Trouble
To fix Web portal errors in real time and increase the productivity of its independent sales force, State Auto Insurance Companies taps TeaLeaf CX Solutions.
Rewriting a Legacy
Munich Re completes a worldwide legacy system consolidation to speed business processes and improve data quality.
Paying for the Future
Technologies such as SOA and modeling will be key to insurers' compliance with the Pension Protection Act of 2006.
Lost Opportunities
Security is costly, and failed security is even more costly.
Anthem Pilots Cost Estimation Tool
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield launches an online tool that breaks down the cost of medical procedures to enable consumers to make informed decisions about their health care spending.
The Seeds of IT Culture
Probably no single factor influenced the development of Bangalore as a center of industry more than the city's long-standing educational culture, fostered by the intertwining influences of Bangalore's colonial administrative establishment and it's pleasant weather. The city's educational establishment comprises institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science-one of the oldest in the country, having been founded in 1911-and several others dating to recent decades, including the Indian Instit
Driving In India
The headline should not suggest that I attempted to drive in India. Perish the thought. My various hosts always made sure to schedule transportation to get where I needed to go (if not necessarily always at the appointed time). One way Indian Drivers compensate for traffic congestion is to refuse to be bound by the concept of lanes, even when these are clearly painted on the tarmac.
This creates a terrifying spectacle to the eye of the uninitiated, especially as vehicles range in size and type
Bustling Bangalore
The Southern India city of Bangalore has long been considered something like the Florida of India-a good-weather destination that makes a nice place to study in or retire to. Like Florida, Bangalore is in the South, but in India "good weather" means cooler weather, which Bangalore enjoys by virtue of its elevation at roughly 3000 feet above sea level. As an administrative and educational seat dating from the days of British occupation, Bangalore long enjoyed a leisurely, small-town feel-very dif
Introduction: India Blog
India has proven itself a leading destination for offshore outsourcing through its success with many customers in the insurance industry, as in others. There is therefore no need to establish its basic credentials. However, for those who have yet to do business with India we feel there is some utility in sharing the experience of being in India as it sheds light on many aspects that illuminate both the advantages and challenges of working with Indian partners, as well as giving a deeper impressi
Software To The Rescue For SOX And HIPAA
Still, technology is no substitute for knowledge when it comes to keeping in compliance with government regulations.
A Passage to India
Be sure to visit Insurance & Technology's new blog for reports from Senior Editor Anthony O'Donnell. Anthony will be traveling to Bangalore, Mumbai, Udaipur, Delhi and Agra, meeting with vendors and carrier executives.
Business Objects Acquires ALG
Business Objects bought the Cheshire, England-based vendor through an all-cash transaction for all outstanding shares of ALG Software by Business Objects (U.K.) Ltd., a wholly owned U.K. subsidiary of Business Objects.
Elite 8: Joan Zerkovich, Senior Vice President and CIO, International Catastrophe Managers (ICAT)
Anthony O'Donnell, Senior Editor of Insurance & Technology, speaks with Joan Zerkovich, one of I&T's Elite 8 2006, about how her decisive leadership and a background in distributed computing and Web-based technology drove the technology transformation of catastrophe insurance start-up ICAT.
Elite 8: Jeffrey I. Stoll, Senior Vice President and CIO, Individual Business Application Development, MetLife, inc.
Anthony O'Donnell, Senior Editor of Insurance & Technology, speaks with Jeff Stoll, one of I&T's Elite 8 2006, about how Stoll has taken MetLife's Individual Business Division through M&A challenges and legacy consolidation and modernization projects of a magnitude equal to any the insurance industry has seen in recent years.
Elite 8: Jim Court, Vice President and CIO, First American P&C Insurance Group
Anthony O'Donnell, Senior Editor of Insurance & Technology, speaks with Jim Court, one of I&T's Elite 8 2006, about how Court's from-the-ground-up technology renovation helped First American P&C to go from revenues of $12 million in net written premium to $125 million within six years.
Elite 8: Allen Bowen, SVP, Information Systems, Ohio National Financial Services.
Maria Woehr, associate editor of Insurance & Technology, speaks with Al Bowen, senior vice president, information systems of Ohio National Financial Services and one of I&T's Elite 8 2006, about his accomplishments in the industry and what is next for Ohio National.
Elite 8: John Kellington, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Ohio Casualty
Anthony O'Donnell, Senior Editor of Insurance & Technology, speaks with John Kellington, one of I&T's Elite 8 2006, about how an enterprise technology orientation, development methodologies, project management discipline and astute staff development have driven an unsurpassed record of success at Ohio Casualty.
Elite 8: Bruce Goodman, Senior Vice President and Chief Service and Information Officer, Humana Inc.
Kathy Burger, editorial director of Insurance & Technology, talks with Bruce Goodman, senior vice president and chief service and information officer, and one of I&T's Elite 8 2006, about how by tracking emerging technology developments, Goodman is able to identify real-world applications that make the health insurer an easy-to-work-with partner.
Elite 8: Stuart McGuigan, Senior Vice President and CIO, Liberty Mutual Insurance Group
Maria Woehr, associate editor of Insurance & Technology, speaks with Stuart McGuigan, executive vice president and enterprise CIO of Liberty Mutual Group, and one of I&T's Elite 8 2006, about his accomplishments and how the business is using IT to enhance customer service.
Elite8: Rick Roy, Senior Vice President, Customer Operations, CUNA Mutual Group
Maria Woehr, associate editor of Insurance & Technology, speaks with Rick Roy, senior vice president of Customer Operations of CUNA Mutual Group, and one of I&T's Elite 8 2006, about the responsibilities and challenges of his new position.
Insurance 2020: Innovating beyond old models
Vendor Podcast
"Insurance 2020 - Innovating beyond old models" discusses the strategic challenges insurance companies will face in the insurance marketplace of the future and shares ideas for moving from today's realities to tomorrow's potential.
In this interview, Mike Adler, Industry Leader for IBM's Global Business Services Insurance Practice and Jamie Bisker, Global Insurance Industry Leader for IBM's thought leadership group, the Institute for Business Value discuss the ye
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Insurance & Technology caught up with some of last year's Elite 8 honorees to find out in their own words what has been the biggest change in their job responsibilities over the past year and what they anticipate to be their key areas of focus for the coming year.
The Top 10 Challenges
That Keep Insurance CIOs up at Night
Growth Engine
Al Bowen, SVP of information systems, is modernizing Ohio National Financial Services' infrastructure to support agents' use and aggressive business growth.
Agile Infrastructure
Jim Court's from-the-ground-up technology renovation helped First American P&C boost revenues from $12 million in net written premium to $125 million within six years.
No Retreat
Jeff Stoll has led MetLife's Individual Business Systems division through M&A, legacy consolidation and modernization efforts of a magnitude equal to any the industry has ever seen.
Old and New Worries Keep CIOs Awake at Night
Aligning IT and business, and attracting and retaining IT talent are among the top CIO concerns, according to the Society for Information Management.
Art of the Possible
By tracking emerging technology developments, Humana's Bruce Goodman is able to identify real-world applications that make the health insurer an easy-to-work-with partner.
What Makes a Successful CIO?
The constant evolution of information and a changing competitive environment -- shaped by such diverse forces as general economic conditions, industry consolidation, changing customer expectations, and natural and man-made catastrophes -- ensure that the profile of the effective insurance technology executive continues to change. In this article, distinguished industry observers comment on what makes a successful insurance CIO.
Complementary Styles, Collaborative Solutions
Drawing on insights from his experience as both insurer CIO and vendor, Elite 8 2000 honoree Max Drucker reflects on the carrier-vendor divide.
Preparing for the Unknown
Elite 8 2005 honoree Mike Byam spearheads The Hartford's aggregated risk management movement.
Customer Insight
Rick Roy is refocusing CUNA Mutual Group's technology to improve service, beginning with a systems consolidation effort designed to create a single view of the customer.
Up in Arms
For Liberty Mutual's Stuart McGuigan, increasing speed to market is an arms race. To stay ahead of the competition, he is tapping technology to drive business productivity.
Technology Factory
Enterprise technology orientation, development methodologies, project management discipline and astute staff development drive John Kellington's record of success at Ohio Casualty.
Fresh Perspective
Joan Zerkovich brought decisive leadership and a background in distributed computing and Web-based technology to the tech transformation of catastrophe insurance start-up ICAT.
Head of the Class
A Few Years AGO, when the "Does IT Matter?" debate about the strategic importance of information technology was raging, it seemed that the role of the senior technology executive -- the CIO and numerous variations on that title -- was likely to become less important, or at least more narrow in scope.
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