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News & Commentary
Content posted in October 2001
Importance of Redundancy, Diverse Systems Grows Post-9/11, Stresses Hartford Financial's Lowenthal
News  |  10/24/2001  | 
The importance of redundant and diverse information technology systems was stressed by Craig Lowenthal, 1st VP/CIO, Hartford Financial Products, who shared his company's Sept. 11 disaster recovery experiences as part of a panel on "New Realities and Challenges in Financial Services" at this week's Financial Technology Expo & Conference in New York.
Making Wireless Work: Fidelity Exec Advocates Enhanced Functionality
News  |  10/24/2001  | 
The reason wireless has not taken off is that we have not made it easy to do, Joseph G. Ferra, chief wireless officer, Fidelity Investments, told Financial Technology Expo & Conference attendees. However, according to Ferra, aggressive financial services companies are well placed to take advantage of wireless opportunities.
When and Where STP Will Reach Insurance? FTCE Panel Debates Strategies
News  |  10/24/2001  | 
With insurance carriers focusing more and more on reducing costs and improving efficiencies, many are turning towards end-to-end processing. However, as a panel of industry executives pointed out at this week's Financial Technology Conference & Expo, straight-through processing (STP) in insurance is no slam dunk.
CRM Briefs
News  |  10/24/2001  | 
Fireman's Fund selects technology from Bottomline Technologies to help in the development of a fully automated electronic premium collections process; Irish Life standardizes on Siebel eInsurance; LOMA launches the Customer Service Institute (CSI), a collection of courses, seminars, surveys and hiring tools related to customer service.
Delivery Briefs
News  |  10/24/2001  | 
InSystems launches InSystems Group Service, an e-business portal enabling group insurance carriers to provide self-service capabilities to plan sponsors, plan members and broker/TPAs; Allstate Bank deploys components of Sanchez Computer Associates' e-Profile outsourced solution; a new partnership with AnnuityNet enables the annuities operation of Lincoln Financial Group to offer online sales and service capabilities to its distribution partners.
Class of 2000: Where Are They Now?
News  |  10/16/2001  | 
2001 has proved to be a particularly challenging year, in more ways than one. Here is what the Elite 8 2000 honorees have been up to.
Customer Focus? Now More Than Ever
News  |  10/16/2001  | 
Slumping economy notwithstanding, past Elite 8 honorees agree that investing in customer support and service remains a top priority.
Driving AIG’s Transformation Through Influence
News  |  10/16/2001  | 
Tireless energy and a highly qualified, loyal team let Mark Popolano tame the "technology monster" of AIG's vast IT organization.
Chapman Drives Focus on Business Solutions
News  |  10/16/2001  | 
American Family's Byrne Chapman steers his division toward a better understanding of the business.
Barger Sets the Stage for The Hartford Experience
News  |  10/16/2001  | 
As The Hartford's first CTO, technology generalist Ken Barger plots the infrastructure needed for a new standard of customer service and interaction.
USAA’s Steve Yates Turns IT into a Business
News  |  10/16/2001  | 
Yates uses "thrifty" experience to streamline IT and gain respect of senior management.
CIO Makes Transition from Carrier to Global Broker
News  |  10/16/2001  | 
Aon CIO June Drewry learns about the challenges associated with technically supporting products that constantly change.
McCaig Advocates Power to the IT People
News  |  10/16/2001  | 
In an increasingly complex IT world, it's the people who are the keys to success, emphasizes Chuck McCaig of Chubb.
Building IT for the Customer Economy
News  |  10/16/2001  | 
At Prudential Financial, Barbara Koster is working to make IT nimble to respond quickly to customer demands.
CIO Tested by Concurrent Y2K/Demutualization
News  |  10/16/2001  | 
Bob Walters does "more with less" as John Hancock consolidates use of external partners.
A Place at the Table
News  |  10/16/2001  | 
Challenging times bring technology executives greater influence—and heavier responsibilities.
IT Scrambles To Restore Order
News  |  10/16/2001  | 
World Trade Center tenants use lessons from 1993 bombing, quickly switch over to backup systems.
AIG CIO Recalls "Surreal" Scene
News  |  10/16/2001  | 
DISASTER RESPONSE BRIEFS
News  |  10/16/2001  | 
Contact Centers Handle Disaster Call Spike
News  |  10/16/2001  | 
Carriers' call centers proved to be up to the job of handling claims and providing service following the terrorist attacks.
Insurer Recovery Teams Do the Job
News  |  10/16/2001  | 
Executives report marathon work shifts, great morale during disaster recovery operations.
Tough Enough
News  |  10/16/2001  | 
New Zurich Life Exec To Focus on Agent E-Business
News  |  10/10/2001  | 
Zurich Life has named Michael Sladek as director of field Technology services for e-business. He will focus on developing and implementing field technology initiatives designed to enhance Zurich's distribution channels.
BCE Emergis, Principal Collaborate on E-Premium Solution
News  |  10/10/2001  | 
BCE Emergis is debuting new "order-to-pay" electronic transaction technology through a contract with The Principal Financial Group. The five-year, multi-million dollar contract will provide The Principal's group life and health business the capability to present corporate customers with electronic premium statements derived from their current enrollment databases.
Insurers Bank on Brand; Is It Enough?
News  |  10/10/2001  | 
A number of banks have experienced a fair degree of success extending customer relationships though the sale of insurance products. Until very recently, however, few insurance companies have followed suit, despite the more flexible regulatory environment. By Greg Davies, Senior Analyst/Insurance, Gomez
OpenFLEX Offers Free P&C Technology To Aid Aon & Marsh Victims
News  |  10/10/2001  | 
In order to help the families of employees of Aon and Marsh & McLennan who lost family members during the Sept. 11 attacks, OpenFLEX, Inc., will provide an AIMS-I system to each of the first five insurers that donates $50,000 or more to aid in the relief for the families that lost loved ones. OpenFLEX will match that amount up to $50,000 per system.
CDS/EQECAT Alliance Targets Underwriters
News  |  10/10/2001  | 
An alliance has been announced between CDS Business Mapping, provider of RiskMeter.com, a Web-based online property lookup source for underwriters, and EQECAT, a catastrophe risk management software provider.
Risk Management Tools Get More Attention
News  |  10/10/2001  | 
In the wake of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, airlines and others entrusted with people's lives are likely to adopt some of the risk management techniques employed by financial institutions, experts say.
CRM Briefs
News  |  10/10/2001  | 
Onyx Software will support the Microsoft Pocket PC 2002 platform with its suite of mobile CRM solutions; PeopleSoft will release a new framework for financial services for the development of "pure Internet CRM" solutions; Edify Corp. forms the Natural Language Solutions Group.
Delivery Briefs
News  |  10/10/2001  | 
CNA has launches new capabilities on its CNA Central Web site; Lincoln Re Risk Management Services (will provide quotes on group health employer stop loss insurance through Internet-based subscription service QuoteLab; New York Life Investment Management launches three new Web sites.
Cross Selling Starts With The CRM System
News  |  10/9/2001  | 
By: Steven Marlin, Executive Editor, Bank Systems & Technology, Cristina McEachern, Senior Associate Editor, Wall Street & Technology, Anthony O'Donnell, Senior Associate Editor, Insurance & Technology
ING Fast Tracks Sales Integration
News  |  10/9/2001  | 
Beaudreau Charts New Course
News  |  10/5/2001  | 
Executive News
News  |  10/5/2001  | 
SAFECO's Senegor Focuses on Financials
News  |  10/5/2001  | 
Product & Services Showcase
News  |  10/5/2001  | 
Make Web Service a Reality
News  |  10/4/2001  | 
Strategies for customer retention are the focus of Insurance & Technology's Executive Summit 2001.
Call Centers: The Next Generation
News  |  10/4/2001  | 
Call centers are transforming into communications centers where all customer contacts are managed.
Taking the Guesswork Out of Calculating Technology ROI
News  |  10/3/2001  | 
With budgets being squeezed, the return on investment for IT projects can pay off in the long run.
AAA Missouri Takes Direct Route
News  |  10/2/2001  | 
AAA Missouri chooses FileNET technology to manage underwriters' workflow.
Self-Service with Online "vRep"
News  |  10/2/2001  | 
Interactive Web bot created in CEO's image gives personalized answers to health insurer's brokers, providers, and corporate and individual clients.
Cyber News
News  |  10/2/2001  | 
WinXP Release Anticipated
News  |  10/2/2001  | 
Tech Execs See Big Advance Over Earlier Operating Systems.
Mi-Co, Cardiff Wireless Pact
News  |  10/2/2001  | 
Hartford Expands E-Biz Center
News  |  10/1/2001  | 
Extranet portal now provides transactional capabilities.
Alliances & Partnerships
News  |  10/1/2001  | 
New Contracts
News  |  10/1/2001  | 
Insurers Begin Recovery Immediately
News  |  10/1/2001  | 
After the World Trade Center attack, insurers deal with shock and grief, while emergency disaster plans kick in and IT operations are restored.


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