Content posted in April 2008
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Telepresence Solutions Help Organizations Enhance Customer Service, Performance and Operations
As vendors continue to broaden the telepresence portfolio, real-time video communication will become increasingly standard, improving the pace of doing business.
In an Increasingly Global World, Insurers Who Leverage Telepresence and Videoconferencing's Capabilities Put Themselves Ahead of the Curve
The continued evolution of virtual communication has made telepresence and videoconferencing feasible as an integrated part of a firm's unified communications, driving more efficient and cost-effective operations.
New Telepresence and Videoconferencing Technologies Offer Strategic Front-Office and Back-Office Benefits
How can telepresence and videoconferencing technology help insurers enhance customer satisfaction, improve distributor performance and optimize operations? What are the requirements and success factors insurers should address to maximize the value of their investments in telepresence and videoconferencing solutions? And what are some of the future capabilities that the technologies may offer?
Insurance Web Portals and Online Self-Help
Sites such as Barnes & Noble's Quamut show that there's growing demand on the Web for trusted, expert advice. Why couldn't a carrier leverage its brand recognition and create a Web site for trusted insurance information?
Predictions: More Hurricanes in 2008, Ice Age to Follow
"Companies should not be resting on their laurels when developing risk management strategies and determining prices. Instead, insurers need to factor in issues surrounding climate change and must look to incorporate long-term weather trends into their pricing," says Tom Hettinger, managing director, EMB America.
RSA Insurance Ireland Selects Agiliance
RSA Insurance Ireland has selected Agiliance IT-GRC 3.0 for its compliance initiatives.
WSI Unveils Hurricane Forecast Service
WSI Corporation has introduced LiveCat Forecast, a service to predict the path and intensity of upcoming hurricanes.
Knight Drives the BASICs at Chubb
Chubb's new enterprise CIO Jim Knight will work towards bringing the carrier's IT organization to new levels of capability.
Unum Group's Simply Unum Initiative Taps Technology's Capability to Provide Flexibility, Balance and Momentum
Unum's Tom Watjen, one of I&T's 2007 Tech-Savvy CEOs, describes how the success of the carrier's Simply Unum initiative is driving further IT/business alignment.
BlueCross BlueShield's Vicky Gregg Embraces IT's Ability to Transform Health Insurance
Investment in data management technologies and adoption of "green" business principles are among the ways Vicky Gregg, president and CEO of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, is trying to change the way health insurers do business.
PMA Insurance Group Follows Vendor to Java-Based Platform
PMA Insurance Group weighed ease of use, the merits of a single reporting platform and cost-effectiveness in deciding whether to follow Hyperion's migration to a Java-based platform.
NFS Standardizes Reporting on WebFOCUS
Nationwide Financial moves to consolidate enterprise operational reporting onto a single platform, leveraging the latest release of Information Builders' WebFOCUS.
I&T’s 2008 Tech-Savvy CEOs Know How to Leverage IT to Flourish in Tough Economic Times
Although financial services CEOs are generally pessimistic about the current economic and business environment, the insurance company CEOs featured in Insurance & Technology's 2008 "Tech-Savvy CEOs" report have succeeded by championing the use of technology as a means for innovation and differentiation.
Liberty Mutual to Acquire Safeco
Liberty Mutual Group has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Safeco and significantly expand its Agency Markets business unit.
MassMutual Creates New Workplace Environments To Match IT Transformation Effort
Greetings from Massachusetts, where I've just completed a series of face-to-face interviews with several technology and business executives at MassMutual for an upcoming Carrier Confidential feature.
The Springfield, Mass.-based carrier is in the midst of an ambitious and far reaching technology tra
MassMutual Launches New Recruitment Web Site
MassMutual has launched a new video-intensive Web site aimed to recruit potential employees and agents, especially those currently based outside the financial services industry.
Northwestern Mutual CIO Schaefer Drives Greater Maturity
Tim Schaefer will leverage the experience of a wide-ranging career within Northwestern Mutual to shepherd the carrier's IT organization to new levels of maturity.
Lincoln General Selects Valen’s UnderRight Solution
Lincoln General Insurance Company will implement UnderRight, Valen's predictive analytics solution.
Alignment From The Top: Great CEOs and CIOs
As much progress as CIOs have made over the last decade in making their mark on strategic direction, their ability to bring their influence to bear remains dubious. That being the case, "it is critical that the ultimate strategic leadership of the insurer -- the CEO -- understand the potential enablers IT brings, since they are often the only leader that can get past the tyranny of the ROI model," says Chuck Johnston of Oracle.
MassMutual Attracts New Agents, Dispels Common Insurance Myths Using Web Site
A new MassMutual web site is using videos featuring real insurance professionals to dispel the negative connotations that surround jobs like insurance agent.
Survey Says Wall Street Likes Insurance IT Spend
Among the survey's surprising findings were P&C and life insurance analysts' bullishness on operational efficiency or "transformational" programs - which at 77 percent ranked only slightly behind share buybacks (83%) and well ahead of product and service innovations (56%) in respondents' identification of important uses of capital.
CCC Information Services And Mitchell International Announce Merger
CCC Information Services and Mitchell International will combine in a $1.4 billion merger-of-equals transaction.
FirstBest Systems And INSTEC Form Partnership
FirstBest Systems And INSTEC have formed a strategic alliance and will look to develop joint underwriting solutions.
AMS Connectivity Services Rolls Out Download Certification
AMS Connectivity Services (ACS) has rolled out Download Certification for the exchanging of information through any of the vendor's various agency management systems.
ClaimCenter Gives FCCI Simplicity and Vendor Independence
Guidewire's 30th customer replaces three legacy claims systems and begins a line-of-business rollout scheduled for completion in 2009.
Q&A With Gary Plotkin, CIO, P&C Operations, The Hartford
Q&A With Gary Plotkin, CIO, P&C Operations, The Hartford
Garth Resigns from ACORD
An ACORD spokesperson says that Garth cited her desire to "pursue other opportunities."
Fiserv Incorporates Valen’s Underwriting Analytics
Users of Fiserv's P&C product suite will gain real-time predictive underwriting capabilities.
Allstate's Savvy Online PR
Allstate has not only made use of the preferred communication channel of anyone likely to care about these matters but has done so while releasing a staggering amount of internal documentation. That will make a positive impression on those who will dig no further, as it makes the material available for those who will dig and sets a precedent for greater corporate transparency at a time the public is clamoring for it.
No Surprises in Insurance Industry’s Mixed Reception for Treasury Department’s Endorsement of Optional Federal Charter
Concerns about competitive advantage inspired not only the life insurance industry's welcome of Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's call for an optional federal charter as part of broad regulatory reform proposals for financial services, but also the lack of enthusiasm from many property/casualty companies and independent agents.
The Hartford's P&C Division Enters Execution Stage of Transformational Effort
After four years of investment and organizational transformation, The Hartford's P&C division looks to execute its new strategy to provide better value to its business customers and end users.
Insurers Seek Balance in Web 2.0 Projects
As insurers embark on Web 2.0 projects and initiatives to engage consumers, they need to balance their own goals with the desires and expectations of their customers.
Medical Mutual of Ohio Seeks to Discourage Fraud Before It Occurs
Medical Mutual of Ohio leverages ViPS' Star Sentinel software to identify potentially fraudulent claims activity as it comes through the door, discouraging fraud before it begins.
Information Builders Offers Everest National Business Users a ’Single Version of the Truth’
Everest National Insurance leverages Information Builders enterprise data warehouse and WebFOCUS front-end interface to empower end users to mine data to guide business decisions.
Kryptiq’s Choreo Powers Regence’s Contract Management Across the Enterprise
Kryptiq gives Regence a single contract management solution across the insurer's provider network.
Projecting the Future of Mobile Salesforce Technology
The upcoming releases of several pocket-sized digital projectors could give insurance agents more uses for mobile technology.
Paulson's Blueprint Rekindles OFC Debate
Like a mountain peak that seems to recede as you approach it, the prospect of the establishment of an optional federal charter (OFC) to replace a strictly state-based regulatory system for insurance remains in some indefinite future, despite our continued conversation about it. This is not to say that the OFC will never get here, only that we're still some way off from predicting its arrival.
Chad Hersh Joins Novarica
Known for his expertise on core insurance systems, Hersh was the lead author of Celent's bi-annual policy administration system research reports and conducted over a dozen core systems replacement evaluation projects for a broad range of insurance carrier clients on both the life & annuities and property/casualty sides of the industry.
The Insurance Industry Is Challenged to Find and Retain Skilled Professionals
Insurance companies must compete with other industries for a diminishing supply of skilled workers. What role does carriers' IT play in attracting and retaining top talent, and how can companies leverage Web 2.0 tools to recruit qualified workers?
AXIS Goes Live as AdminServer’s First P&C Client
AXIS Capital subsidiary's AdminServer implementation includes an integrated broker portal for future online auto-rate and auto-bind business submission and tracking.
The Talent Pipeline for Insurers Is Diminishing
To attract top talent from the diminishing supply of qualified applicants, insurance companies must appeal to the values that are important to Gen Y.
Insurance Companies Can Leverage Their Use of Cutting-Edge Technology to Attract Talent
Insurers should publicize their technology innovation as part of their recruitment messages to attract top talent.
Carriers Are Challenged to Replace IT Expertise Lost to Retirement
As the workforce continues to age, insurance companies are challenged to attract new talent and replace lost expertise.
Pyxis Mobile 6.0 Set For Launch
Pyxis is set to launch its next-generation mobile application platform, Pyxis Mobile 6.0, for the financial services industry.
Aflac Empowers IT Professionals as Trusted Advisers
By treating IT professionals as trusted advisers to the business, Aflac provides them with more career opportunities and improved job satisfaction.
RMS Unveils Account Fire Model
Risk Management Solutions (RMS) has unveiled RMS Account Fire Model for commercial and specialty insurers and reinsurers.
The Architecture of Adaptation: Enabling Flexibility With Business Architecture and BPM
Business process management (BPM) -- in combination with business architecture and service-oriented architecture -- enables a rapid response to a changing marketplace by pulling processes and functionality out of legacy code and legacy thinking for reuse.
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