Introducing Connected Enterprise

Technology is enabling a new era of connectivity in this most paper- and process-bound of industries. Employees, clients, distributors and partners are linking in ways that allow them to transact quickly, accurately and securely. Although technology advances are enabling this transformation, it's also being driven by competitive and financial pressures, compliance requirements, and customer demands. The result? Every day, more insurance companies are becoming Connected Enterprises.

To track this transformation, Insurance & Technology is launching Connected Enterprise, an integrated editorial initiative that will delve into the industry's efforts to achieve true end-to-end electronic processing of critical business functions. Connected Enterprise will present insights from experts such as the analysts of TowerGroup (our official content partner for this venture); best practices from some of the industry's most successful carriers; and opinions from authorities ranging from CIOs to regulators to association officials.

Each quarter, the content of all the Connected Enterprise channels - print, our Web site (www.insurancetech.com/ConnectedEnterprise) e-mail newsletters and Webcasts - will focus on one high-profile topic: Maximizing the Claims Process, Enabling Distribution, Service and Customer-Centricity, and Securing the Connected Enterprise. Regardless of the medium, I&T will analyze these core functions in the context of integration and connectivity - elusive goals that insurers have pursued with mixed success for many years.

Are we there yet? Of course not - the road to a truly straight-through insurance processing environment still contains many speed bumps and detours. But, after years of traveling in the wilderness, it looks like the industry is on the right path. Stay with I&T as, via Connected Enterprise, we provide your guide to the journey.

Katherine Burger is Editorial Director of Bank Systems & Technology and Insurance & Technology, members of UBM TechWeb's InformationWeek Financial Services. She assumed leadership of Bank Systems & Technology in 2003 and of Insurance & Technology in 1991. In addition to ... View Full Bio