CyberNews

Norwalk, CT-based PRICELINE.COM and property and casualty holding company W.R. BERKLEY CORP.(Greenwich, CT) have cancelled plans to collaborate in selling auto insurance online. Investments in the venture, announced in August, will be returned to investors.

Springfield, MA-based MASSMUTUAL's Retirement Services has introduced Total Retirement Center, an enhanced Web site that gives plan sponsors customized online access to defined contribution and defined benefit, or cash-balance retirement plans.

Novato, CA-based FIREMAN'S FUND INSURANCE CO. has chosen San Jose, CA-based NCOMPASS LABS' NCompass Resolution to manage content on its corporate Internet site, www.firemansfund.com.

Toronto-based MANULIFE FINANCIAL will provide 401(k) plan participants with personalized online retirement investment advice via the participant Web site, through an alliance with San Francisco-based MPOWER.

Through an initiative to enhance its online term life insurance services, JOHN HANCOCK (Boston) has begun to provide temporary insurance, for no extra charge, between the time an application is filed and issued.

Vista, CA-based UNITRIN DIRECT INSURANCE CO. launched its initial sales campaign in Pennsylvania. A subsidiary of the Chicago-based Unitrin Property and Casualty Insurance Group, the online carrier assigns a team of customer service representatives to each customer.

The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANIES (NAMIC, Indianapolis) has launched a privacy channel on its Web site, NAMIC Online (www.namic.org), to assist members in their efforts to comply with Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. The channel will feature a variety of provacy resources.

INSUREZONE (San Francisco) has entered into a private-label partnership with Fidelity Investments affiliate INSURANCE. COM (Newton Highlands, MA) to service personal auto insurance customers.

WAUSAU Insurance (Wausau, WI) announced that enhancements to its Web site, www.ewausau.-com, enable small employers to apply for business owners' policies in six to eight minutes, with bindable quotes issued within one business day.