The Chronicle: Issue 2014-04, January 28, 2014


What's Going Through The Intersection of Insurance and Technology?

Balancing Digital & Personal Communications: Twitterus Vobiscum?
Last week, Pope Francis weighed in on balancing digital and personal communication, and his words reflect what analysts and consultants are finding to be good counsel in creating a balance between digital and personal communication concerning matters of insurable interest. Communication will be a major topic at ICTC 2014.

UBI Opportunities and Industry Consolidation: Find Both at ICTC 2014
It seems the potential demand for usage-based insurance in Canada just got a whole lot bigger last week. And consolidation is accelerating the opportunities. Around the world it's been estimated that 10-30% of drivers will install a telematics device in exchange for something such as discounted insurance premium. The 2014 Insurance-Canada.ca Technology Conference will be a good place to get more information on trends and directions in this important area.

The Intersection: Insurance-Canada.ca Blog
The Intersection

an Insurance-Canada.ca Blog


12th Annual Insurance-Canada.ca Technology Conference

Early-bird registration discount ends this Friday, January 31st – register now!

Welcome and thank-you to our 2014 conference sponsors:

Oceanwide as a Bronze Sponsor.
Equifax as a Bronze Sponsor.
Mariner Innovations as a Bronze Sponsor.
ORBIT as a Conference Supporter.

11th Annual Insurance-Canada.ca Technology Conference
ICTC 2014
“Re-energize, Refocus, Realign”
March 17-18, 2014


Technology

Gartner: Many CIOs are Unprepared for Digitalization, the Third Era of Enterprise IT
Digitalization, the third era of enterprise IT, is beginning, but most CIOs do not feel prepared for this next era, according to a global survey of CIOs by Gartner, Inc.'s Executive Programs. The survey showed that many CIOs feel overwhelmed by the prospect of building digital leadership while renovating the core of IT infrastructure and capability for the digital future. The survey found that 51 percent of CIOs are concerned that the digital torrent is coming faster than they can cope and 42 percent don't feel that they have the talent needed to face this future.

MARCON Mobility Newsletter: Semi-Autonomous Vehicles and Safe Driving
Anyone following even from a distance the progress of the “driverless” car will be aware that there are four levels of autonomy. Only the fourth one is truly independent. Low levels of autonomy are already in today's vehicles with a number of features which help drivers, typically by warning them and possibly taking action if necessary to prevent or avoid a problem.

IBM's Watson engaged by DBS Bank to achieve next-generation client experience
DBS Bank and IBM have announced an agreement in which DBS will deploy IBM's Watson cognitive computing innovation to deliver a next- generation client experience. This collaboration is part of an ongoing journey by DBS to shape the future of banking. For a start, DBS intends to apply Watson to its wealth management business to improve the advice and experience delivered to affluent customers. Watson is a cloud-based technology that can process enormous amounts of information with the ability to understand and learn from each interaction at unprecedented speed, representing a significant shift in the ability for organizations to quickly analyze, understand and respond to vast amounts of Big Data.

Information Builders' Skybox provides low-risk cloud environment to test and develop business intelligence projects
Information Builders, a leader in business intelligence and analytics, information integrity, and integration solutions, has announced the availability of Skybox, a new cloud hosting service that allows companies to test and develop applications for BI projects without spending time and resources creating an application test and development infrastructure.

Consumer Information

Ingle International offers winter home insurance tips for snowbirds
Snowbirds should check the terms of their home insurance before escaping another cold Canadian winter. During the winter months, water pipes, toilet bowls, or water heaters can freeze, crack, and cause water damage. All it would take is for your furnace to break down or lose power. Similarly, a heavy load of snow could damage your roof and result in leaks. In both cases, your insurer will refuse to pay for the resulting damage if you have not taken the right precautions.

Distribution

Applied Systems completes acquisition by Hellman & Friedman
Applied Systems, Inc., a leading provider of software that powers the business of insurance, has announced the successful completion of its acquisition by funds advised by Hellman & Friedman LLC, a global private equity investment firm with offices in San Francisco, New York and London.


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