Issue 2006-17: April 25, 2006
eBusiness and Technology
InSystems Launches IStream for Insurers.
MARKHAM, ON, March 23, 2006 - InSystems, specialists in automating complex documents and compliance for insurers, announces the launch of IStream - a suite of integrated products and services that bundles services required for various aspects of insurance processing.
Mobile Phones Could Soon Rival the PC As World's Dominant Internet Platform: Ipsos Study.
April 18, 2006 - New York, NY - Today, the personal computer remains the dominant platform to access the Internet globally. However, Internet access via the mobile phone actually outpaces wireless access from a notebook PC in many of areas of the world – a statistic driven largely by the massive install base of mobile phones throughout the world as well as more developed wireless networks, according to The Face of the Web, the annual study of Internet trends by global market research firm Ipsos Insight.
IT Consulting Market Enters Phase of Solid Growth, and EMEA Will Surpass the Americas in Spending by 2009, IDC Reveals.
FRAMINGHAM, Mass., April 17, 2006 - According to a newly released IDC study, IT consulting will be an area of increasing vendor focus, innovation, and user spending. IDC expects worldwide IT consulting to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.2% for the 2006-2010 forecast period, with slightly rising growth rates each year
Gartner Says Worldwide Application Acceleration Market Topped $1.2 Billion in 2005.
STAMFORD, Conn., April 3, 2006 - The trend to centralize servers and deploy Web-enabled intranet applications drove the worldwide application acceleration market to $1.2 billion in 2005, a 36 percent increase over 2004 vendor revenue, according to Gartner, Inc. In 2004, worldwide vendor revenue was $915 million.
Business of Insurance
Allianz Insurance Company and The Nordic Insurance Company, Insurance Subsidiaries of ING Canada Inc., Announce Completion of Amalgamation.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006 - Toronto Allianz Insurance Company of Canada and The Nordic Insurance Company of Canada, both insurance subsidiaries of ING Canada Inc. (TSX:IIC.LV), announced today the completion of their amalgamation under the name of The Nordic Insurance Company of Canada.
Claims
ISO Tackles the Rising Cost of Claims and Claims Handling.
ISO has identified a six-point strategy where technology now exists for the effective management of claims through improved visibility of the claims handling process, establishing Best Practices and a more accurate assessment of injuries and recovery implications.
Our People
Human Resources Risk Management Seminar May 10 2006 Richmond Hill, by Insurers Financial Group.
Corporate goals & success are attained by and through your people. Payroll is the largest expense on your financial statements. With these realities in mind, human capital can be an organization's greatest asset. It can also be its greatest liability. Both outcomes impact your bottom line. And that is why Human Resources Risk Management is so crucial to a company's success; it recognizes and addresses these outcomes.
Consumer Information
IBC gives facts on New Brunswick home insurance.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada responded recently to reports about homeowner's insurance in New Brunswick.
Simple Steps and Proper Insurance Can Protect Your Home from an Earthquake or Other Disaster, Says the I.I.I.
NEW YORK, April, 2006 As the centennial of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake approaches, it is a good reminder to consider whether you and your home are adequately prepared for an earthquake or other disaster, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).
IBM study shows Canadians using Web more for self-diagnosis.
Toronto, ON - March 8, 2006 - A growing number of Canadians are researching health information on the Internet to diagnose their own medical conditions, says HealthInsider, a national survey by IBM. IBM's latest health survey of 2,500 Canadians found of those who used the Internet to obtain health information, 37 percent had done so in an attempt to diagnosis themselves. This is a 48 percent increase over 2003.
IIHS: Crash tests of small cars & minivans: 2 earn the Institute's TOP SAFETY PICK award; 1st Institute test results for Prius hybrid.
ARLINGTON, VA - April 16, 2006 - The Kia Sedona and Subaru Impreza are the best performers in a group of minivans and small cars recently evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Sedona is the first minivan to earn the Institute's TOP SAFETY PICK award, and the Impreza is only the second small car design to earn this award. Both vehicles earn gold awards for good crashworthiness ratings.
Distribution
Independent Agents and Brokers Show Gains in P-C Lines
ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 20, 2006 - The results of the 2004 market share study by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, Inc. (IIABA), reinforces the consumer and business acceptance of the independent agency and broker distribution model, and emphasizes the very real opportunities for growth that are present for independent agencies and brokers.
kasina Study: Asset Managers Differ in View of Web's Role in Supporting Institutional Business.
NEW YORK, April 05, 2006 - Faced with greater competition for fewer assets, the proliferation of new and alternative investment products such as hedge funds, and an increasingly influential investment consulting industry, asset management firms must start to more effectively leverage Web-based content to attract and service institutional clients, according to a report released today by kasina, a leading consultant to the asset management industry.
Policy and Product Management
Commonwealth Insurance Company and EQECAT Join Forces to Create an Integrated Catastrophe Management System (ICMST).
April 17, 2006 - Oakland, California - EQECAT, Inc., the leading authority on extreme-risk modeling, said today that Commonwealth Insurance Company, a leading Canadian-based insurance provider, has signed a licensing agreement to use EQECAT's WORLDCATenterpriseT platform and XML interface technology to create an integrated catastrophe management system.
Insurance in the Community
Manulife Financial donates $500,000 to Kitchener-Waterloo hospitals.
WATERLOO, ON, April 18, 2006 - Manulife Financial strengthened its commitment to Waterloo Region healthcare today with an announcement of $500,000 in donations for two hospitals in Kitchener-Waterloo. Grand River Hospital and St. Mary's General Hospital will each receive $250,000.
from Doug:
We spent the weekend in Brandon MB wearing my heritage hat. What a beautiful sunny weekend, at least until mid-Sunday. The waterways were full but other than some flood-plain water in low-lying areas, there was little evidence of damage that way. The picture from the air as we approached Winnipeg was quite different with wider areas covered in water, but people seemed to be taking it in stride. Although a hardship for many, hopefully the extensive loss prevention work, even since 1997, will have been well repaid. The hard work the industry has undertaken, through initiatives like ICLR and much more, is probably much-understated, and under-appreicated by the public. Those of us with at least some small sense of the accomplishments, applaud you.