This newsletter is for members of the Canadian Insurance Industry, and those who serve it. The newsletter is published weekly, and notes information mostly about the use of the Internet and related technologies in the industry. Some is international, where we feel it is relevant to Canada.
eBusiness and Technology
IPD Advances Workplace Efficiency in Insurance.
IBM Information On Demand – LAS VEGAS October 15, 2007 As a leading provider of Content and Process Management solutions for the Insurance industry, Image Process Design, Inc. (IPD) is pleased to announce their fourth generation application, code named EXIMYS. Since 1991, IPD has been the trusted partner of large North American Health and Life Insurance companies for their unique industry expertise and specialized application software. EXIMYS, built on IBM's FileNetP8 platform, has proven functionality that optimizes most major Insurance business processes in more than 20 different lines of business, including; claims, enrollment, case management, underwriting, customer service and more.
IBM Unveils Industry-First SOA Software to Help Companies Centrally Manage Customer, Product, and Account Master Data.
LAS VEGAS, IBM Information on Demand Conference - 15 Oct 2007: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today introduced IBM Master Data Management Server, the first software product to allow companies to manage many types of master data as a strategic business asset in a service-oriented architecture (SOA). The IBM Master Data Management Server was designed to centrally manage master data concerning customers, products, and accounts, and help organizations define, access, and use that data in real-time.
Information Builders Continues Innovation of Active Reports Technology With Active Dashboards.
New York, NY - October 4, 2007 - Information Builders, the leader in production business intelligence (BI) systems, today announced that WebFOCUS Active Reports, the industry's first portable BI solution, has been extended from single reports to interconnected components available in a dashboard setting. Most notably, it now has the ability to create active dashboards and receive Active Reports on Blackberrys that contain the Opera Mini 4 browser.
Experts at CSC Conference Praise Advances in Insurance Software.
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Oct. 23, 2007 -- Advancements in insurance software such as configurable systems and service-oriented architectures are enabling property and casualty insurers to roll out new technology faster and ease systems integration, according to panelists at Future Focus 2007, a two-day conference hosted by Computer Sciences Corporation.
Gartner Says Five Major Trends Will Force IT Organizations to Change the Way They Support Workers.
STAMFORD, Conn., October 9, 2007 - Five major discontinuities are combining and will force IT organizations to change long-standing practices for procuring and managing IT, according to Gartner, Inc. The intensity of these trends will grow through 2011, according to Gartner, Inc.
Distribution
Custom Software Solutions and The Mennonite Mutual Fire Insurance Announce Integration Module.
October 2007 - Custom Software Solutions Inc. (CSSI) and Mennonite Mutual Fire Insurance (MMFI) are pleased to announce that MMFI Insurance Brokers will soon be able to download and import Policy data from MMFI web services direct into CSSI's The Broker's Workstation (TBW) and Intelliquote (IQ) software.
Standard Life adds Pareto referral system to its partnering program for advisors in the financial industry.
MONTREAL, Oct. 25, 2007 - The Standard Life Assurance Company of Canada today announced an exclusive partnership with Pareto Platform to offer advisors a proven system for developing referrals. Starting immediately, qualified advisors will have access to this new feature of Standard Life's partnering program.
Claims
Alternative Treatment Accounts for One-Third of All Treatment for Automobile Accident Injuries-Utilization Varies Widely: IRC Report.
October 16, 2007 MALVERN, Pa.-According to a new report from the Insurance Research Council (IRC), approximately one out of every three auto injury insurance claimants nationwide receives some form of alternative medical treatment*, and charges from alternative-treatment providers account for approximately one-third of the total charges from all types of medical providers.
18th World Conference on Disaster Management - Call for Papers.
19 October 2007 - The Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness (CCEP) is calling for presentations for the 18th World Conference on Disaster Management (WCDM). The Conference will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada from June 15-18, 2008.
Consumer Information
IIHS: New crash tests: some midsize SUVs perform worse than many cars in side tests.
ARLINGTON, VA - Results of crash tests for six SUVs show frontal crash protection has improved. However, the tests reveal significant differences in how well SUVs protect people in serious side crashes. Among the worst performers in the side test are the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chevrolet TrailBlazer, even though both are equipped with standard side airbags.
The I.I.I. Offers Tips to Avoid Deer-Related Collisions.
NEW YORK, October 1, 2007 - Cars and deer can be a lethal combination. Deer migration and mating season generally runs from October through December, and causes a dramatic increase in the movement of the deer population. As a result, more deer-vehicle collisions occur in this period than at any other time of year, so drivers need to be especially cautious, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).
Marketing and the Market Place
J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Multiple Policies Lead to Greater Satisfaction and Loyalty among USA Homeowners Insurance Customers.
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 18 October 2007 — Homeowners insurance policyholders who subscribe to at least one additional policy with their insurer tend to be more satisfied than those who only have a homeowners insurance policy, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Homeowners Insurance StudySM released today.
Manulife Financial wins five best-of-show awards for Canadian communications.
WATERLOO, ON, Oct. 19, 2007 - Manulife Financial's Canadian Division has been honoured with five best-of-show awards in the annual Insurance & Financial Communicators Association (IFCA) competitions held earlier this month in Dallas, Texas.
Paradigm Shift Looming: Investment Management Industry Must Change Direction to Engage Generation Y: KPMG Study.
(Toronto, October 25, 2007) - The global investment management industry needs to increase its focus on "Generation Y" (investors now in their 20s), according to a new study by professional services firm KPMG. The study, entitled 'Beyond the boomers: the rise of Generation Y: Opportunities and Challenges for the funds management industry,' finds that 78 percent of industry respondents have failed to take definitive action over the past two years to target and engage Generation Y about their offerings.
Boomers Becoming Their Own Boss In Retirement; Show No Sign Of Slowing: Ipsos Reid Survey for BMO.
October 18, 2007 Toronto, ON - It appears that for many boomers, retirement is not an opportunity to kick back and relax, but to stay active in the workforce as their own boss. A new Ipsos Reid study of Boomers who have either retired early to start their own business or intend to do so, conducted on behalf of BMO, finds that some Boomer entrepreneurs intend to operate their business until they die (15%).
from Doug:
I quite enjoy the Fall season with clear crisp days - does the sun really seem more friendly, or is it just that the pollution haze common in Toronto in summer occurs less frequently in this season. I find the Fall colours appealing, until they drop leaving behind only those bare branches. So far, just mid-season here, and not much to rake. The piles of leaves that the "trick or treaters" so enjoy kicking around are still to come. Hope you enjoy the pumpkins and ghosts.