Insurance-Canada.ca Newsletter Archive
Issue 2002-26: July 2, 2002
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.
Managing Relationships
Markel Launches Exciting New Trucking Software - Markel Advantage
Markel Insurance Company of Canada has once again clearly
established itself as the country�s leading trucking insurance and
service provider with the release of Markel Advantage(TM) Software
Version 5.0. This exciting new software now contains 5 complete
modules to help owner/operators and trucking companies of all sizes
manage the three most important aspects of their operations: their
drivers, vehicles and fuel. More at www.insurance-canada.ca/ebusiness/canada/MarkelAS200206.php
DWL Strengthens Global Presence with Entry into Japanese Market DWL, the leading provider of Unified Business Services software, today has established a strategic alliance with Nissay Information Technology Co., Ltd. [Nissay-IT], a strategic IT company of the Nissay Group and a specialist provider of financial services solutions, to license its unified business services software to the Japanese financial services market. More at www.insurance-canada.ca/ebusiness/announce/DWLJapan200206.php
Claims
Castek�s InsuroCity Introduces Salvage; in Production at HB Group
In the past, handling auto salvage was a manual process requiring
phone calls, voice mail messages, and faxes to get the job done.
Casteks�s InsuroCity has now streamlined the communication portion
of the process, improving customer service, increasing appraiser
efficiency, and driving down storage costs. More at
www.insurance-canada.ca/claims/announce/InsuroCity200206.php
Distribution
CAIFA and CAFP Move Forward on Plans for a New Home for Professional
Advisors and Planners
Professional financial advisors and financial planners looking to
differentiate themselves based on the quality of their services will
soon have a new home. Members of CAIFA, the Canadian Association of
Insurance and Financial Advisors, along with members of the Canadian
Association of Financial Planners (CAFP) have given their support to
plans to form a new organization for insurance, investment and
financial planning professionals. More at
www.insurance-canada.ca/distribution/canada/CAIFA200206.php
CSIO Insurance Portal Status Update
CSIO Portal status and project information at www.insurance-canada.ca/csioip/csioip.php
Week ending June 28: Once again many little things have happened. Full upload and download to the BMS's is now working with Applied and they are validating data and transactions. Keal has started testing, and Powerbroker has a mid-July date to start connecting and testing. ISI has received more rates, from ING and Pilot. The ISI development work to link to the Portal has finished and testing of the connections is underway. Farmers Mutual have indicated they will use ISI for quoting through the portal this year.
All of the testing is now being done against the "staging" version of the Portal. The Production servers and infrastructure are in place. The configuration work is now proceeding, with the intent to migrate to the Production system in late July. The CSIO HelpDesk is coming along and the e-learning modules are being developed.
ConsumerInfo
G8 summit prompts insurance coverage clarification from IBC
As G-8 leaders arrive in Kananaskis, Alberta today for their 30-hour
summit tomorrow and Thursday, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC)
is offering clarification of property insurance coverage for
customers who may be concerned about demonstrations. More at
www.insurance-canada.ca/consinfogeneral/IBCG8Cover200206.php
Marketing Insurance
RBC Insurance launches national patient education initiative with
HealthTV
RBC Insurance announced a national patient education initiative
focused on providing consumers with information on critical illness
insurance. The new eight-minute video was developed with The Health
Television System Inc. and is part of RBC�s ongoing efforts to bring
information about insurance to consumers. More at
www.insurance-canada.ca/market/canada/RBCTV200206.php
Reference and Statistics
Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association Inc. (CLHIA) - One
Million Consumer Calls
Over one million Canadian consumers have now asked for and received
information, advice and assistance from the life and health
insurance industry's Consumer Assistance Centre. More at
www.insurance-canada.ca/refstat/canada/CLHIA200206.php
North American Life Insurance Activity Up Nearly 5 percent in May:
MIB
For the second consecutive month, consumer applications for life
insurance in the U.S. and Canada demonstrated growth, with May's
activity up 4.9 percent as compared with the same period last year.
The industry has experienced growth in seven of the past eight
months year over year. More at
www.insurance-canada.ca/refstat/canada/MIB200206.php
Life Story: Ups and Downs Cancel Out, Universal Life Comes on
Strong, LIMRA Says
Individual life insurance sales in the first quarter of 2002 saw
sustained growth in fixed products � universal life (UL), whole
life, and term, � a continued slide for variable products, and a net
1 percent decline in annualized premium compared with the first
quarter of 2001, according to LIMRA International. More at
www.insurance-canada.ca/refstat/other/LIMRA200206.php
e-Business and Technology
InSystems, E-Business Solutions Provider, to be Acquired by Standard
Register
Standard Register has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire
InSystems Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of e-business
solutions for financial services organizations. Standard Register
expects the acquisition to enhance its long-term growth and
shareholder value while further positioning the company as a leading
information solutions provider that helps companies drive efficiency
and achieve customer loyalty. More at
www.insurance-canada.ca/ebusiness/announce/InSystemsSR200206.php
Lawson Survey: Insurance Executives Funding Initiatives That Cut
Costs and Increase Efficiency
A survey of insurance and banking executives found that virtually
all respondents (96 percent) said the ability to provide ongoing
cost savings is important in determining which initiatives receive
funding, and 65 percent said such cost savings are "very important."
Sixty-five percent of respondents also said the ability to increase
efficiency is "very important." More at
www.insurance-canada.ca/ebusiness/other/Lawson200206.php
from Doug:
Summer has arrived in Toronto with a vengeance - making up for the cool late spring I suppose. Thank goodness for the air conditioner we installed, at long last, this spring. Maybe Mother Nature is just taking a cue from the hot spots of the Pride Parade; or is just wants to inflict more pain on our olfactory senses as any uncollected garbage ripens. Whatever the case, now that vacation time is into formal full swing, may you have a good week.