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.