Insurance-Canada.ca Newsletter Archive

Issue 2002-39:   October 1, 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.




Distribution

Kanetix adds Industrial Alliance, Auto and Home Insurance to Online Insurance Quote Comparison Service.

Kanetix � Canada's insurance marketplace and online insurance information centre, announced a new addition to its Quebec online quote comparison service � Industrial Alliance, Auto and Home Insurance, part of the Industrial Alliance Group. More at http://www.insurance-canada.ca/distribution/canada/kanetixIA200209.php

CSIO Insurance Portal Status Update

Week ending September 27: Some of the last issues (non-technical) are being cleaned up. Once done, imminent, then the registered brokers will have something to work with once the CGU rates are loaded into Production. CGU has signed off on their Ontario auto rates; other sign-off's are ... imminent.

ISI has started loading the first Ontario Property rates, which will then go through systems testing and User Acceptance testing before being ready for production - late October.

Claims

ING Signs Formal Agreement with CCC's 43r Insurance Division.

Mr. James Matthews, CEO of CCC Internet Solutions Inc. "CCC" is pleased to announce that ING has signed a Formal Service Agreement with CCC's Insurance division 43r.ca after successful completion of its initial 3-month pilot program. More at http://www.insurance-canada.ca/claims/announce/43rca200209.php

Boomerang Tracking Inc. number one in Deloitte & Touche 2002 Fast 50 Awards Program.

Boomerang Tracking Inc. announces that it has ranked number one in the Deloitte & Touche 2002 Canadian Technology Fast 50 Awards Program. This annual program ranks the 50 fastest growing high technology companies in Canada, based on the highest rates of revenue growth over the last five years (1997-2001). With an impressive growth of 9,064% over this period, Boomerang Tracking became the first Quebec-based company to achieve this prestigious ranking. More at http://www.insurance-canada.ca/claims/canada/BoomTop200209.php

Policy Management

iter8 Incorporated and Compu-Quote Inc. Join Forces.

Two leading information technology providers to the property and casualty insurance industry, iter8 Inc. and Compu-Quote Inc., have formed a partnership to jointly market their products and services in North America. iter8 has integrated Compu-Quote�s rating products into several of its technology solutions. More at http://www.insurance-canada.ca/poladmin/announce/iter8CQ200209.php

Reference and Statistics

North American Life Insurance Activity Declines 4.6% in August: MIB.

Consumer applications for life insurance in North America dropped 4.6 percent in August 2002 compared to the same period last year. U.S. applications were off 5.0 percent in August, while Canadian activity showed no growth year over year. More at http://www.insurance-canada.ca/refstat/canada/MIBAug200209.php

Managing Relationships and Customer Service

DWL a Leader in 2002 Deloitte and Touche Canadian Technology Fast 50 program.

DWL, the leader in Unified Business Services software, today announced it has been named the second fastest growing technology company according to the 2002 Deloitte and Touche Canadian Technology Fast 50 program, a ranking of the fastest growing technology companies in Canada. More at http://www.insurance-canada.ca/ebusiness/canada/DWLTop200209.php

Technology and e-Business

LAWPRO(R), BMO Bank of Montreal launch real time funds transfers for e-reg(TM)*.

Real estate practitioners now have the option of being able to complete another aspect of their transactions -- the transfer of closing funds -- electronically, from their computer desktops. More at http://www.insurance-canada.ca/ebusiness/canada/LawproBMO200209.php

IVANS Executive Broadband Access Provides Secure Solution for 'Anytime, Anywhere' Insurance Applications.

In response to the growing needs of insurance executives for secure high-speed remote access capabilities, IVANS Networking, a division of IVANS Inc., has created a new Executive Broadband Access offering. Using IVANS service, executives can gain secure access into their companies' applications from home, hotels or other remote locations using any high speed connection. The service is simple to install on any desktop or laptop, and works with all cable modem and DSL services. More at http://www.insurance-canada.ca/ebusiness/other/IVANS200209.php

You Have To Have An Email Policy: SellingWithTechnology.com

If your company uses email, provides email service for your employees, or allows your employees to use email for business purposes, you have to have a written email policy. To not have one opens you up to all manner of headache and potential liability. More at http://www.insurance-canada.ca/ebusiness/other/SellTechemail200209.php

Marketing

Industrial Alliance Launches an Original and Unique TV Ad Campaign.

Beginning on September 24, Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services will start airing a unique and original advertising campaign on major French language television networks. The TV commercial is a cartoon animation featuring an elephant, the Company's symbol, which is presented in the same style as the one on the Industrial Alliance logo. More at http://www.insurance-canada.ca/market/canada/IndAllTV200209.php

Eastbridge Worksite Studies: Product Trends in Worksite Plans, and Persistency and Profitability of Worksite Business.

Which worksite products are the most profitable? What are the most interesting nontraditional or emerging products? Are group products playing a bigger role in worksite marketing? What do we, as individuals and an industry, need to do differently in light of these trends? The worksite marketplace has attracted much attention over the last ten years. Perhaps that's because U.S. sales have continued to increase at a double-digit pace. But many players have entered the marketplace and found it to be more complex than they thought. And some have wondered how (or if) anyone makes a profit in the market. More at http://www.insurance-canada.ca/market/other/Eastbridge200209.php

Skills and Careers

Top Mutual Fund and Insurance Companies Stepping Up in Support of CAIFA's Commitment to Standards.

Members of Canada's financial services sector are stepping up to support CAIFA members in their commitment to voluntary professionalism through a commitment to education and standards. Eleven insurance and mutual fund companies have signed on as corporate partners in a bid to associate themselves with Canada's largest, voluntary network of professional advisors. More at http://www.insurance-canada.ca/humanres/canada/CAIFAEdn200209.php

from Doug:

Our "Marketing Insurance: A Technology Boost" seminar Friday Oct. 18 will be opened by Judy Johnson, Vice President of Insurance Strategy, Sapiens Americas speaking on "Water, Water everywhere....." -- in a time of economic downturn and corporate belt-tightening, insurance marketing executives struggling to develop marketing and distribution strategies are faced with more, not less, technology options. Judy recently joined Sapiens from her prior job as Vice President of Insurance Industry Strategies at META Group, and was noted in 2000 as one of the "Top Ten People You Need to Know in Insurance" by Technology Decisions for Insurance magazine. More information at http://www.insurance-canada.ca/seminars/outlines20021018.php and other linked pages.