Issue 2006-12: March 21, 2006
eBusiness and Technology
ACORD Releases Standards Strategy.
PEARL RIVER, NY - March 13, 2006 - ACORD released the ACORD Standards Strategy, outlining its vision and plans for enhancing the ACORD Standards Framework while building and expanding upon its existing and planned ACORD standards implementations throughout the industry.
Information Builders Introduces WebFOCUS: Intelligent Search to Address Enterprise Search Requirements.
New York, NY - March 6, 2006 - Information Builders, the enterprise business intelligence (BI) standard of choice for organizations around the world, today introduced WebFOCUS Intelligent Search, a pioneering, easy-to-use tool that harnesses the power of enterprise search, BI reporting, and integration technology to tap into previously inaccessible and unsearchable enterprise records.
Analyst Firm Names IBM Leader for Independent Software Vendor and Developer Programs.
LAS VEGAS, NV - 14 Mar 2006: IBM today announced that leading analyst firm IDC has named the company a leader in "best practices" for independent software vendor (ISV) and developer programs. The independent reports acknowledge IBM's ongoing investment to develop these programs.
InSystems Unveils New Version of Insurance Document Software Calligo Enterprise 5.4 Boosts Speed to Market.
MARKHAM, Ontario, Feb. 23, 2006 - InSystems unveiled Calligo Enterprise 5.4, document-automation software with enhanced functions for document assembly, search, managing negotiated wordings, workflow, collaboration, and notification.
Policy and Product Management
Cornerstone Appraisal Services and MSB Form Strategic Alliance: High value home inspection vendor joins forces with MSB.
Valparaiso, Indiana and Los Angeles, (March 13, 2006) Cornerstone Appraisal Services (Cornerstone) and Marshall & Swift / Boeckh (MSB), an MDA company, are pleased to announce the formation of a strategic business partnership. This alliance will leverage the strengths of both organizations to deliver superior high value inspection and valuation services to the property and casualty industry.
Business of Insurance
CSA Release Proposals on Harmonized Internal Control Reporting Requirements.
March 10, 2006 - Montreal - The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) announced today proposals that would require all publicly-traded companies in all Canadian jurisdictions to report on the effectiveness of their internal controls over financial reporting, as early as December 31, 2007.
Claims
Florida Auto No-Fault Claim Costs Climb as the Seriousness of Injury Declines: IRC.
March 3, 2006 MALVERN, Pa.-Florida personal injury protection (PIP) claim costs (claimed economic losses and actual claim payments) increased at double-digit rates between 2002 and 2005, far outpacing the rate of inflation, according to a new Insurance Research Council (IRC) study.
I.I.I. says USA Insurers Face Challenges as Injured Veterans Return from War.
NEW YORK, February 13, 2006-Employers and their insurers need to be prepared for the tens of thousands of physically injured veterans returning from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the I.I.I.
Consumer Information
Rollover simulator shows seatbelts save lives: SGI.
SGI is driving home the message of how seatbelts save lives with its newest traffic safety tool, a rollover simulator.
IIHS - New crash tests of midsize cars: BMW 3 series & Lexus IS earn 'Top Safety Pick', but new Ford Fusion disappoints.
March 5, 2006 - ARLINGTON, VA - Crashworthiness evaluations for seven new or redesigned midsize car models reflect performance in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's front, side, and rear impact tests. The models include three moderately priced cars - Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata, and Pontiac G6. The other four models are luxury/near luxury cars - Acura TSX, BMW 3 series, Infiniti G35, and Lexus IS.
Canadian Trucking Alliance Wants to Put the Brakes on Speeding Trucks.
(Ottawa: March 2, 2006) - Canada's trucking companies are calling for the country's provincial governments to put the brakes on speeding trucks. The Canadian Trucking Alliance, a federation of the country's provincial trucking associations representing more than 4,500 trucking companies, today announced its endorsement of a national policy calling upon all provincial governments to pass a law making it mandatory that the speed limiters on all trucks that operate into, out of and within their provinces be activated and that the maximum speed of trucks be set at no more than 105 km/h.
Distribution
ACT Outlines Agency Preferences for Carrier Electronic Communications.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 27, 2006-ACT's latest report, "Independent Agency Preferences for Carrier Electronic Communications," discusses how agents would like to receive electronic communications from their carriers for specific types of notices and transactions, so that agencies can benefit from a consistent communications approach.
Fighting for Advisors, All the Way to the Supreme Court of Canada: Advocis granted leave to intervene in landmark case.
March 15, 2006, Toronto, ON - In a major victory for financial advisors, Advocis successfully obtained leave to intervene in the Supreme Court of Canada case Canadian Western Bank v. Alberta regarding provincial jurisdiction to require mandatory licensing for individuals selling credit insurance products.
Marketing and the Market Place
One-Quarter Of Canadian Adults (24%) Have Been Touched By Identity Theft: Ipsos-Reid.
March 7, 2006 Toronto, ON - A new Ipsos Reid survey conducted on behalf of Fellowes Canada Ltd, reveals that one-quarter of Canadian adults (24%) - representing approximately 5.7 million Canadians nationally - have either themselves personally (4%), or know someone who has (20%), been subject to identity theft.
Managing Relationships and Customer Service
AMF Quebec Complaint Reporting System: Time to declare consumers' complaints!
14 March 2006 - Quebec City, QC - The consumer complaint declaration function in the Complaint Reporting System is now available to financial products and services companies required to report complaints in the new system. You therefore have until April 28, 2006 to declare any complaints received during the period from July 1 to December 31, 2005.
24/7 Customer launches new facility with Aviva To add 1800 seats to maintain its rapid growth.
Chennai, March 09, 2006: 24/7 Customer, the leading provider of outsourced contact center and BPO services to Global 1000 companies, today launched a new 1800 seats facility in Chennai as a part of its continued partnership with Aviva, the world's fifth largest insurance company.
from Doug:
The sun has seemed so much brighter tha last week here in Toronto, but someone forgot to plug in the heater when they turned it brighter. I would enjoy it more if the temperature could get a little above zero. That said we have been enjoying our first flowers, a few snowdrops. There seems to be other early growth too, but not a lot. Soon, I hope.
Looking forward to a few days in Halifax later this week, with my heritage hat on.