The Chronicle: Issue 2011-08, February 22, 2011
Distribution
Pembridge Insurance Company Launches Second Phase of Broker Connectivity.
MARKHAM, ON, Feb. 16 2011 - Pembridge Insurance Company announces the launch of Broker Connectivity Upload, the second phase of a joint venture with Brovada Technologies that offers real-time transactions aimed at improved broker workflows.
Applied Systems: Insurance carriers answer call for real-time, round-trip rating.
University Park, Illinois - February 17, 2011 - Innovative insurance companies are reaping the benefits of providing something agents want: A streamlined policy rating process that gathers multiple real-time quotes from a single standard data entry.
Progressive's Technology Advisory Board to help independent insurance agents thrive in digital world.
MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio - January 27, 2011 - Progressive, the country's largest writer of auto insurance through independent insurance agents, has formed a Technology Advisory Board. Ten independent agents have joined Progressive business leaders in Web, mobile, social media, and information technology to guide Progressive's development of current and new technologies for its Agency Business.
Our People
Economical Insurance Ranks Second on 2011 "Training Top 125".
February 11, 2011 - Waterloo, ON - The Economical Insurance Group (TEIG)®, one of Canada's largest property and casualty insurers, announced today that Training magazine ranked TEIG second on its prestigious "Training Top 125" for 2011. The Training Top 125 is an annual ranking that honours organizations that offer outstanding employer-sponsored workforce training and development.
eBusiness and Technology
SAS® analytics helps Chartis improve profitability and target new business.
CARY, NC (Feb. 15, 2011) - Chartis, a world leading property-casualty and general insurance organization, recently turned to analytics from SAS, the leader in business analytics software and services, to estimate the risk of future losses and help underwriters assess insurance risk. Chartis has also used SAS analytics to reconcile claim payments and estimate the need for bad-debt reserve funds related to premium receivables.
Claims
Symbility Claims Scoping and Management Tool for Property Claims Signs New Deal with Innovation Group.
TORONTO, ONTARIO --(January 24, 2011) Symbility Solutions Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Automated Benefits Corp. is pleased to announce an extension to its strategic partnership with Innovation Group for the distribution of Symbility's market leading property estimation software.
Xactware Releases Aerial Sketch for Xactimate.
OREM, Utah-Feb. 18, 2011 - The new Aerial Sketch™ tool in the latest version of Xactware's industry-leading property repair estimating solution helps insurers and contractors use high-resolution aerial photos to dimension roofs. With Aerial Sketch, now available in Xactimate® 27.3, property insurance professionals can download aerial images and then trace key roof features, such as edges, ridges, and valleys, to produce fully functional 3-D roof sketches that can be used to estimate replacement costs.
Sapiens Enhances its RapidSure P&C Solution with IT-Freedom's ICE Claims solution.
Cary, N.C. - January 31, 2011 - Sapiens International Corporation N.V. a global provider of innovative software solutions for the insurance industry and
a member of the Formula Group, today announced it has entered into partnership with IT-Freedom, a specialist provider of claims solution for the property & casualty (General Insurance) insurance industry. The partnership agreement enables Sapiens to compliment its RapidSure policy administration offering with IT-Freedom's ICE Claims solution.
Business of Insurance
Industrial Alliance Announces Acquisition.
QUEBEC CITY, Feb. 14 2011 - Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. ("Industrial Allliance") announced today the signing of an agreement to acquire through its affiliated companies the operations of Protection V.A.G. Inc. ("VAG"), Communications & Références Multi Assurance Direct inc. ("MAD") and Produits récréatifs Accès Inc. ("Accès"), three privately owned related entities that are located in the province of Québec.
Policy and Product Management
Ward Group Study on Underwriting and Policy Management Best Practices Now Underway.
February 15, 2011 - CINCINNATI - Ward Group®, a consulting firm specializing in the insurance industry, is conducting a comprehensive research study to evaluate underwriting and policy management practices at property-casualty insurance companies. Sponsored by Guidewire Software®, a leading provider of flexible core systems to property-casualty insurers, the study will provide benchmarking and best practices information to help companies compare the performance of their underwriting and policy processing operation to those of their peers.
Consumer Information
Allstate Insurance Canada Sponsors: Earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes heading for the Ontario Science Center.
(Toronto, ON Feb 9, 2011) - Natural disasters have an incredible draw on human attention and memory - whether it was feeling our floor shake in Ontario last summer, seeing images of the fallout of Hurricane Katrina, hearing about the destruction following the earthquake in Haiti, or watching the reports of the tsunami that eliminated entire communities around the Indian Ocean. Time and time again nature acts dramatically, and the impact can be devastating.
SGI: Saskatchewan students see the 'Shattered' lives caused by impaired driving.
January 31, 2011 - The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) and Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) team up with MADD Canada to bring anti-impaired driving message to Saskatchewan schools. The program, called Shattered, shows students the harsh and emotional realities of impaired driving.
RSA reminds Canadians to take safety precautions ahead of storm warning.
February 1, 2011 - With Environment Canada issuing a storm warning across Ontario, leading home, auto and business insurer RSA wants to remind Canadians to take safety precautions in both their vehicles and homes before extreme weather strikes. Winter storms can sometimes leave people snowed-in at home or trapped in their vehicles, and in the event this happens, it's very important to take the proper precautions to stay safe and warm.
Russell Retirement Calculator gives Canadians opportunity to "slide" into the future.
TORONTO, Jan. 27 2011 - "How much money will I have when I'm 65 years old?" "Will my money run out if I make it past 76?" "What will be my average golf score when I'm 88?" These are just a few of the questions that many Canadians might ask themselves if they could peer into the future and check up on exact timelines during their golden years. The launch of the Russell Retirement Calculator actually gives investors the opportunity to instantly see their estimated portfolio values and remaining assets at any age during retirement by sliding their mouse across various points on the Calculator's graphs.
World Nomad's 2011 Travel Writing Scholarship Contest Takes Winner On a 22-Day Work and Play Assignment in Turkey !
SYDNEY, Australia, Jan 25, 2011 - Rough Guides and active travel company BikeHike Adventures is accepting applications from aspiring travel writers to enter an essay contest themed around travel. The winning entrant can kick start their travel writing career by going on an assignment with a Rough Guides author to Istanbul, Turkey.
from Doug:
My wife is off on an eleven day-rip to Israel with a small group of people, some our age and some students. I would like to have gone as well, but somehow this imminent conference precluded that. Next time.