The Chronicle: Issue 2011-11, March 15, 2011
Honours and Awards
Insurance-Canada.ca Honors Technology Leaders at 9th Annual Conference.
TORONTO, March 2, 2011 - Five insurance carriers, a broker, one service provider, and
six technology companies received Insurance Canada Technology Awards (ICTAs) at the
organization's annual Insurance Technology Conference, held February 28 in Toronto. The
awards recognize insurance practitioners, service providers, and technology firms that
demonstrate leadership in the development and implementation of automation in insurance.
Distribution
Keal Technology Awarded for Commercial Integration.
TORONTO, Ontario, Canada - March 9, 2011 - On Feb. 28 at the 2011 P&C Insurance Technology Conference, Keal Technology, software provider for Canadian brokers, was the recipient of the Insurance Canada Technology Award (ICTA) Best in Class - Broker Integration. The ICTA recognizes the benefits brokers realize by utilizing the integration between Keal?s Commercial Management System (CMS), comXP and Lombard Canada?s Commercial LINCQ®.
Celent Report: So What If There Is An App? A Survey of Insurance Consumers.
Boston, MA - March 09, 2011 - With 72% growth over 2009 and the expectation that they will outnumber PCs by 2013, smartphones are the fastest growing marketing channel for insurers. Growth of mobile applications, or simply apps as they have come to be known, has been rapid. Today on iTunes, there are over 300,000 apps available for download in almost every possible market segment.
kasina introduces Intelligent Distribution framework for asset managers,
New York, (March 1, 2011) - Asset management firms struggle to develop efficient distribution strategies, almost always leaving valuable dollars on the table, according to a new study from kasina. Intelligent Distribution: kasina's Vision for Distribution, indicates that a total population of around 300,000 advisors presents numerous challenges for firms. Asset managers cannot possibly target all channels, all advisors, with all products.
Policy and Product Management
Sapiens Incorporates Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Module for RapidSure Policy Administration System.
Cary, N.C. - March 7, 2011 - Sapiens International Corporation N.V., a global provider of innovative software solutions and a member of the Formula Group, announced today that a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) module is now available for the RapidSure Policy Administration System.
Claims
Symbility Signs New Contract with TRADEPRO.
TORONTO, ONTARIO-- (Marketwire - February 11, 2011) Symbility Solutions, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Automated Benefits Corp., announces the finalization of an agreement with the TRADEPRO Network, a wholly owned subsidiary of the TRADEPRO Group LLC, a specialty trades service provider network for property damage restoration and repairs servicing property & casualty insurance carriers and self insured's throughout the United States to work together as strategic partners.
IRC: Evidence of Abuse Found in Growing Percentage of Florida No-Fault Insurance Claims.
MALVERN, Penn. Feb. 9, 2011 - Almost one in every three no-fault auto insurance claims closed in Florida in 2007 appeared to involve the exaggeration of an injury or to be inflated by unnecessary or excessive medical treatment, according to a new study from the Insurance Research Council (IRC). In addition, as many as one in ten no-fault claims appeared to be fraudulent, with material misrepresentation of some or all aspects of the claim, such as claims based on fictitious accidents.
eBusiness and Technology
Pitney Bowes Business Insight releases Portrait Miner 6.0 For Predicting Customer Behavior.
TROY, N.Y., March 08, 2011 - Pitney Bowes Business Insight, a global leader in customer data, analytics and communication software and services, today announced a major version upgrade to its Portrait Customer Analytics product line in the form of Portrait Miner 6.0, the industry's most visual and automated software solution for accurately predicting customer behavior.
Info-Tech Research Group: Successful Collaborative Note-Taking Architectures Require Mapping to the Research Patterns.
Posted on March 6, 2011 by Tim Hickernell - Previously, we discussed how a resurgence in electronic note-taking application popularity is the latest trend to result from the consumerization of IT: employees are using note-taking apps outside of work, especially on mobile devices, and bringing their desktop counterparts into the organization.
Information Builders launches WebFOCUS Mobile BI.
NEW YORK, NY - March 1, 2011 - Information Builders, an independent leader in >business intelligence solutions, today launched WebFOCUS Mobile BI, which delivers mobile business analytics to any device, mobile application, and browser. By enhancing WebFOCUS Active Technology reports to work across all smartphones, such as the iPhone, Android-based phones, BlackBerry, and all tablets such as the iPad and the Droid tablet, Information Builders has significantly reduced the cost of development and support for mobile enterprise users.
Novarica Council Meeting: 30+ CIOs Discuss Impact of Changes in Technology on Insurance Industry.
March 9, 2011 (Boston, MA) To the 30+ insurer CIO members of the Novarica Insurance Technology Research Council that gathered in Providence, RI last Wednesday, there was one overriding issue that they all face: the challenge of managing insurance IT in an era of accelerated change.
Marketing and the Market Place
eMarketer: Small Businesses Doubled Use of Twitter in 2010.
March 7, 2011 - Twitter usage has been growing quickly among small and medium-sized businesses, according to a report on small local firms. Nearly one in five SMBs use Twitter for local marketing efforts.
Consumer Information
Insurance Bureau of Canada offers tips to homeowners about protecting their property this spring after a wicked winter.
Halifax, March 7, 2011 - Data recently compiled by insurers indicates that a series of December 2010 winter storms have resulted in more than $50 million in insurance claims for water damage throughout Atlantic Canada. Residents in many parts of the region dealt with stormy weather and extreme amounts of snow throughout the rest of the winter months, too.
Sun Life: Canadian Unretirement™ Index shows major factors influencing when you think you'll retire and what you think you'll be doing after age 65.
TORONTO, March 8, 2011 - Canadians have become less optimistic about
retirement as the recovery from the global recession continues. The
average Canadian expects to retire at age 68, according to the 2011
Canadian Unretirement Index, released by Sun Life Financial today.
That's three years later than respondents reported in the same study a
year ago.
LIMRA: Too Many Americans Are Betting On Their Retirement Savings Lasting Their Lifetime - Research Suggests Many Will Go Bust.
WINDSOR, Conn., March 3, 2011 - The 2011 Retirement Industry Conference, scheduled to be held on April 13-15, in Las Vegas, Nev., will offer industry professionals of all disciplines cutting-edge market research, strategies and practical solutions to improve the odds of reaching consumers.
Community Involvement
Manulife Financial: Non-Profit & Private Sector Leaders Unveil Landmark Campaign to Transform Volunteerism: in Canada.
Toronto, March 7, 2011 - A national campaign aimed at enriching volunteer experiences for Canadians and strengthening the country's volunteer sector was launched today by Volunteer Canada, the voice of volunteerism in Canada, and Manulife Financial, whose signature cause is to encourage volunteerism nationwide.
from Doug:
On the heels of heavy Toronto rains late last week and in need of a break, we spent part of Sunday with others from the Toronto Film Society. TFS runs a film program three times each year. Each program is a weekly series of viewings, based on a theme - the next one being films based on literature. Each viewing has two films and often a cartoon to start things off - just like they did when I was a kid. Most of the films are the generation before me - from the twenties to the forties mostly, with some more recent. Most are on reel-to-reel film. It is quite fascinating to see the old stars, the evolution of the storylines and plots, the transitions from loose to tight to less restrictive film codes, black and white to colour. Another bit of history.