The Chronicle: Issue 2011-33, August 16, 2011
Claims
Guidewire Solution for Claims Management deployed by Wawanesa Insurance.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba and SAN MATEO, Calif., August 9, 2011 - The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company (Wawanesa), which provides coverage to almost 2 million policyholders in Canada and the United States, and Guidewire Software®, a leading provider of core systems software to Property/Casualty (general) insurers, today announced that Wawanesa is in production with Guidewire ClaimCenter®.
MSB studies Total Losses at Slave Lake.
Milwaukee, WI - (August 8, 2011) – Marshall & Swift/Boeckh (MSB) announced today that they have launched a major review of reconstruction costs compared to insured values in partnership with The Co-operators Insurance Company and the Alberta Motor Association (AMA). These organizations suffered substantial losses during the Slave Lake area fire that occurred on May 15, 2011, which completely destroyed 433 of the town's buildings and damaged another 96.
ASSI: Guelph Collision Reporting Centre Opens June 22, 2011.
June 22, 2011 ? The Guelph Police Service and Accident Support Services International Ltd. (ASSI),
facilitators of Collision Reporting to the Insurance Industry, are pleased to announce the opening of the Guelph
Collision Reporting Centre on June 22, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.
Distribution
Custom Software Solutions and JEVCO Announce Connectivity Project.
August 9, 2011, Virden, MB - Custom Software Solutions Inc. (CSSI) and JEVCO Insurance Company are pleased to announce they have entered into an connectivity agreement for New Business Upload from CSSI's The Broker's Workstation (TBW) and also its standalone rating and underwriting tool, Intelliquote (IQ).
Social Business
LogiQ3: Social CRM ... Say What?.
So Social CRM... what exactly is it? Social CRM is a concept and business strategy aimed at building relationships with customers through engagement rather than internal management of a customer and using the most suitable technologies available to assist in achieving those goals.
eMarketer: Social media marketing is popular but not critical.
August 8, 2011 Uptake of social media marketing among small and medium-sized businesses has become widespread. Research has suggested it's a cost-effective, easy-to-use marketing channel that can boost customer acquisition as well as fulfill other marketing goals. But most small businesses still don't see social media as a necessity.
eMarketer: Marketers demonstrate what metrics to use and how listening affects business.
August 9, 2011 - Social media and digital marketing have allowed marketers to listen to more of what customers are saying about their brands and those of their competitors. As a result, listening and engaging online with consumers are now parts of many marketers? online strategies, and there are many ways to measure these initiatives to track success.
eBusiness and Technology
SAS ranked No. 1 in software market size for business intelligence (BI), analytics and performance management in insurance in 2010.
CARY, NC (Jul. 21, 2011) - SAS, the leader in business analytics software and services, has been ranked No. 1 in software market size from Gartner Inc.'s Market Trends: No Escaping BI and Analytics in Insurance in 2011 report. The Gartner report gave SAS 25 percent of the market share in 2010 with revenue of $138.7 million. According to Gartner, "insurers are preoccupied with regulatory compliance and risk management, customer acquisition and retention, and achieving operational excellence.
Managing Relationships and Customer Service
Canada Post: E-billing adoption: Overcoming barriers and maximizing ROI.
The study is the first to quantify the business and financial benefits that e-billing presents to Canadian utility companies. Although the whitepaper focuses on the utility industry, the findings and resulting best practices are similar for all industries, including insurance.
Exigen Insurance Solutions Releases BillingCore™ Version 3.6.
Exigen Insurance Solutions®, a leading provider of insurance core systems, announced today that BillingCore™ v3.6 is now available. BillingCore™ is a best-of-breed component of Exigen Suite™, an enterprise suite for policy administration, billing and claims management. The enhancements and new functionality added to BillingCore™ in this new release make it the most flexible framework for enterprise billing available in the market today.
Business of Insurance
Towers Watson: Many Insurers to Take Aggressive Investment Strategies.
NEW YORK, July 21, 2011 - Nearly half (46%) of North American insurers and reinsurers said they plan on being more aggressive in their respective investment strategies over the next year, according to findings from a new survey conducted by global professional services company Towers Watson, Insurer Investment Practices.
Marketing and the Market Place
Russell Financial: Health Index: When it comes to Canadians' concerns about retirement, it's all about income.
Toronto, Aug. 2, 2011 - Ongoing market volatility and global unrest continue to leave Canadians feeling unsettled about retirement, according to the most recent results of the Russell Financial Health Index. In fact, Q2 results show a strong decline in financial health, to the lowest level since the inception of the on-line tool in late 2008.
Consumer Information
TIRF to update Young and New Driver Resource Centre Website.
The Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF) is pleased to announce it will update and expand its Young and New Driver Resource Centre (YNDRC) website (www.yndrc.tirf.ca). Launched in May 2008, the Centre, initially developed with funding from Toyota Canada Inc. (TCI), is a one-stop shop on young and new driver issues that is designed for parents, young and novice drivers, researchers, and policymakers.
Allstate Canada survey shows 21% of Canadians would accidentally break the law and not report a collision to insurance provider.
TORONTO, Aug. 9, 2011 - Canadians are buying their insurance policies without understanding what coverage is actually in them, and Allstate Insurance Company of Canada (Allstate Canada) cautions that this may lead to Canadians not having the protection they need if the unexpected happens.
TD Insurance report unveils insurance urban legends.
TORONTO, Aug. 9, 2011 - Are teenage boys in fast red cars more expensive to insure than soccer moms in minivans? Is it true that you only need travel insurance if you're vacationing outside of Canada? A new report by TD Insurance has found that many Canadians are putting themselves, their families and their assets at risk by making misinformed decisions about their insurance based on hearsay and insurance urban legends.
from Doug:
Although it was a busy weekend – we even managed to wallpaper one wall in one of our rooms (another ten years and we will finally be completely moved in!) – we took some time to visit my Dad and Mother-in-law who live in the same city. We took them for a roundabout drive through the countryside and had dinner with one of our sons. I think they all enjoyed the outing – as Dad says it can be a little boring seeing the same rooms and people in the senior's residence every day when you don't have the reason or opportunity to get out much.