Issue 2002-09: March 5, 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.
Claims
From Concept to Reality - The Proof is in the Pudding: Castek's InsuroCity eClaims The fact that Castek's InsuroCity has proven to be so successful in a live claims environment should come as no surprise given the product's roots. After two tests handling real claims at Canada Life and AXA, InsuroCity is now in full production mode and part of the claims process at HB Group Insurance. Read about some of the benefits uncovered at www.insurance-canada.ca/claims/canada/CastekIC200203.php
CSIO Insurance Portal
CIM-Data Ltd. and CSIO now have an agreed date in April to start testing their Quoting Engine - Portal linkages
Bill Wallace, in his March 1 weekly comments, notes that progress goes well and leads to an April setup for Quick and Full Quote Quality Assurance by CSIO and then by the company participants. The plan for those two together require a month, meaning broker and company first pilots start in May.
Two articles describe portals in the Property Casualty broker space. One is by Anna Sharrat and focused on the CSIO Portal at www.insurance-canada.ca/distribution/canada/ciSharrat200202.php. The second by Craig Harris is broader and includes discussion of company direct to broker portals and is at www.insurance-canada.ca/distribution/canada/ciHarris200202.php.
Marketing
The Co-operators offers lower rate Mortgages in Alberta Pilot Project with a contest. This is part of a pilot project in Alberta, where The Co-operators has partnered with Citizens Bank to offer mortgages through Co-operators offices and agents. More at www.insurance-canada.ca/market/canada/CoopMort200203.php
IBC urges Nova Scotia government to start public review of auto insurance. The Insurance Bureau of Canada has outlined a number of factors contributing to higher automobile insurance costs in Nova Scotia, and as a result, calls on government leaders to take immediate action to change the manner in which insurance is offered. More at www.insurance-canada.ca/market/canada/IBCNS200202.php
Consumers continue to expect an extremely high level of service from their insurance agents and brokers, according to a survey by Progressive Insurance, the USA's fourth-largest auto insurer and largest auto insurer through independent agents. Details at www.insurance-canada.ca/market/other/ProgressiveSur200202.php
Statistics and Reference
A review of the Canadian insurance industry in 2001: by SwissRe Canada Included in the "review" is "recap," a synopsis of current insurance-related news both in Canada and around the world. "recap" includes information on such areas as "Mergers, acquisitions and industry updates," "Liability, court awards and settlements," "Accidents and natural catastrophes," plus other notable industry developments. Link from www.insurance-canada.ca/refstat/canada/SwissRe200202.php
Policy Management
Sherwood International, the global insurance solutions specialist, has secured a new contract with New York Life Insurance Company, building on the success of its existing relationship with New York Life International. The multi-year, multi-million dollar Amarta contract will provide support for their North American operations. More at www.insurance-canada.ca/poladmin/announce/SherwoodNYL200203.php
Managing Relationships
Multiple surveys from early 2002 confirm that e-business managers are continuing to prioritize the deployment of customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, as well as make enhancements to the customer-facing features of their Web sites. These trends serve as confirmation that businesses continue to see the value of building upon their earlier CRM implementations. More on Taking Internet CRM to the Next Level, by Steve Butler, eMarketer at www.insurance-canada.ca/ebusiness/other/eMarketerCRM200202.php
e-Business & Technology
Michael Egan, Chairman, CEO and founder of InSystems, was named among the 100 Most Powerful People in the Insurance Industry in North America by Insurance - Letter, an industry publication reaching 30,000 subscribers daily. The list was released January 18, 2002. More at www.insurance-canada.ca/ebusiness/announce/InSystemsEgan200202.php
from Doug:
Like any other information, ours continues to evolve. We spent the last week reorganizing the information about Insurance-Canada.ca and its services, products, pricing etc. We believe we can help you get your marketing message to the insurance audience, be it insurance professional or consumer. Information starts at www.insurance-canada.ca/overview/overview.php More information forthcoming in our marketing newsletter over the next week or so.
We run a seminar every couple of months. The next focuses on the use of technology, especially the Internet, to support Property Casualty companies' distribution through brokers. Our description of the agenda and speakers is nearing completion and will be posted in the next few days, with an announcement to follow. It will be Thursday April 11, a longish morning half day, in downtown Toronto. We try to provide high quality seminars - this should be a good one for company, broker, and vendor people alike.
My little white flowers in the garden are lying flat on the ground - frozen solid. I hope they will spring back (pardon the pun) as Spring tries again.