Insurance-Canada.ca Newsletter: Issue 2002-25; June 25, 2002

Issue 2002-25: June 25, 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.

Managing Relationships

Standard Life launches new Web site for Individual Clients. Standard Life announces the initial deployment phase of its new web site giving clients on-line access to information on their Individual Life and Savings, and Retirement contracts. Standard Life's, VIP Room, a protected Web site, has been expanded. More at www.insurance-canada.ca/ebusiness/canada/StandardIC200206.php

KANA Study Reveals Customer Demand Driving Financial Services Industry Adoption of Real-time and Web-based Customer Service. KANA, the leading provider of external-facing eCRM solutions, announced today that a recent survey of financial service customers revealed that they demand knowledgeable and intelligent contact center support in real-time. The survey showed that customers are increasingly turning to the Web for e-mail and self-service support, and demanding the same level of knowledgeable service as in phone-based interactions when seeking sensitive information regarding their personal finances. More at www.insurance-canada.ca/ebusiness/other/Kana200206.php

Marketing Insurance

ICBC enhancing vehicle claims information access for customers. As of June 11, customers can access information on a vehicle's ICBC claims history through www.icbc.com. This online service is fast and user-friendly, and provides an after-hours" alternative to ICBC's phone and fax vehicle damage information service. More at www.insurance-canada.ca/market/canada/ICBCClaim200206.php

Internet Marketing: 20 Tips and Traps: Your Virtual Insurance News. Today we hear many approaches and ideas from Web Weavers, Gurus and Architects on how to make the web build market share for a business. As a Marketer and Non Techie, I'd like to share with you the non-technical perspective on Web Marketing learned through direct experience overseeing many web-oriented projects. More at www.insurance-canada.ca/market/other/VITips200206.php

Distribution

Applied Systems Canada, Inc. Launches Data Storage and Recovery Service for clients of The Agency Manager.
Applied Systems announced a service that will prevent the critical data of a brokerage’s business from being lost or destroyed due to a disaster or catastrophe. The brokerage data is stored and transmitted via a secure Internet connection as part of an automated weekly utility within The Agency Manager (TAM). More at www.insurance-canada.ca/distribution/announce/Applied200206.php

RBC Insurance launches new online resource centre for business partners.
RBC Insurance announces the launch of a new online sales resource centre, designed to provide life insurance professionals with valuable sales tools and information to help them grow their business. Accessible through the Business Partner section of the RBC Insurance Web site (www.rbcinsurance.com/businesspartners/life), the tool is focused on providing life insurance sales support materials. More at www.insurance-canada.ca/distribution/canada/RBCBP200206.php

CSIO Insurance Portal Status Update

Bill Wallace indicates that many pieces in the jigsaw are starting to fall into place. More connectivity issues with Applied have been resolved, and Keal should start testing on Monday. With the renewed activity and functions further along, Economical will now restart testing. At ISI, apparently CGU and AXA rates have been loaded and some of Royal & SunAlliance's have been received. The pilot brokers, some ten to seventeen in number, have been identified and their situations are being reviewed. If all goes to current plan, some or all of them will connect for the pilot in August. With the pilot coming on strong, the components of the help desk functions are coming together well, including a broker registration kit.

ConsumerInfo

Canadian Snowbird Association Tackles Proposed USA Visit Restrictions; Appears Before U.S. House Small Business Committee. TORONTO, June 20, 2002 - The Canadian Snowbird Association has secured a promise from Representative Manzullo, head of the House Small Business Committee, that a letter exempting Canadians from the proposed Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) regulations will be delivered within two weeks. More at www.insurance-canada.ca/consinfotravel/SnowBird200206.php

Policy Management

More than 5,000 Reinsurance Submissions Presented on eReinsure.com Online Platform.
These submissions originated from four major insurers and involve various lines of property and casualty reinsurance. Currently, 14 insurance and reinsurance companies as well as reinsurance intermediaries use the eReinsure platform. More at www.insurance-canada.ca/poladmin/other/eReinsure200206.php

Claims

Sysinct Uses Lotus Notes and Domino to Automate Reporting Process for Glass Insurance Claims.
"To ensure that critical information was readily available to our customers, we needed a solution that would enable us to easily access client and corporate information, track claims and reduce time spent on unnecessary paperwork, said Tom Sliwinski, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Universal Data Interchange. Using the collaborative, Web-based functionality of Lotus Notes and Domino, Sysinct designed a database solution that has enabled us to automate our business processes and allow us to focus less on administrative tasks and more on customer needs." More at www.insurance-canada.ca/claims/other/SysinctUDI200206.php

New IBM Service Automates Healthcare Insurance Claims Processing: Enables Customized Policies for Subscribers. IBM announced it is offering healthcare insurance companies a fully automated, computing service that electronically reads and processes claims much faster and at less cost over the Internet. The new service will enable insurers to greatly reduce paperwork while offering millions of subscribers the option of more flexible, customized policies including those that emphasize wellness and preventive care programs. Using the service, insurers can also offer subscribers more online help and respond to customer inquiries over the Internet. More at www.insurance-canada.ca/claims/announce/IBMCL200206.php

e-Business and Technology

GartnerG2 Says Enterprises are Not Doing Enough to Prepare for Cyberattacks.
Through 2005, 90 percent of cyberattacks will exploit known security flaws for which a patch is available or a solution known, according to GartnerG2, a research unit of Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT and ITB). Gartner analysts presented their outlook for cyperattack prevention today at Gartner Symposium/ITxpo in San Diego, California. GartnerG2 analysts said that not only are there patches available before the cyberattacks, but 90 percent are imitation attacks. Also, recent cyberattacks could have been avoided if enterprises were more focused on their security efforts. More at www.insurance-canada.ca/ebusiness/other/GartnerCR200206.php

from Doug:

A lot of fun over the last week doing things heritage and celebrating Loyalist Day in Ontario - which stretched out to nearly a week. A Ceremony at Queen's Park on June 19 with Lieutenant Governor, First Nations representatives, and military reenactors and current cadets. On the Saturday bus tour, we visited, among others things, the Martin Snider house in North Central Toronto which is now a private dwelling, but we got the royal tour. So well restored and so much history.

Next on to Canada Day and more history - celebrate and enjoy!