Issue 2004-17:   May 7, 2004

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.

Policy Management

Camilion Solutions Named a Top 25 Canadian Up and Comer.

Camilion Solutions, the leading provider of Enterprise Product Management (EPM) software for insurance, today announced that the company has been named one of the Top 25 Canadian Up and Comers by the Branham Group.

MDA To Acquire Major U.S. Information Products Market Leader Marshall & Swift / Boeckh.

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (TSX: MDA) announced today a powerful strategic expansion of its Information Products business in the U.S. The Company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Marshall & Swift / Boeckh (MS/B). MS/B is a leading supplier of property information and valuation solutions to the U.S. property insurance sector.

Foresters Licenses CSC's Insurance New Business Software.

Computer Sciences Corporation today announced that Foresters, a Toronto-based North American financial services organization, has licensed nbAccelerator (nbA), CSC's new business risk assessment and process management software. Foresters, which is the first Canadian company to license nbA, will use the system to streamline its new business operations.

Distribution

Advanced Education for Insurance Advisors: CIFP Conference.

Life agents will have over 25 different sessions to chose from including advanced presentations on Estate Planning, Wealth Management, Practice Development, Tax Planning and Risk Management. Earn up to 20 CFP Technical CE credits, IDA CE credits and up to 12 Life CE credits.

Financing Solution Launched in B.C. to Help Small Business with Insurance Costs: IBABC, GHR Systems, Inc. and Scotiabank.

The Insurance Brokers Association of B.C. (IBABC), GHR Systems, Inc. and Scotiabank today announced a new insurance financing program for small businesses. The Premium Financing Solution(TM) provides fresh options for small businesses in B.C. to finance annual property and casualty insurance premiums through a flexible monthly payment plan. Using leading-edge web technology by GHR Systems, Scotiabank's financing can be fulfilled quickly through participating insurance brokers in B.C.

Sun Life Financial to sell IQON and Synera to CI Fund Management.

Sun Life Financial Inc. announces the sale of its IQON Financial Management Inc. and Synera Financial Services Inc. distribution organizations to Assante Corporation, a subsidiary of CI Fund Management Inc.

Eastbridge Consulting Group sees worksite brokers changing -- and carriers need to pay attention!

There are signs in the marketplace that the traditional group, worksite, and even pension distribution channels are "blending" into a new breed of brokerthe Benefits Advisor. These new distributors are more independent and offer a wide array of both protection and asset accumulation/management products to their clients.

CSIO Insurance Portal Status Update

Week ending April 30: Some of the brokers who have been participating in the alpha/beta pilot have moved now into full usage.
Gore completed user acceptance testing for habitational and has moved into production. Portage Mutual has begun user acceptance testing for habitational.
A second training session, organized and run by IBAO, has been held.
The remaining alpha/beta test brokers continue with the pilot.

Claims

Water Out: Emergency Drying System For Large Water Losses: First General (Toronto) Services.

First General Services (Toronto) Ltd. is pleased to introduce Water Out, a trailer-mounted emergency drying system for large or critical water damage claims. It has been proven fast and cost-effective. Water Out reduces drying time, prevents mould growth and structural damage while drying contents in place. Therefore, it minimizes loss-of-use time and saves costs for insurers and insureds.

Marketing and the Market Place

Markel to host its first-ever National Trucking Conference "Safety and Innovation"

Markel Professional Transport Training (MPTT) will host Safety and Innovation, its first-ever national conference this spring. This landmark event will take place June 15 and 16, 2004 at Torontos Doubletree International Plaza hotel and will feature some of the trucking industrys highest profile experts from across Canada and the U.S.

Managing Relationships and Customer Service

OmbudsNetwork Adds Online Financial Complaint Tool.

The Financial Services OmbudsNetwork has partnered with the Canadian Consumer Information Gateway to offer financial consumers an additional complaint channel using an innovative online tool, the Complaint Courier.

Healthy Growth Ahead for Financial Institutions Spending on Customer Relationship Management Technologies: TowerGroup.

The heyday of customer relationship management (CRM) may be long gone, but reports of CRMs demise are greatly exaggerated. New research from TowerGroup finds that while the rate of growth may be off from the high levels experienced in the 1990s, financial services institutions worldwide spent over $5 billion on these technologies in 2003 an investment that will grow to $7.1 billion by 2008.

e-Business and Technology

SAS and IBM demonstrate industry leadership in data mining interoperability.

SAS, the leader in business intelligence announces the immediate availability of enhanced interoperability between SASand IBMs data mining offerings. SAS and IBM are the first companies to deliver production software that implements an extended version of the Predictive Model Markup Language (PMML) 2.1 standard, providing customers with the capability to rapidly integrate new predictive and descriptive models in operational systems without manual interference.

Gómez Unveils Next-Generation Internet Performance Management Solution.

Gómez(R),Inc., the Internet Performance Management Company, today announced the immediate availability of the next generation of solutions that help companies to reduce the costs and maximize the revenues associated with their critical Internet-based business applications.

Business of Insurance

Manulife Financial and John Hancock complete merger creating North America's second largest life insurance company.

Manulife Financial Corporation and John Hancock Financial Services, Inc., including its Canadian subsidiary, The Maritime Life Assurance Company, today completed their merger after receiving all necessary regulatory approvals. John Hancock is now a subsidiary of Manulife Financial.

Auto Drive Safely

With Spring, our thoughts turn to Prom... and safe driving: I Promise Program

With preparation for the Prom season upon us, parents' thoughts are again turning to teen safe driving. Car crashes are of such epidemic proportion that this year the World Health Organization has even made road safety its primary concern. Of all road users, young drivers continue to have the highest crash record of any age group. In fact car crashes remain the leading cause of permanent injury and death in youth throughout the US and Canada.

In the Community

2004 Lotopompier Campaign: Industrial Alliance Proudly Pursues its Commitment to the Quebec Firefighters Foundation for Major Burn Victims.

Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. is proud to partner with the Quebec Firefighters Foundation for Major Burn Victims for a third consecutive year as the title sponsor of their 21st Lotopompier fundraising campaign that is being held from April 26 to June 6, 2004.

from Doug:

Late April showers, spring flowers, trees in leaf - I think Spring has arrived. Do take time to smell the roses. Following two weeks of family all home, eldest has now started his final coop work term in Waterloo, second has four AP exams Grade 12 this week, spouse is in NY on an opera and family research trip, and I am heading west for six days. How quickly we scatter.