Issue 2004-24:   June 24, 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.

Distribution

Agency Systems Pick Up the Pace in Real-Time on IVANS Transformation Station™

IVANS, Inc. announced today that Applied Systems, DORIS, InStar, and NASA are each rolling out additional real-time transactions that will provide immediate benefits to agency-carrier workflows. During the first four months of 2004, transactions conducted on Transformation Station have increased by 35% and the pace at which each agency vendor system is rolling out new carriers has rapidly increased.

Ohio Casualty Announces Real-Time Selling and Servicing Using New Applied Systems Features and IVANS Transformation Station™.

Ohio Casualty Group, in collaboration with Applied Systems, today announced the release of new real-time communication capability for agents and brokers using Applied Systems management products and IVANS Transformation Station.

ACORD Demonstrates New Fillable Forms for Improving Agent Workflow.

ACORD demonstrated their newly released ACORD Fillable Forms for the more than 2,000 attendees at 2004 ACORD LOMA Insurance Systems Forum today. The fillable forms provide yet another advancement that streamlines the agent information workflow.

New kasina Study is First to Segment Financial Intermediaries by Behaviour.

Traditional methods of predicting financial intermediary investment preferences based on distribution channel segmentation provide little insight into underlying behavior and may actually be counter-productive, according to the results of a new study announced today by kasina.

CSIO Insurance Portal Status Update

Week ending June 18: Germania, Grenville, North Waterloo Peel, and Trillium (formerly Formosa) are all now in Systems Testing for their auto rates. North Waterloo is in Systems Testing for their habitational rates.
The team continues to add brokers to the portal; 48 brokers are now signed up and technically integrated to the portal, but some of those are doing internal training and implementation.
CSIO presented at the recent Applied Systems User Group Ontario meeting in Mississauga this week and the topic generated a great deal of interest and discussion.

e-Business and Technology

IM Use at Work Here to Stay: eMarketer.

Instant Messaging (IM) applications are a growing part of office communications, and the Radicati Group predicts that by 2008, 80% of enterprise workers worldwide will be using IM at their workplace.

IT Outsourcing In Canada: Ipsos-Reid.

The next two years appear to be of critical importance for providers who already own an outsourcing relationship with clients, based on the findings of a new Ipsos-Reid information technology study, The IT Vendors Guide to Customer Economics, conducted with 603 businesses across Canada.

Scaling the e-Financial Supply Chain Mountain: Celent Report.

In a new report, Scaling the e-Financial Supply Chain Mountain, Celent examines e-financial supply chain solutions and their prospects. Celent finds that there are signs that demand is picking up and that earlier slow adoption reflected the market's immaturity, not its irrelevance. Several critical factors will propel adoption.

Castek Announces Agreement with Global InfoTech for services into China.

Castek Inc. is pleased to announce a business partnership with Global InfoTech Co. Ltd. to provide localization and implementation services for the Insure3 Suite of P&C insurance business applications in China.

The Incredible Shrinking IBM Desktop.

IBM provided early details of the upcoming new ThinkCentre S50 ultra small, the smallest desktop PC ever introduced by IBM (1). With a footprint smaller than many notebook PCs, the new ThinkCentre S50 saves space without compromising function. It also includes IBM's patented ThinkVantage Technologies, which can help reduce system operating costs and improve employee productivity.

Marketing Insurance

Towers Perrin Survey Finds Consumer-Driven Health Care Strategies Jeopardized by Employer and Employee Disconnects.

A widening gap between employer and employee views on health care threatens to undermine employer efforts to use consumer-driven health care strategies to slow the growth of health care costs, according to new survey results from Towers Perrin.

Business of Insurance

New Travel Insurance Products Available from TIC July 1, 2004.

T.I.C. Travel Insurance Coordinators ("T.I.C.") is pleased to announce several additions to its existing line of travel insurance products. As a result of the merger between T.I.C. and Trent Health ("Trent"), travel agents across the country are now able to increase their sales with a medically underwritten plan, an individual student plan and a plan for Canadian expatriates.

Statistics and Reference

North American Life Insurance Activity Stable in May: MIB.

Applications for life insurance in North America remained statistically flat in May at +0.2% year-over-year. Notably, May was the fourth consecutive steady month for MIB Life Index, indicating a stable North American market for individually underwritten life insurance compared to last year's levels.

Have you read Canadian Insurance magazine lately?

Our June issue is in, again showing why our magazine has award-winning coverage of the industry as well as layout and design.

Consumer Information

NB insurers act quickly to assist policyholders affected by forest fire: IBC.

According to Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), New Brunswick insurers are acting quickly to assist policyholders whose homes and businesses have been affected by the forest fire that consumed 125 acres of land near Lower Coverdale just outside of Moncton yesterday.

New Brunswick set to lay claim to largest auto rate decreases in Canada: IBC.

Insurance Bureau of Canada today said that NDP Leader Elizabeth Weir told only half the story earlier this week when she claimed that auto insurance rate decreases in New Brunswick were not as low as in other provinces.

Community Involvement

22nd Edition of the Standard Life Marathon - Actress Mireille Deyglun will walk to Benefit Research into Children's Diseases.

This year, popular actress Mireille Deyglun will serve as spokesperson for the 22nd Standard Life Marathon, with the objective of raising $350,000 for the Foundation for Research into Children's Diseases.

from Doug:

Our vacation is off to a great and warm start with four days now between Calgary and Chilliwack. Have enjoyed great scenery, family and fellow heritage enthusiasts. How lucky we are to have such a wonderful country.
I hope you are having a good start to summer too.