Issue 2006-28: July 11, 2006
Claims
CARSTAR Automotive Canada signs on as a SMART national vendor.
Hamilton, ON - Friday, June 30th, 2006 - CARSTAR Automotive Canada has announced that it has signed a national agreement to utilize the claims portal, SMART Insurance Technology managed by CGI Insurance Business Services.
Advanced Field Services Integrates Field Information Transfer from MSB.
Los Angeles and Coeur D'Alene, ID July 5,2006 - MSB, the leading worldwide provider of building cost data and estimating technology to the property insurance industry, and Advanced Field Services, Inc. (AFS) a leading national provider of professional inspection solutions to the insurance and real estate industries, announce that AFS has integrated MSB's Field Information Transfer(TM) (FIT) technology into its inspection delivery workflow.
Lloyd's warns insurers to face the challenges of climate change.
05/06/2006 - The insurance industry must face up to the growing threat of climate change or risk being swept away, according to Lloyd's, the world's leading specialist insurance market.
Progressive Claims Service Launches New Catastrophe Web Site.
MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio - June 1, 2006 - Progressive Claims Service today launched a new catastrophe Web site, www.progressiveresponds.com, to provide consumers with information about how to stay safe and protect their vehicles and boats before, during and after a catastrophic event
Policy and Product Management
SunGard Named As A Leading Insurance Vendor by Celent.
Atlanta, GA – SunGard today announced that it has been named as a leading insurance vendor, according to Celent's 'Traction Index', in the analyst's most recent Insurance Software Deal Trends 2004-2005 survey. Celent's "Traction Index" represents participating vendors' level of success in the insurance sector, based on the number of deals undertaken and the types of customers represented by these deals.
EDS SOLCORP Launches RADIENCE: New Offering Revolutionizes Policy Administration.
22 May 2006 Las Vegas, NV - EDS SOLCORP today announced the launch of RADIENCE: Administration, a new multi-product architecture and platform built from the ground up to address the policy administration needs of life insurance and annuity providers.
Manulife Financial to administer group retirement savings plans for Rogers Communications Inc. employees.
KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ON, July 5, 2006 - Manulife Financial is proud to welcome Rogers Communications Inc. to its family of Group Savings and Retirement Solutions (GSRS) clients.
Pervasive Software Provides Internet Connectivity to MIB's New Web-Enabled Business Solutions.
AUSTIN, TEXAS - May 23, 2006 - Pervasive Software® Inc. (NASDAQ: PVSW), a global value leader in data infrastructure software, today announced that its Pervasive Business Integrator™ software supports MIB's new WEB-DIRECT Internet connectivity which utilizes the ACORD TXLife 401 and 402 transaction sets. Canadian-based SSQ Financial will be among the first insurance companies to utilize Pervasive technology to exchange data with MIB.
Insurance in the Community
InsuranceWorks.ca partners with WICC - Women In Insurance Cancer Crusade - by contributing donations all summer-long.
June 30, 2006, Toronto ON - For the months of July and August of this year, InsuranceWorks.ca will donate $2 for every job posted on the site in support of WICC's mission 'to mobilize the Canadian Insurance Industry in the fight against cancer by focussing on cancer research, support and education'.
Marketing and the Market Place
Manulife Investor Sentiment Index hits new five-year high.
WATERLOO, ON, July 6, 2006 - Canadians' investment sentiment registered its largest increase in a year to reach a new five-year high in June, according to a national poll for Manulife Financial, Canada's leading insurance and wealth management company.
PWC Report: Financial Institutions Should Put Customers' Needs First to Win the Battle For Revenue Growth.
London, 25 May 2006 -- The battle for revenue growth among banks, insurers and asset management companies will be fought on three main fronts: improved technology, effective use of information and the ability to recruit, train and motivate customer-facing staff, says a new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers, carried out in association with the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). But the findings also reveal that many financial institutions are focusing their efforts on products and services and paying too little attention to the needs of their customers.
Consumer Information
ING Insurance says responsible drivers in N.B. shouldn't be penalized for bad luck.
One bad day behind the wheel does not make you a bad driver. And, if an accident does happen, you should not be afraid to make an insurance claim. These beliefs are at the core of the ING Insurance's Responsible Driver Guarantee, which the company is now offering to New Brunswick Drivers.
SGI: Preliminary 2005 casualty collision statistics for Saskatchewan released.
According to preliminary statistics from SGI's Traffic Accident Information System (TAIS), 147 people died as a result of traffic accidents in the province in 2005.
Ontario Government Improves Newborn Screening.
OTTAWA - The official opening of Canada's most comprehensive newborn screening program at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) means that every baby born in Ontario will be screened for several rare genetic disorders, said Premier Dalton McGuinty.
Business of Insurance
SAS Study: Global enterprise risk management survey builds strong business case for financial institutions.
CARY, NC (July 05, 2006) - Reaping business benefits now matches regulatory compliance as the key driver of enterprise risk management (ERM) systems according to a global survey of 339 financial services executives. These benefits include improved performance management, better risk-based pricing, and reduced capital allocation and credit loss. The results of the research study conducted by SAS, the leader in business intelligence, were unveiled today at the Ri$k Capital 2006 conference in Paris.
Distribution
Hub International Acquires AssurConseil; Expands Trucking Expertise in Quebec.
CHICAGO, July 5, 2006 - Hub International Limited (NYSE:HBG)(TSX:HBG) announced today the acquisition of AssurConseil, S.E.N.C., a Montreal-based insurance broker with both general lines and trucking expertise. The 39-employee organization will become part of Hub International Quebec Limitee (HUB Quebec). Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Our People: Education and Training
LOMA Aligns With SkillSoft to Expand Online Course Offerings.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA-June 27, 2006-LOMA, the leading association of the international insurance and financial services industry, has formed an alliance with SkillSoft, a leading provider of enterprise e-Learning, to offer online courses focused on improving business skills and professional effectiveness.
from Doug:
Today might finally be the day. A roofer we had asked to do some repairs before Christmas will finally arrive, I hope. We made some emergency and temporary repairs back then to keep the rainwater out. Those quick fixes are still holding, but it will be good to have a more permanent solution in place.
Our fight with some pesky racoons continues. Since I chased them over roof and wall a couple of weeks ago, they have kept away, but with them I suspect nothing is permanent, especially their absence. I would love to hear about a prevention technique, preferably one which is legal in the context of Toronto's city bylaws.