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 and Product Management
Pitney Bowes MapInfo Aligns with Exclusive Analysis to Provide Advanced Terrorism Risk Analytics.
TROY, N.Y., July 3, 2007 - Pitney Bowes MapInfo, the leading global provider of location intelligence, today announced an alliance with Exclusive Analysis, a leading strategic intelligence company that forecasts violent and political risk worldwide.
Distribution
Rhodes & Williams Ltd.: Canadian Brokerage of Interest to American Insurance Community?.
Ottawa, ON, July 30, 2007: IMMS was founded in 1973, but in July 2007 it conducted it's first ever interview with a Canadian Brokerage on it's weekly member news, "The Inside Track"! "I have been talking with George, IMMS founder, for quite some time about working more closely with his Canadian members, to tailor a program that suits our marketplace as well," says Cory Young, Vice-President of Rhodes & Williams Ltd. "Showing an interest by performing its first ever interview with our Canadian Brokerage is a huge step in that direction."
Saskatchewan Mutual Insurance Company remains a full Partner of the Broker Identity Program: IBAC.
July 25, 2007/Toronto - The Insurance Brokers Association of Canada (IBAC) is pleased to announce that Saskatchewan Mutual Insurance Company (SMI) is maintaining its investment as a Full Partner of the Broker Identity Program for 2007. The Program's centre-piece is the BIP symbol known as the BIPPER. The symbol captures the value that insurance brokers bring their clients: coverage and security.
ING Canada announces mutual fund distribution agreements.
TORONTO, Aug. 2, 2007 - ING Canada Inc. (TSX: IIC) announced today that it has reached definitive agreements with Groupe Cloutier Inc. and Worldsource Financial Management Inc. whereby these two organizations will provide access to the mutual fund products and distribution services currently offered to property and casualty insurance brokerages through ING Wealth Management.
eBusiness and Technology
Gartner EXP Outlines How CIOs Can Drive Enterprise Revenue Through Seven Levers of Growth.
STAMFORD, Conn., July 16, 2007 - Enterprises grow the top line through seven growth levers, and chief information officers (CIOs) must enable that growth through IT assets and the IS organization's skills and behaviors, according to Gartner Executive Programs (EXP), a unit of Gartner, Inc. To consistently achieve top-line growth, CIOs need to adopt a growth-oriented mind-set.
Gomez to detail Ajax testing and performance strategies.
LEXINGTON, Mass., July 18, 2007 - Web development experts from Gomez Inc. next week will share strategies for testing and analyzing performance of applications developed in Ajax, the Web 2.0 technology for super-responsive, highly interactive web pages like Google Maps.
Business of Insurance
Great-West Lifeco's U.S. subsidiary announces agreement to assume institutional client's 401(k) recordkeeping business.
WINNIPEG, Aug. 1, 2007 - Great-West Lifeco Inc. today announced that its U.S. subsidiary, Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company, has reached an agreement with Franklin Templeton Investments whereby Franklin Templeton will transition its 401(k) recordkeeping business to Great-West Life & Annuity.
IDC Survey Reveals What Business Managers Want From IT.
MILAN, July 17, 2007 - According to a new IDC study, business managers spend a significant amount of time on IT support for their business operations and believe it to have an important role in company innovation.
Eastbridge study finds strong growth in voluntary disability and voluntary medical lines.
AVON, CONNECTICUT, USA (July 11 , 2007) - According to the 2006 U.S. Worksite Sales Study, short-term disability and hospital income/voluntary medical products had the highest percentage of growth in sales in 2006. Total sales for both products were approximately $818 million and $739 million respectively.
Consumer Information
Ontario Auto Insurance Rates Approved in Second Quarter of 2007 Decline Slightly: FSCO.
Rate applications approved by the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) during the second quarter of 2007 (April 1, 2007 to June 30, 2007) indicate an average change of -0.13%, based on the entire market.
Vehicle manufacturers announce plan to install Canadian-standard anti-theft vehicle immobilizers in all new 2008 automobiles.
Effective September 1, 2007, Transport Canada will make it mandatory for all new cars, vans, light trucks, and SUVs to be equipped with anti-theft electronic immobilizers.
Public Support for Automated Traffic Enforcement is Strong and Growing Findings From a New IRC Study.
July 19, 2007 MALVERN, Pa. -- A new report by the Insurance Research Council (IRC) shows that public support for red light and speed cameras is strong and growing. The report, Public Attitude Monitor, Issue 1, Highway Safety, analyzes public opinion on a range of issues related to highway safety and traffic enforcement.
Saskatchewan and Manitoba move forward on new vehicle registration agreement.
Commercial vehicle owners in several communities on both sides of the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border will benefit from a new vehicle registration agreement for commercial vehicles, which is effective Aug. 1.
Home Burglaries Can Spike as Residents Head out for Vacation, the I.I.I. Warns Consumers.
NEW YORK, July 19, 2007 - As you get ready for your summer vacation, burglars may be hard at work planning to take advantage of your unoccupied house; fortunately, there are simple precautions you can take to safeguard your home.
Canadians (62%) Believe Hiring More Healthcare Professionals, Establishing Wait Time Standards And Guarantees, And Expansion Of Medicare Services A 'Good Plan': Ipsos Reid Poll for CMA.
July 30, 2007 Ottawa, ON - Hiring more doctors, nurses and other professionals, establishing and expanding wait-time standards beyond current provisions, the establishment of a
publicly-funded wait-time guarantee, and the expansion of Medicare services - these are the elements of the Canadian Medical Association's new plan for Canada's healthcare system. A new Ipsos Reid poll finds that a majority (62%) of Canadians believe that these central tenets of the CMA's 'Medicare Plus' plan, combined, represent a 'good plan' for the future of Canada's health care system.
from Doug:
I spent the Monday holiday wearing, both literally and figuratively, my heritage hat at Toronto's Fort York. The reenactor cadets and the fife and drum corps were supplemented by the cadets from Fort St. George, Niagara. They ran a series of events over the day, showing lots of manoeuvres, charges, firing of cannon and musket, tours of the fort etc. It was hot and humid and we sympathized with them for their heavy clothing. We enjoyed the visits at our display on this Simcoe Day holiday, so named as Lt. Gov. Simcoe in 1793 began Ft. York and the town of York. The former seat of government at Niagara was deemed too close to the border, a fear born out twenty years later in 1812 with the outbreak of war. In 1834 York was renamed Toronto. The media coverage for the day was good, and yours truly was interviewed for CBC radio on the significance of Simcoe.