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.
Business of Insurance
The Commerce Group, Inc. Extends Long-Term Agreement With CGI.
Andover, MA, August 29, 2007 - CGI Group, Inc., a leading provider of information technology and business process services, today announced that it has reached an agreement with The Commerce Group, Inc., the largest writer of private passenger automobile insurance in Massachusetts, to extend their personal and commercial automobile policy processing services agreement through December 31, 2011.
Zurich's Commercial Markets business unit enhances focus on customer solutions in North America.
Schaumburg, Ill., September 13, 2007 - Zurich, one of the world's largest property-casualty insurance companies, is streamlining the operations of its Commercial Markets business unit to harness its multiple strengths, giving middle market customers and producers in North America better access to its comprehensive risk management products and services. Zurich's goal is to enhance its customer focus in this market segment.
Claims
Accident Support Services International Ltd. to partner with the Greater Sudbury Police Service in the Operation of the Collision Reporting Centre.
Sudbury, September 18, 2007 – The Greater Sudbury Police Service and Accident Support Services International Ltd., facilitators of Collision Reporting to the Insurance Industry, are pleased to announce a partnership in the operation of the Greater Sudbury Collision Reporting Centre for a six month pilot project.
Claim Estimation Solutions: Overview and Solution Spectrum: Report Published by Celent.
San Francisco, CA, USA - September 10, 2007 - Celent looks at technology to estimate auto, property, and bodily injury losses. In a new report, Claim Estimation Solutions: Overview and Solution Spectrum, Celent examines estimation solutions used by insurers and field adjusters to quickly and fairly determine the amount of auto physical damage, property, and bodily injury losses.
Marketing and the Market Place
Drive a More Profitable Trucking Business by attending Markel's Let's Talk™ seminar this November.
(TORONTO) – Markel Insurance Company of Canada's latest educational offering – Let's Talk about Driving a More Profitable Trucking Business — a cross-country seminar series to help trucking carriers operate more profitably — is set to travel to four major Canadian cities this November.
IT Through The Eyes Of Multi-Generation Small And Medium-Sized Business Owners: Ipsos Reid Survey for Microsoft.
September 17, 2007 Toronto, ON - There's a lot to be said for both age and experience in the workplace. And when it comes to Canada's small and medium-sized business owners, it's a case in point reveals a new survey released by Ipsos Reid on behalf of Microsoft.
EDC and ACOA sign agreement to foster trade and foreign direct investment in Atlantic Canada.
(HALIFAX) September 5, 2007 – Export Development Canada (EDC) and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop trade and foreign direct investment opportunities in Atlantic Canada.
B2B Online Advertising Up : eMarketer.
SEPTEMBER 17, 2007 - US business-to-business ad spending totaled $14.39 billion in 2006, up 1.4% from $14.19 billion in 2005, according to a BtoB Magazine analysis of ad spending data from TNS Media Intelligence.
Product Announcements
Purina gives a boost to pet health insurance in Canada, announces launch of PurinaCare.
Toronto, ON (July 17, 2007) – Nestlé Purina PetCare Canada and SecuriCan General Insurance Company announced the official launch of PurinaCare™ Pet Health Insurance.
EGI Financial announces new Emergency Travel Health programs.
TORONTO, Sept. 17, 2007 - EGI Financial Holdings Inc. ("EGI") today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Echelon General Insurance Company, is entering the Canadian emergency travel health insurance market through agreements with key distributors, which are expected to generate $16 million in annual premiums.
Consumer Information
Ontario Government raises the bar for driver training.
The McGuinty government is setting higher standards for driver education and training in Ontario to help keep roads safe, Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield announced recently.
Distribution
Hub International to Acquire the Totten Insurance Group.
CHICAGO, September 19, 2007 - Hub International Limited announced today that one of its subsidiaries has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the stock of Totten Insurance Group Inc. (Totten), a Canadian specialty insurance wholesaler that develops niche products and provides solutions for unusual lines of business.
Reference and Statistics
LIMRA Reports Record U.S. Individual Annuity Sales and Assets in Second Quarter 2007.
Windsor, Conn, September 11, 2007 - Individual annuity sales hit a U.S. record in the second quarter of 2007 at $66.5 billion, a 6 percent increase over the same period in 2006, according to LIMRA International. Sales for the first half of 2007 were up 3 percent over first half 2006, reaching $124.5 billion.
Managing Relationships and Customer Service
J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Marsh U.S.
Consumer Receives Certification in Several Lines of Business for Providing An Outstanding Customer Service Experience.
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 10 September 2007 - Five core lines of business for the U.S. Consumer business of Marsh Inc. have been recognized for call center operation customer satisfaction excellence under the J.D. Power and Associates Certified Call Center Program.SM This distinction acknowledges a strong commitment from Marsh Inc.'s call center operations to provide "An Outstanding Customer Service Experience."
eBusiness and Technology
Information Builders Delivers Next Generation of Location Intelligence.
New York, NY - September 5, 2007 - Information Builders, the leader in production business intelligence (BI) solutions, today announced the availability of a WebFOCUS integration solution for ESRI's ArcGIS Server, extending the robust reporting capabilities of its BI solution through the power of geographical information systems (GIS).
New security survey shows organizations are strong on infrastructure, weak on monitoring and enforcement: by CIO, CSO & PWC.
New York and Framingham, MA-September 10, 2007-Organizations worldwide are investing in infrastructure but lagging in implementation, measurement and review of security and privacy policies according to the 5th annual Global State of Information Security Survey 2007, a worldwide study by CIO magazine, CSO magazine and PricewaterhouseCoopers. The study, which is the largest of its kind, represents responses of 7,200 IT, security and business executives in more than 119 countries across all industries.
from Doug:
As some of you may know, I retired from IBM Canada almost eight years ago. Last week my wife and I attended our first IBM Sixties Alumni gathering. The group calls themselves "The Punch Card Preservation Society" - yet another of those technologies which has come and gone. I only just qualified for the group, having joined only four months before "the sixties" expired. It was a good gathering, many old acqaintences and a few old friends. As you can imagine, lot's of old war stories and even more catching up.