Issue 2009-06 -- February 10, 2009
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.
Claims
FINEOS named in Celent Model Carrier Report for Second Year in a Row.
Dublin, Ireland, February 03, 2009 - FINEOS Corporation, a global provider of innovative enterprise software solutions for insurance, bancassurance, and government, today announced that its client, Assurant Employee Benefits (AEB), has been named in the Celent report, Model Carrier 2009: Case Studies of Effective Technology Usage in Insurance.
Zurich Insurance Company Selects Guidewire for Japan.
TOKYO, Japan and SAN MATEO, California, U.S.A., February 2, 2009 - Guidewire Software®, a leading global provider of solutions to property/casualty insurers, today announced that Zurich Insurance Company (Zurich Japan), the third largest foreign general insurer in Japan, has selected Guidewire ClaimCenter® as its new end-to-end claims management solution. ClaimCenter is currently being implemented to process Zurich Japan's auto claims, with plans to extend it to other lines of business in subsequent phases.
CIGNA International Expands Network Through Direct Settlement Arrangements With Hospitals In Turkey.
CLAYMONT, Del. - March 20, 2008 - CIGNA International Expatriate Benefits (CIEB) has expanded its international network through three direct settlement arrangements with hospitals in Turkey. These arrangements will provide access to more hospitals and physicians, at a lower cost, for the growing number of expatriates in Turkey with CIEB coverage.
Insurance Bureau of Canada donates $150,000 to Brain Injury Association of Canada.
TORONTO, Feb. 3 2009 - Building on its ongoing commitment to injury prevention, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), on behalf of Canada's home, car and business insurers, has donated $150,000 to the Brain Injury Association of Canada (BIAC). The donation makes IBC the presenting sponsor of BIAC's Hawaiian Oyster Odyssey series of fundraising events across Canada for the next three years.
Policy and Product Management
Penn National Insurance Improves Pricing Accuracy and Expands Business Opportunities with Single Rating Engine: Oracle Insurance.
Penn National Insurance, a leading provider of property and casualty insurance faced the challenge of accurately rating and pricing business. The company had two separate rating engines that were not always in synch—sometimes resulting in differences from the quote to the final premium. The company turned to Oracle Insurance Insbridge Rating and Underwriting to provide Penn National a standalone rating engine with the capability to tie into multiple integration points and platforms.
Distribution
Keal Technology Partners with blueC 802 Inc.. TORONTO, ON, February 4, 2009 - Today, Keal Technology announced their partnership with communication firm blueC 802 Inc. Keal will integrate its flagship broker management system (BMS) sigXPTM with blueC 802's blueButlerTM, a suite of unique and powerful communications efficiency applications.
Independent Producer Survey: Technology, Services and Other Drivers of Producer Choice (Life/Annuity/LTC/Health Edition): Report Published by Celent.
The continued growth of the independent agent channel in North America means that competition among carriers for producer mindshare is fierce. The question of carrier choice by producers continues to be important. In most lines, if companies are to grow, they must earn the business from someone else.
Our People
Private-Public Partnership to Provide Rapid Training for Growing Market: InsuranceWorks.ca TORONTO, Feb. 2nd, 2009: Seneca College, DGA Careers and InsuranceWorks are very pleased to announce the launch of an outstanding new education and training program. This public-private partnership will provide "state-of-the-art" training to individuals wishing to enter or enhance their career in the property and casualty insurance industry.
eBusiness and Technology
Gartner Reveals Eight Mobile Technologies to Watch in 2009 and 2010.
STAMFORD, Conn., January 28, 2009 - Gartner, Inc. has identified eight mobile technologies that will evolve significantly through 2010, impacting short-term mobile strategies and policies.
Business of Insurance
Western Financial Group Inc. and Bank West Announce Completion of Acquisition of AgriFinancial Canada Corp.. MHIGH RIVER, AB, Feb. 2 2009 - Western Financial Group Inc. and its subsidiary, Bank West, announced today the completion of the acquisition of AgriFinancial Canada Corp. ("AgriFinancial") from C.A. Bancorp Inc. and Sentry Select Total Strategy Fund.
Product Announcements
Protection can be critical - Sun Life Financial introduces enhancements to Critical Illness Insurance.
TORONTO, Feb. 3 2009 - For Canadians who want to protect their savings from the financial impact of a serious illness, Sun Life Financial has taken a leadership role with innovative enhancements to its Critical Illness Insurance product that are unique to the industry.
Consumer Information
Top ten excuses for drinking & driving: ICBC.
Dec. 29, 2008 - VANCOUVER - The 2008 CounterAttack Drinking and Driving Campaign - a partnership between the provincial government, police and ICBC - was out in full force this past December with hundreds of roadchecks throughout British Columbia.
Special rate application marks next step toward new Driver Safety Rating: Manitoba Public Insurance.
Today Manitoba Public Insurance applied to the Public Utilities Board for its first rates under a new merit/demerit system designed to provide stronger rewards and incentives for safer driving.
FIT-Ing In? Most Canadians Say They Have A Healthy Lifestyle - RBC Insurance Poll Finds.
TORONTO, January 27, 2009 — Most (85 per cent) adult Canadians believe they have a healthy lifestyle, but 30 per cent regularly eat unhealthy food such as fast foods or snack foods and one-third (34 per cent) want to go on a diet, according to an RBC Insurance/Ipsos Reid survey.
Managing Relationships and Customer Service
DALBAR Announces Its 2008 Service Award Winners in Financial Services.
(Boston, MA. January 21, 2009) Today DALBAR released the 2008 winners of its annual Service Awards. For more than a decade, DALBAR has conducted rigorous testing of service delivery and, each year, identified those mutual fund, broker/dealer, annuity, life insurance and retirement plan providers that are able to deliver industry-leading service to their customers.
Who ranked #1 in DALBAR's Universal Life statement analysis?
Thursday, 05 February 2009 - The statement is a primary tool in building relationships among clients and an opportunity to reinforce the partnership a financial professional and a Universal Life provider forge when securing an investor's financial future.
from Doug:
At a potluck lunch and meeting of our heritage group on Saturday, a half-dozen children participated in the program, activities and games. It was great to see their interest in our history, in this, Canada's heritage month.