Issue 2010-07 -- February 16, 2010
This newsletter is for members of the Canadian Insurance Industry, and those who serve it. The newsletter is published weekly, and notes information about the use of the Internet and related technologies in the industry, insurance products and the marketplace. Some is international, where we feel it is relevant to Canada.
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Participants and Sponsors:
Welcome to Aon Reed Stenhouse with a new Consumer Section advertising program with a Banner Ad, Logo Ad anjd Listing in:
eBusiness and Technology
Secure Wireless Networks For Everyday Living: NCI.
Speak with anyone who really knows me and they will tell you that I have a passion for wireless technology. You can present me with any wired-network problem and I'll usually tell you a bunch of ways you could do it better, and more easily, wirelessly. If I can't figure out how a wireless network can do something better than a wired one, I can usually still tell you how a wireless solution can enhance what you've already deployed. That's just me.
Soft Market Is Catalyst for Carriers' Increasing Technology Investment to Streamline Workflow, According to IVANS Survey.
Stamford, CONN. - January 19, 2010 - Faced with the continuation of a soft market in 2010, 93% of insurance carriers surveyed are increasing their investment in automation technologies to improve operational efficiency, according to a recent survey conducted by IVANS, Inc. Adoption of technologies that streamline transactions between insurance carriers and agents will continue to grow in 2010, as carriers look for ways to maintain profitability in a sluggish economy.
LIMRA Surveys Insurance IT Executives: Identifying Trends in Technologies Having the Most Impact over the Next Five Years.
WINDSOR, Conn., Feb. 8, 2010 - More than 80 percent of IT executives believe the increased need for business analytics and intelligence will have a considerable impact on insurance and financial services companies? businesses in the next five years, according to a recent LIMRA global survey. Of note were advancements in online capabilities, electronic processing and the protection of confidential information.
Social Business Goes Mainstream in the Enterprise, Forcing Cultural and Process Shifts from the Inside Out, IDC Research Finds.
FRAMINGHAM, Mass., January 26, 2010 - Recent IDC research on the intersection of Web 2.0, Enterprise 2.0, and collaboration shows that we are entering a time of significant cultural and process change for businesses, driven by the emergence of the social Web. According to a new IDC survey, 57% of U.S. workers use social media for business purposes at least once per week.
The Asset Manager's Guide to Social Media: kasina.
New York, (January 28, 2010) - While 84% of asset management firms believe social media is here to stay and will have a lasting impact on financial services, only 48% of firms engage in some form of social media today, according to a study released today by kasina, a leading strategy consulting firm. kasina surveyed sixty-four executives at forty-eight leading asset management firms and conducted extensive secondary research to produce The Asset Manager's Guide to Social Media.
ADVERTISEMENT
NCI Executive Primer on IT Security:
The IT Security Landscape for Insurance and Financial businesses.
Wednesday, March 10
10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Turf Lounge, Toronto
This complimentary lunch-seminar hosted by NCI and McAfee will cover: real IT security threats; protecting your mobile workforce; protecting your clients’ sensitive data; measuring your company’s security posture. NCI is Canada’s premier provider of Security Consulting and Solutions.
For more information and registration (required) please visit: www.nci.ca/training/seminar_details/primer
Distribution
PC Financial Launches Home and Auto Insurance Offering.
TORONTO, Feb. 11 2010 - As the Canadian International Auto Show gets underway, Loblaw Companies Limited today announced that through its subsidiary, PC Financial Insurance Broker Inc., it will offer a fresh approach to home and auto insurance. After months of evaluating various distribution models and partners, PC Financial Insurance is now operating on behalf of consumers as a large-scale full service brokerage. This means that PC Financial Insurance will act on behalf of consumers and bring access to a variety of insurers in one stop.
Claims
Great-West Life signs agreement with TELUS Health Solutions to offer the first national eClaims exchange service for extended healthcare providers.
WINNIPEG, Feb. 5, 2010 - Great-West Life, a leading group benefits provider in Canada, announced today that the Company has signed an agreement with TELUS Health Solutions for the development and implementation of the first national eClaims exchange service for extended healthcare providers across Canada.
Our People
LOMA Partners With North American Training Group to Provide Anti-Fraud Training.
ATLANTA - January 27, 2010 - In response to increasing industry demand for anti-fraud training, LOMA announces its partnership with the North American Training Group (NATG) to deliver online courses on the topic of insurance fraud. Concise, relevant and focused, these courses offer convenient and engaging education to professional license holders and other insurance specialists while providing quality insurance fraud training to all integral anti-fraud personnel as required by state insurance regulations.
SAP AT THE 2010 P&C INSURANCE TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE
Platinum Sponsor
SAP is a Platinum Sponsor at the Insurance Canada 2010 P&C Insurance Technology Conference in Toronto on February 22, 2010. We invite you to visit us at Booth 17 to learn how insurance companies are leveraging Business Intelligence Industry Value Accelerators (IVA) such as the Solvency II and Claims Optimizer to create streamlined reports. and a chance to win an iPod.
Hear SAP expert Steve Hancock as he presents “The
Integrated Office: How Insurance Companies are Integrating Claims and
Policy with Document Management.”
For details, view invitation.
Business of Insurance
Lloyd's publishes its Strategy for 2010 - 2012.
08/02/2010 - Lloyd's, the world's leading specialist insurance market, today released its 2010 ? 2012 Strategy after a detailed review of the market?s position which involved over 50 managing agents, brokers and market associations.
CEOs' Confidence Rebounds in Recession's Wake, Quick Recovery in Emerging Economies; Developed Nations Cautious: PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
DAVOS, Switzerland -- 27 JAN 2010 -- With their worst fears of prolonged recession behind them, CEOs' confidence for future growth has bounced back from the gloomy prospects of a year ago, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers 13th Annual Global CEO Survey.
Reference and Statistics
MIB Life Index Reports U.S. Life Insurance Activity up 1.2% in January.
Braintree, MA. - (February 11, 2010) U.S. application activity for individually underwritten life insurance increased +1.2% in January year-over-year, according to the MIB Life Indexsm.. January represents the sixth consecutive month where year-over-year change is positive for the U.S. Life Index - the longest sustained trend of U.S. increases on record. Application activity for the period December 2009 to January 2010 remained flat at +0.1%.
2010 P&C Insurance Technology Conference
"Real Time Insurance: Agile, Integrated and Aligned"
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The eighth annual Insurance-Canada.ca P&C Technology Conference Monday 22 February 2010 in Toronto.
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The conference will address:
- Hope and Optimism: The Insurance Industry of 2010 - Kimberly Harris-Ferrante, Gartner
- Integrating Documents into Claims and Policy Management, Steve Hancock, SAP
- Social Networking and Insurance - You Have Got To Be Kidding! Rick Morgan
- Balancing the Scales, James Bisker, IBM
- Broker - Insurer Panel Discussion
- Four breakout streams: Broker operations, Carrier operations, Value Added Technology and Solutions Showcase.
RIBO has approved 7 credit-hours, in the Management Category.
Register today
Agenda-at-a-Glance
For program information, event details and all sponsors, see the conference overview and topics and speakers.
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Platinum Sponsors
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Marketing and the Market Place
IBC and FCM join forces to recognize communities that are adapting to climate change - First annual Watershed Awards set for May 2010.
OTTAWA, February 11, 2010 - Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) in partnership with The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) today announced the Watershed Awards, a new annual awards program to recognize Canadian municipalities that have taken proactive measures to reduce their vulnerability to storm and wastewater damage.
There's nothing funny about not getting good financial advice: Sun Life Financial.
TORONTO, Feb. 5 2010 - Are you frustrated about trying to find the financial solution that's right for you? When it comes to retirement planning, navigating the ins and outs of RRSPs, TFSAs, and GICs can be frustrating, not to mention understanding the critical role life and health insurance play in retirement planning. To help illustrate the vital role of a financial advisor in the planning process, Sun Life Financial has released a series of sketches on sunlife.ca and YouTube, created by Second City Communications, the corporate marketing services division of The Second City, which provides an entertaining take on an important message.
Social Media Marketing Best Practices: eMarketer.
FEBRUARY 8, 2010 - Every day, businesses want - and need - to know more about social media marketing. They want to know how to do it, how to measure it, how to manage it and where it's going. This week, eMarketer is publishing a new series of Insight Briefs that answer the key questions that businesses have about social media marketing.
Why You Need a Strategy for Social Media: eMarketer.
FEBRUARY 10, 2010 - Social media has matured to the point where marketers are no longer asking whether it should be part of their marketing mix but how and where they should participate. A clear strategy for the channel is now necessary.
Consumer Information
IIHS: First time Institute rates small pickups for rollover protection; only one model rates good in test that assures strength of roof.
ARLINGTON, VA - February 4, 2010 - The Nissan Frontier has the strongest roof and the Chevrolet Colorado the weakest among 5 small pickup trucks, all 2010 models, that recently were tested for rollover protection by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Frontier, also sold as the Suzuki Equator, is the only pickup in the group to earn the highest rating of good. The Ford Ranger is rated acceptable while the Dodge Dakota, Toyota Tacoma, and Colorado (also sold as the GMC Canyon) earn the second lowest rating of marginal.
from Doug:
Although I generally watch very little TV, I must admit to more than usual right now with the Olympics being the draw. We caught the opening ceremonies - I thought they were wonderful. Thus far I somehow managed to tune in and caught the first three Canadian medals - I doubt I will be so lucky the rest of the way. Go team go!
The Chronicle is for members of the Canadian Insurance Industry,
and those who serve it. The newsletter is published weekly by Insurance-Canada.ca Inc., and
notes information about the use of the Internet and related
technologies in the industry, insurance products and the marketplace.
Some is international, where we feel it is relevant to Canada.
NOTES/Subscribe/Unsubscribe:
To subscribe, use the "Subscribe" link on the page at /newsletter/newsletter.php. If you are subscribed and wish to be removed or have you address changed, or are otherwise having any problems with the newsletter service, send a note to Doug Grant.
