Issue 2010-21 -- May 25, 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:
Thanks to National Bank Insurance for renewing their annual Consumer Section advertising program with a Logo Ad and Listing in:
- Auto Insurance / Quotes by Province / Quebec.
Policy and Product Management
MSB and Compu-Quote to Provide Industry Leading RCT EvaluRater™ Product Offering.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada - (May 17, 2010) - Marshall & Swift/Boeckh (MSB) is announcing a newly renewed relationship agreement with Compu-Quote Inc. that will deliver a product offering to greatly improve underwriting workflow for Canadian insurance agents and brokers.
Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Idaho Selects Guidewire Software for Policy Administration and Billing.
POCATELLO, Idaho and SAN MATEO, California, May 20, 2010 - Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company of Idaho (FBM Idaho), the state's largest domestic property/casualty insurer and Guidewire Software®, a leading provider of flexible core systems to property/casualty insurers, today announced that FBM Idaho has selected Guidewire PolicyCenter® as its new policy administration and underwriting solution and Guidewire BillingCenter® as its new billing system. FBM Idaho had previously selected Guidewire ClaimCenter®.
Distribution
Keal Technology Makes Electronic Account Reconciliation Available to SGI CANADA Brokers.
TORONTO, Ontario, Canada - May 13, 2010 - Today, Keal Technology, software provider for Canadian brokers, announces they have made their electronic Direct Bill Reconciliation (DBR) and Agency Bill Reconciliation (ABR) available to SGI CANADA brokers. Working with Keal's Broker Management System (BMS), sigXP, the functionality automates the reconciliation of premiums and commissions by comparing insurer statements against broker accounts.
Eastbridge Consulting Group releases the latest report on voluntary critical illness.
AVON, CONNECTICUT, USA (May 11, 2010) - Voluntary critical illness sales have increased significantly over the past two years after several years of slow or no growth. In fact, the line doubled from 2007 to 2009, according to an Eastbridge study. New voluntary critical illness sales for 2009 were about $225 million. Still, critical illness sales only account for about four percent of the industry?s overall sales and continue to be outpaced by cancer sales.
Claims
CDRG and CAMIC, a Natural Alliance.
CDRG and the Canadian Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (CAMIC) have recently signed a national service agreement. CDRG members from across Canada can now offer the CAT Red Teams support system to members of CAMIC. This partnership was born out of a natural fit between CDRG's CAT Red teams and CAMIC'S business model. Both companies share similar values and vision.
HCAI Pilot Phase Successfully Completed.
April 12, 2010 - The HCAI voluntary pilot phase is now complete. Over 700 health care facilities (HCFs), i.e., health practices or clinics, enrolled during the pilot stage. Currently, HCAI is successfully processing over 1000 transactions a day with more than 7500 active users on the system.
eBusiness and Technology
"Security and Privacy Issues": An Executive Presentation and Luncheon by NCI, June 3, Vancouver.
Are you responsible for IT Security or Privacy in your organization? Please join us for an Executive Presentation and complimentary luncheon. Co-hosted by NCI: Secured Intelligence, Safenet, and Websense. Learn how leading organizations are dealing with security and privacy issues.
Desjardins Selects IBM Canada for its Centralized IT Infrastructure Operations and Hosting.
Lévis (Québec), May 5, 2010 - Following its reorganization, which led to a complete review of its IT services needs, Desjardins Group, the leading cooperative financial group in Canada, announced today that it has selected IBM Canada for its centralized IT infrastructure operations and hosting.
IBM and McMaster University Collaborate on "Smarter Transportation" Research.
HAMILTON, ON and MARKHAM, ON, May 14, 2010 - McMaster and IBM (NYSE: IBM) have launched a research project to investigate how the automotive industry can connect a vehicle?s multiple microprocessors, which currently work in isolation, to create a "cognitive car" that can predict vehicle failures before they happen, redirect drivers to less congested routes and help reduce traffic accidents.
Business of Insurance
"Looking Back and Looking Ahead", Remarks by Mark E. White, OSFI, to P&C Insurance Invitational Forum.
May 13, 2010 -- The turmoil of the past couple years may have resulted in OSFI having a more banking, capital markets and systemic focus - but there are new and important developments that are centered on the Property and Casualty (P&C) industry, and that is what I want to talk about today.
IBM 2010 Global CEO Study: Creativity Selected as Most Crucial Factor for Future Success.
ARMONK, NY, - 18 May 2010: According to a major new IBM (NYSE: IBM) survey of more than 1,500 Chief Executive Officers from 60 countries and 33 industries worldwide, chief executives believe that -- more than rigor, management discipline, integrity or even vision -- successfully navigating an increasing complex world will require creativity.
Marketing and the Market Place
eMarketer - Video E-Commerce: Beyond the Experimentation Stage.
MAY 14, 2010 - Justin Foster founded the Video Commerce Consortium in 2008. The trade association, dedicated to advancing video in e-commerce, has more than 400 members, including the majority of Internet Retailer's Top 500. Also in 2008, Mr. Foster co-founded Liveclicker, a Silicon Valley startup with experience in the e-commerce industry and a primary focus on advanced video commerce applications for the Web's leading e-commerce retailers.
Consumer Information
One in Twelve Canadian Parents State That Their Child Has Been Cyber-Bullied: Ipsos Reid.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 - Calgary, AB - A recent study by Ipsos Reid, conducted on behalf of Trend Micro, has found that 7 percent of Canadian parents of children aged 7-17 indicate that their child had been cyber-bullied. Known instances of cyber bullying increase with the age of the child. The prevalence of cyber bullying increases to 11 percent among those aged 16-17. One-quarter (26 percent) of parents stated that they could not be sure if their child had been a victim. This number rises to 34 percent for parents of children between the ages of 13-15.
I.I.I. - May Is National Bike Month in the USA - Ride Safely and Make Sure You Are Adequately Covered.
NEW YORK, May 10, 2010 - Thanks to National Bike Month and Bike to Work Week (May 17-21), many cyclists are getting their bicycles out of storage and onto the roads. Whether they ride commuter, hybrid, mountain or racing bikes, cyclists should understand the rules of the road and protect their financial investment with the proper insurance, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I).
IBC urges Alberta residents to learn how to FireSmart their homes with educational video posted on YouTube.
EDMONTON, May 20 2010 - With extremely dry conditions in Alberta and many wildfires already raging in the province, it appears that there will be an above-average number of wildfires this season. Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) encourages all Albertans to take immediate steps to protect their properties by reducing wildfire hazards.
Managing Relationships and Customer Service
Health Insurers Make it Personal on the Web - DALBAR releases review of web site services.
(Boston, MA. - May 3rd, 2010) DALBAR, Inc. announced today the release of its review of health insurance web sites. This review compared the usefulness of 19 leading insurers web sites. The majority of these health insurer web sites offer many resources and helpful tools for consumers interested in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In direct contrast, DALBAR's recent report on the usefulness of the Explanation of Benefits Statement found 68% of them received failing grades.
from Doug:
A beautiful Victoria Day holiday here in Toronto. We had a weekend visit from one son - he and I rode the bike trails a couple of times. I am too out of shape; perhaps a Victoria Day resolution to get back into a daily biking routine is in order.
We visited the new condo and my wife spent one day at the Mystery Plays - a three day festival where U of T drama students recreate medieval plays, in this case depicting stories from the bible. Certainly no shortage of things to do. I hope you enjoyed the break as well.
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.
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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.
