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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The Chronicle: Issue 2012-09, February 28, 2012
What's Going Through The Intersection of Insurance and Technology, an Insurance-Canada.ca Blog.
Technology
Microdea and Gore Mutual: Decade of Success.
Cambridge, Ontario - Feb 2012 - Microdea, a software company based out of Richmond Hill, Ont., first partnered with Gore Mutual Insurance Company to implement Microdea's Synergize Electronic Document Management and Workflow Solution in March 2001. Almost 11 years later, the functionality and scalability of Microdea's Synergize Solution consistently enables Gore Mutual to provide excellent customer service to brokers and clients, maintain reliable automated business processes, access real-time information, ensure document security and reduce operating costs.
GMC Software Technology: Repurposing Data and Content for a Streamlined Customer Communications Workflow.
The rapid proliferation of mobile devices and the advent of social media are changing the dynamic between business organizations and their customers. Today's consumers have a growing expectation that they will receive a highly personalized one-to-one immediate experience when it comes to the companies with which they choose to do business. Insurance organizations are no exception, making an effective customer communications strategy essential for building trust and loyalty with insurance customers.
Telematics Update Webinar - How to Take Insurance Telematics Mass Market with Customer Friendly Solutions.
The interactive event brought to you by Telematics Update will be held on Thursday 1st March at 11am-12pm GMT and is now open to the entire insurance telematics community! As of December 2012 insurers will be prohibited from using gender as a rating factor in motor insurance. It is possible that other long established rating factors will also change, such as age and property location.
MajescoMastek and Appian Announce Partnership.
NEW YORK, NY and RESTON, VA - February 3, 2012 - MajescoMastek, the U.S. subsidiary of global technology solutions provider Mastek Limited (NSE: MASTEK), and Appian, the global innovator in enterprise and cloud-based business process management (BPM) software, today announced that they have partnered to offer financial services and insurance industry clients the combined benefits of the Appian BPM Suite and MajescoMastek's proven domain knowledge, global engagement delivery model, and systems integration expertise.
"The New Landscape"
Social Business, Mobile, Analytics, Modern Technology
10th Annual Insurance-Canada.ca Technology Conference
Sheraton Centre Hotel (Toronto) - Monday, March 5th, 2012
Details of the Conference.
Technology is ever-present, touches all of us in so many things we do. In addition to sessions which are focused on the core theme, there are several which may fit your personal challenges.
See the agenda at a glance, and register today.
Product Announcements
Frank Cowan Company: New Insurance Program for Healthcare Organizations & Professionals.
CAMBRIDGE, February 21, 2012 - Frank Cowan Company, a leader in Canadian municipal,
healthcare, education and community service insurance solutions, reveals a new insurance program for healthcare organizations and professionals called Health & Wellness. Frank Cowan Company strongly believes in protecting those who are dedicated to helping others with products that respond to their specific needs.
Distribution
ORBiT is excited to welcome IBM Canada Ltd. as our newest sponsor.
IBM Canada Ltd. is one of Canada's leading providers of advanced information technology, products, services and business consulting expertise. Operating for over 90 years in Canada, IBM is dedicated to helping their clients innovate and realize value through the end-to-end transformation of their business models and the application of smarter technologies and business solutions. ORBiT and IBM Canada Ltd. are all looking forward to a long and fruitful collaboration.
IBAO: Does Your Brokerage Have the "It" Factor ?
February 21, 2012 - (Toronto, Ontario) In an ever changing world, the way brokers conduct business has evolved exponentially, and consumers' expectations have drastically been altered. Today, the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) is introducing the 2012 dates of its premier five-part development program, "Beyond Best in Class" (BBiC). The Beyond Best in Class program utilizes the power of collaboration and innovation to tackle real challenges within the brokerage business.
Zurich Canada launches ZurichEZclick.ca, a portal to access online quote and issue products.
Toronto, ON - February 23, 2012 - www.ZurichEZclick.ca, the gateway to Zurich, Canada's online rate, quote and issue products is now available. ZurichEZclick.ca gives registered brokers direct access to Builders Risk and Equipment Breakdown coverage to quote and bind business quickly and easily.
Introducing the Sponsors of the 2012 Insurance-Canada.ca Technology Conference
Silver Sponsors including
Bronze Sponsors including
Policy and Product Management
Risk Control Technologies' Video......Better Loss Control.
(February 24, 2012 - Toronto) Do you know someone like Dave? He is the loss control manager of ACME Insurance. Dave is under pressure to increase his team's productivity while improving the turnaround time for survey reports to his underwriters. Visit www.betterlosscontrol.com to watch this short, 2-minute animated video.
Social Business
LIMRA Study Reveals Social Media Use Climbs More than 30 Percent By Life Insurers in 2011.
WINDSOR, Conn., Jan. 31, 2012 - Nearly 8 in 10 insurance companies currently engage in social media; another 18 percent plan to use social media within the next 12 months, according to a recent LIMRA study. LIMRA's study, Getting Social: Using Social Media to Support Business Strategies, found companies are using social media primarily to expand brand awareness. Maintaining relationships and building community are key objectives as well.
Claims
Guidewire Solutions for Claims Management Selected by RLI.
SAN MATEO, Calif., February 21, 2012: Guidewire Software, Inc. , a provider of core system software to Property/Casualty (P/C) insurers, today announced that RLI Corp., a specialty property and casualty insurance company, has selected Guidewire ClaimCenter® as its new claims management system. RLI will implement ClaimCenter to support the management of its commercial and personal lines throughout all 50 United States.
Mitchell Releases Latest Edition of Industry Trends Report: New in 2012, All-Digital Multi-Edition Format Provides Insight Into P&C Industry's Most Important Issues.
SAN DIEGO, CA--(February 15, 2012) - Mitchell, a leading provider of technology, connectivity and information solutions to the Property & Casualty claims and Collision Repair industries, today announced the launch of the new, all-digital Industry Trends Report (ITR). The ITR is Mitchell's well-respected quarterly publication that has highlighted ongoing and emerging industry trends and key performance indicators for auto physical damage collision and casualty industries for over a decade.
Webinar: How to Take Insurance Telematics Mass Market with Customer Friendly Solutions.
Brought to you by Telematics Update.
Vehicle telematics offer an opportunity to individuals to be assessed on a case by case basis, rather than be categorized by gender, age and location.
Successful business cases, regulations and the recent technological developments that will lead to the mass adoption of insurance services will be discussed.
Date: Thursday, March 1, 2012
Time: 11:00am - noon GMT
Register Now
Attend the Telematics Panel at ICTC on Monday Mar 5
Claims
Customer Services
MajescoMastek's STG Billing Selected by COUNTRY Financial to Replace Legacy System and Streamline Billing Processes.
NEW YORK, Feb 21, 2012 -- MajescoMastek, the U.S. subsidiary of global technology solutions provider Mastek Limited (nse:MASTEK), today announced that COUNTRY Financial, a Fortune 1000 insurance and financial services company based in Bloomington, Ill., has selected MajescoMastek's STG Billing as the billing component for its core systems legacy replacement and modernization initiative.
Marketing and the Market Place
Sun Life Financial's 2012 Canadian Unretirement™ Index also finds more Canadians plan to phase in retirement by working part-time or freelance.
TORONTO, Feb. 22, 2012 - The retirement landscape in Canada is changing with only three in 10 Canadians planning to be fully retired at age 66, according to Sun Life Financial's annual Canadian UnretirementTM Index released today. The index also found a growing trend of 48 per cent of Canadians planning to phase in their retirement by working part-time or freelance, as concerns about having enough savings grow in today's economic climate.
eMarketer: The Challenges of Cross-Channel Data Integration.
FEBRUARY 21, 2012 - Increased consumer demand for more personalized and relevant brand experiences has made customer segmentation and targeting an imperative for companies. According to a November 2011 survey from Acxiom and DIGIDAY, though the majority of US advertisers and agencies were able to identify and segment their customer base, few were capable of doing so in a way that delivers a personalized experience in real time and across multiple channels.
We would like to thank our 2012 Conference Supporters
Our People
Strategic Resource Consultants: Peter Morris Joins Firm as Vice President.
Joe Doonie, President, Strategic Resource Consultants Inc., is pleased to announce the appointment of Peter Morris as Vice President. Peter started his insurance career as a licensed broker and has since held several positions in commercial underwriting, sales, marketing and management in Toronto and Calgary for insurance and reinsurance carriers.
Consumer Information
IBC - Multi-billion dollar disasters on the rise.
SAINT JOHN, NB, Feb. 22, 2012 - Don Forgeron, President & CEO of Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), was in Saint John today to talk about an issue that he believes has become everyone's problem: severe weather, with an emphasis on water. In an address to the Saint John Board of Trade, Mr. Forgeron said that water and the problems it creates belong to all of us. It's everyone's issue.
Manitoba Public Insurance and police react: Manitobans admit to using hand held cell phones when driving.
Manitoba drivers are not putting down their handheld devices, according to a recent Manitoba Public Insurance survey. In efforts to reduce distracted-driving collisions, Manitoba Public Insurance announced today it is providing $120,000 in funding to police agencies - Winnipeg Police Service, RCMP and Brandon Police Service - to conduct targeted, dedicated enforcement towards distracted drivers during the month of February.
ICBC: New study reminds us that buckling up helps prevent lives from needlessly being lost.
February 17, 2012 - This week's study from B.C. Coroner's Service serves as a strong reminder to us all about the importance of wearing a seatbelt. On average, 1,200 injuries and 90 fatalities are observed by police every year in B.C. where a driver or passenger was not properly restrained. This represents 30 per cent of all drivers and passengers killed on B.C. roads every year.*
from Doug:
Hectic times as we scurry to get things ready for our conference this coming Monday. There seems to be no end of little things - well some big things too - that need attention. Anyone who has organized an event I am sure well understands. Nonetheless, I did find a little time to visit the furniture store to buy a new day bed, and to help my son hang a large mirror in his apartment. But, I needed the break!
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.
