Issue 2009-50 -- December 15, 2009
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 Brovada with a new annual Profession Section advertising program with a Banner Ad, Logo Ad and Listing in:
Claims
LWG Consulting - Preventative Restoration: Preserving your Options.
September 22, 2009 - An ominous cloud of smoke continues to billow as the sprinklers rain water throughout the facility. The production manager's mechanical and electrical equipment is rapidly deteriorating, and within hours, the previously pristine equipment normally used to manufacture precision circuit boards will have a thin coating of flash rust with further damage forthcoming.
iv3 Solutions, new inspection and loss control company launched for North American property & casualty insurance industry.
Toronto, Canada (December 3, 2009) - iv3 Solutions announced today its North American launch of residential inspection management services and loss control solutions to the property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry. Combining detailed location intelligence, proprietary technology and a North American network of property evaluation experts, iv3 Solutions offers P&C insurance companies the choice of automated reports and field inspection services, ensuring the right type of risk control for each property.
eBusiness and Technology
Guidewire Software and Ward Group Announce New Joint Assessment Services for Property and Casualty Companies.
SAN MATEO, California and CLEVELAND, Ohio - December 9, 2009 - Guidewire Software®, a leading provider of flexible core systems to property/casualty insurers and Ward Group®, the leading provider of benchmarking services to the insurance industry, are collaborating to offer new Assessment services for claims, billing and underwriting. By combining Guidewire's process and technology transformation experience with Ward Group's performance benchmarking services, carriers will gain insight as to how their organizational structures, staffing levels, expense amounts, operational controls, and business processes compare to industry peers.
Gartner Survey Shows 10 Percent of Respondents Say Workers Using Employee-Owned Notebooks as Their Primary Work PC in 2009.
STAMFORD, Conn., December 7, 2009 - ?Enterprises are increasingly considering the use of employee-owned notebooks, and more than 40 percent of organizations have a policy regarding the use of employee-owned PCs, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc. Companies in the sample expect the average number of workers using employee-owned notebooks as their primary work PC to increase from 10 percent in 2009 to 14 percent by mid-2010.
Amid the Downturn, Firms Look to Information Technology to Restore Strength: Accenture.
NEW YORK; Dec. 2, 2009 - A majority (72 percent) of business and information technology (IT) executives say their organizations place greater value on the IT function today than they did before the economic crisis. What's more, they view IT as an important part of their economic recovery efforts, according to the findings of a global study released today by Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and produced in cooperation with the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
Policy and Product Management
Marshall & Swift/Boeckh Canada Recognized as a 25-Year Member of the Building Industry and Land Association.
NEW BERLIN, WI / BRAMPTON, ON - December 4, 2009 - Marshall & Swift / Boeckh Canada (MSB), a MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) Company and the leading worldwide provider of building cost data to the property insurance industry, announces today it has been recognized as a 25-year member of the Building Industry and Land Association (BILD) of Canada.
Marketing and the Market Place
eMarketer - Social Initiatives: B2B vs. B2C.
DECEMBER 4, 2009 - Both business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) companies are rapidly adopting social media, unable to ignore a major destination of Internet users. According to research from Business.com, however, the two types of firms have different social site usage patterns for business purposes.
CFIB Business Barometer ® National small business confidence steady in November.
Toronto, December 2, 2009 - November's small business confidence level has threaded the narrow gap between September and October levels, suggesting that although the recovery is proceeding, its pace is gradual. According to the latest business confidence survey findings from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), the Business Barometer® index currently stands at 68.0, as compared with 68.7 in September and 67.0 last month.
Internet Access in Canada Reaches All Time High: Ipsos Reid.
October 27, 2009 Calgary, AB - A new study released by Ipsos Reid examining Online Trends and Activities has found that over eight in ten Canadians (82%) now have Internet access at home. This represents a 6% point increase from Q2, 2008 and a 4% point increase from Q4, 2008.
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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Keynote Speaker:
- How Winning Companies Enhance Distribution Channel Performance
- Glen Piller, President and CEO, Iter8 Inc.
"Ever wonder what it takes to successfully introduce new systems and new technology to your organization? Ever question why it is that some companies seem to be "in the right place at the right time"?
Glen will address this topic, drawing upon real-world case studies from several Canadian Insurance carriers."
More about the topic, and Glen, here
Continuing Broker Education: We will be applying for RIBO credit-hours, in the Management Category.
For program information, event details and all sponsors, see the conference overview and topics and speakers (more to come). Registration
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Platinum Sponsors
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Consumer Information
Auto thefts down, organized crime involvement up: List of top ten stolen vehicles highlights need for renewed efforts to combat auto theft and export of stolen vehicles: IBC.
TORONTO, Dec. 9 2009 - Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) released its annual list of the most frequently stolen vehicles today. While a Honda Civic held on to the top spot, the appearance of high-end models like the Cadillac Escalade on the list reflects the increasing involvement of organized crime in auto theft.
Allstate analyzes car crash claims to rank 49 Ontario communities.
TORONTO, Dec. 8 2009 - St. Thomas has the lowest rate of car crashes in all of Ontario, according to Allstate Insurance Company of Canada's inaugural Ontario Safe Driving Study, released today. Thornhill, Ajax, Maple, Brampton and Bolton make up the bottom five communities with the highest crash rates.
Drive smart, not drunk, this holiday season: ICBC.
The province, ICBC and police are reminding drivers to drive smart and find an alternative way home if they'll be out drinking this holiday season. Solicitor General Kash Heed launched the annual CounterAttack campaign with ICBC and police at roadchecks near Canlan Ice Sports in Burnaby, one of the many sports facilities partnering with ICBC to curb drinking and driving.
Manitoba Public Insurance holds the line on rates in 2010-11.
December 4, 2009 - Most Manitoba vehicle owners will pay the same or less for auto insurance next year, Manitoba Public Insurance announced today. This is the 11th year in 12 that Manitoba Public Insurance has held the line on basic Autopac rates, as approved today by the Public Utilities Board (PUB).
Insurance Bureau of Canada reminds British Columbians to prepare their homes for severe winter weather.
VANCOUVER, Dec. 11 2009 - With winter on its way, Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is reminding homeowners in British Columbia to take precautions to protect their homes from possible severe weather conditions such as snow, rain, ice and wind.
Health care spending in Canada to exceed $180 billion this year: CIHI.
November 19, 2009 - Health care spending in Canada is expected to reach $183.1 billion in 2009, an estimated increase of $9.5 billion, or 5.5%, since 2008, according to new figures released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). This represents a forecast increase of $241 per Canadian, bringing total health expenditure per capita to an estimated $5,452 this year. The figures are included in CIHI?s report, National Health Expenditure Trends, 1975 to 2009, Canada?s most comprehensive source of information tracking how dollars are spent on health care in this country.
Business of Insurance
Swiss Re predicts a continued but fragile global economic recovery in 2010.
London, 1 December 2009 - Swiss Re's economists predict that insurance and reinsurance will continue their recoveries in 2010, based on the assumption of a "U-shaped" recovery. Balance sheets will further strengthen and profits will increase. Growth will be positive but quite sluggish both in life and non-life insurance. This outlook could be muted by looming regulatory challenges, along with the trend for higher claims for catastrophic events, increasingly driven by climate change.
Manulife-Sinochem Expands Again in China.
TORONTO, Dec. 10 2009 - Manulife Financial today announced that it is expanding again in China, with confirmation that Manulife-Sinochem Life Insurance Co. Ltd. has received approval from the China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC) to operate in the city of Jinhua and has also been granted licenses for five additional satellite offices across three provinces. With this approval, Manulife-Sinochem is now licensed in 39 cities that are home to more than 280 million individuals.
from Doug:
The Christmas season activities are in full swing - cards, both post and email, are arriving, and the cooler weather makes it seem more like Christmas. In our case, company here on the weekend, a gathering of school house families from days when the boys were younger and a family dinner with out-of-towners on Monday evening. For us, it seems that most events, other than Christmas Day, will be done by the end of this week. Other than sending most of the Christmas cards I should send, that is.
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