LAS VEGAS, NV – MAY 13, 2008 – Bringing people together with common interests and concerns is an essential element in driving ACORD (www.acord.org) standards implementation. To support this initiative, ACORD is launching a new fall event and forming online “communities.”
This October will mark the first ACORD Implementation Forum (www.acord.org/aif). From the 15th to the 17th in Ft. Lauderdale, ACORD members from all different communities will gather for this event that will provide a hands-on, interactive learning experience. “We’ve built this event to try and meet the needs of all implementers, from novice to expert and from business to technology,” said Rick Gilman, vice president, ACORD. “If you’re responsible for a standards project or are on a team developing new systems for your company, this is where you need to be. You’ll get practical information; hear about the successes and failures from those experienced in implementation. This is a real-world, roll up your sleeves event to share knowledge and ideas as well as get the information and resources members need to go out and implement ACORD standards.”
ACORD represents a widely varying group of communities that each has distinct business needs. Working with those divergent groups around the world can be challenging. To support that process as well as helping them to interact with each other, ACORD is exploring the development of an online social network platform. It will help us to link our existing communications tools like blogs, discussion threads and video while at the same time allowing participants to seek out individuals that share common interests that may not otherwise be obvious.
The proposed platform, still under development, may include such additional features as discussion forums and live chats, regular webinars with ACORD staff, social networking profiles, and a shared event calendar. The launch of a beta site will be timed to coincide with the new October event.
Information and an application to participate in helping us develop this new community can be found at www.acord.org/community.
About ACORD
Based in New York, ACORD (Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development) is a global, nonprofit insurance association whose mission is to facilitate the development and use of standards for the insurance, reinsurance and related financial services industries. With offices in London as well, ACORD accomplishes its mission by remaining an objective, independent advocate for sharing information among diverse platforms. ACORD Standards and services improve efficiency and expand market reach. Affiliated with ACORD are hundreds of insurance and reinsurance companies, and thousands of agents and brokers, related financial services organizations, software providers, and industry organizations worldwide. www.acord.org.
