Issue 2010-06 -- February 9, 2010

This newsletter is for members of the Canadian Insurance Industry, and those who serve it. The newsletter is published weekly, and notes information mostly about the use of the Internet and related technologies in the industry. Some is international, where we feel it is relevant to Canada.




Claims

Disaster Kleenup Canada Ltd. Expands into Guelph, ON Canada?s leading network of restoration professionals adds another office.
Mississauga, ON - January 14, 2010 - Disaster Kleenup Canada Ltd. has expanded its national network to serve even more communities across Canada. The addition of a new location reinforces the organization?s position as the country?s leading network of restoration professionals. HIGHLAND RESTORATION has expanded with the opening of an additional office in Guelph, Ontario.

End to End Claims Management System for Life and Income Protection Delivered in 10 Months: FINEOS.
Dublin, Ireland, January 12, 2010 - FINEOS Corporation, a global provider of innovative enterprise software solutions for insurance and government insurance, today announced the successful implementation of the FINEOS Claims solution for Disability and Income Protection Insurance at SalusAnsvar, one of Sweden's leading life assurance companies. The company is using the FINEOS solution to support and manage the complete claims lifecycle for life, income protection (disability), accident and sickness claims from first notification through to final settlement and resolution. The go-live of FINEOS Claims, completed on November 24, 2009, took less than 10 months from contract closure and was successfully achieved on time and on budget without any major disruption to normal business processes.

eBusiness and Technology

Model Insurer 2010: Case Studies of Effective Technology Use in Insurance: Report Published by Celent.
New York, NY, USA - January 27, 2010 - In a new report, Celent Model Insurer 2010: Case Studies of Effective Technology Use in Insurance, Celent recognizes 27 insurance technology initiatives as ?Model Insurer Components.? The report also names Missouri Employers Mutual Insurance the Model Insurer of the Year. These best practices in the use of technology span key areas of the product and policyholder life cycle, including product definition, distribution, underwriting, policy administration, service, claims, and infrastructure. The report also reviews IT best practices and measurable business results used in evaluating the Model Insurer Components.

Gartner Reveals Five Social Software Predictions for 2010 and Beyond.
STAMFORD, Conn., February 2, 2010 - Gartner, Inc. has revealed its key predictions on the use of social software and collaboration in the enterprise. These predictions focus on offerings ranging from team collaboration to dynamic social networking applications that offer rich profiles and activity streams.

Few Companies Have Policy for Employee Use of Social Networks: eMarketer.
FEBRUARY 3, 2010 - Social networks have the attention of businesses not just as a marketing tool but also as a liability. Lost productivity, security problems and reputation issues can lead companies to restrict employee usage of social networks despite their usefulness, according to the "Social Networks vs. Management?" report from employment services firm Manpower.

IBM Delivers New Software and Services for Information Governance.
SAN FRANCISCO - 03 Feb 2010: In conjunction with its Information Governance Council meeting, IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced new data protection software, a line of consulting services and resources and previewed information monitoring software to help organizations expand their use of trusted information to improve decision making.

Forrester: IT Security Spending To Increase In 2010.
Cambridge, Mass., January 25, 2010 - According to a pair of new reports by Forrester Research, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORR), approximately 40 percent of businesses will significantly increase their spending on new IT security technologies in 2010. Forty-two percent of enterprises expect to increase IT security spending on new technologies by 5 percent or more this year, and 37 percent of small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) expect to do the same. Forrester's survey of nearly 2,200 enterprise and SMB business executives and technology decision-makers in North America and Europe is part of Forrester's Business Data Services (BDS) series, which helps Vendor Strategy professionals profile their target market's budget allocation and technology adoption.


Product Announcements

Empire Life launches a new group product designed to provide financial assistance to employees coping with serious illness.
February 02, 2010 - Kingston, Ontario - The Empire Life Insurance Company (Empire Life) today introduced Vital Assist Health BenefitTM, a product that provides financial assistance to group plan members to help with additional medical expenses upon diagnosis of a serious illness.

Consumer Information

ICBC: Smart driving tips for new cellphone ban - January 14.
Over the past several weeks, many drivers have seen the advertisements and highway signs reminding them they can no longer use hand-held cellphones and other electronic devices while driving in B.C. As we approach the end of the one-month grace period, the Province, ICBC and police are reminding drivers to adopt smart driving behaviours.

Talking, texting or typing while driving will now cost Ontario Drivers: CAA.
THORNHILL, ON, Feb. 1 2010 - Drivers caught chatting, dialing or texting while behind the wheel will now be slapped with a fine of up to $500. The distracted driving law came into effect three months ago and the grace period is over.

TD Insurance Parents and Finances survey reveals majority of Canadian parents do not have enough life insurance to cover the costs of raising their children.
TORONTO, Jan. 25 2010 - Car seats. Childproof locks. Sunblock. You would do anything to protect your children. But what happens if you are not around to take care of them? The TD Insurance Parents and Finances survey shows that while 42% of Canadian parents believe it will cost more than $200,000 to raise a child to the age of 18, the majority of parents with life insurance do not believe they have enough insurance to cover these costs.

Grade Six Student Builds Home for Canadian Family Through the Use of Words: Genworth.
Toronto (February 2, 2010) - Grade six student Kyle Dingle knows a home is more than just nails and wood. He knows it?s the family that makes a house a home. And a deserving family will receive a home of their own thanks to Kyle?s wise words. The grade six student from St. John?s, Newfoundland won the grand prize in the third annual ?Meaning of Home? national writing contest sponsored by Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance Company Canada (?Genworth Financial Canada?) in support of Habitat for Humanity Canada.

Distribution

Enrollment becoming a competitive battlefield for insurance carriers trying to attract brokers according to a new report released by Eastbridge Consulting.
AVON, CONNECTICUT, USA (January 19, 2010) - Enrollments are critical for the success of a voluntary case. And, according the latest Eastbridge survey, carriers say that a key component of their value proposition is their enrollment process. Many carriers feel that brokers look for a carrier that makes enrollment easy and gives them an advantage with their clients. In addition, many feel that brokers look for a carrier offering a variety of enrollment options when making the decision about which carrier to use for a voluntary case.

Marketing and the Market Place

Insurance Bureau of Canada - A new brand for a renewed commitment.
Toronto, ON - February 1, 2010 - Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) - the voice of Canada?s home, car and business insurers for over 45 years ? unveiled new corporate branding today. The transformation symbolizes IBC?s renewed commitment to focus on relationships with governments and key stakeholders, foster goodwill with consumers and position IBC with Canadians as the trusted voice of the property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry.

BMO Mutual Funds, Franklin Templeton Investments and RBC Direct Investing outperform their peers: Dalbar.
Toronto, ON - Thursday January 7, 2010 - After a tumultuous 2009 where no financial services company was unscathed by the unsettling of the economic climate, a handful of firms did fare better than the rest when it came to the service they provided to their clients. Dalbar is pleased to announce the winners for its 2009 Mutual Fund Service Award and its 2009 Discount Brokerage Service Award.

from Doug:

We too are trying to determine what and how web 2.0 functions can be used to make Insurance-Canada.ca better, in general and for our conferences. With the help of some others, we are posted in some places, and have just tried our first survey. Individually each of these is a small item, but collectively and over [not a long] time, the change is dramatic. The Internet has certainly changed my life; some say that "social networking" represents an even bigger change than the basic Internet that has evolved over the last 15 years or so. Enjoy the ride!


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