The Chronicle: Issue 2011-24, June 14, 2011




Product Announcements

York Fire & Casualty Insurance Launches LIVEasy™ - A Best in Class Offering that Demonstrates All Insurance Products Are Not Created Equal.
MISSISSAUGA, June 6, 2011 - York Fire & Casualty Insurance Company (York) is proud to announce the launch of LIVEasy™, a new and innovative program specifically created to meet the needs of active, busy professionals. LIVEasy for Homeowners is the first in a series of targeted offerings under the new banner LIVEasy-Your Lifestyle. Your Needs. Your Way™. LIVEasy customers are automatically members of Club LIVEasy, where membership includes an exceptional claims offering and service commitment.

Managing Relationships and Customer Service

Manulife Financial introduces Health Management Services.
June 2, 2011 - Waterloo - Manulife Financial has launched Health Management Services, extending its comprehensive approach to serving all aspects of Canadian employers' group benefit needs. Health Management Services gives employers a new way of dealing with the challenge of managing their overall benefit costs. It offers them a unique and practical solution that takes the traditional approach of promoting employee health and wellness two steps further.

Distribution

Economical's Insurance on Demand receives IASA 2011 North American Technology Innovation Award.
June 7, 2011 - Nashville, TN - Economical Mutual Insurance Company's Insurance on Demand (IoD) brokerbranded online quote, sales and insurance portfolio management tool was named winner of the 2011 Technology Innovation Award, presented by the Insurance Accounting and System Association (IASA), in partnership with Ward Group, at IASA's annual conference.

Brovada NexExchange Launched by The Dominion for New Business Submission.
Toronto, ON - June 2, 2011 -- The Dominion, one of Canada's largest property and casualty insurers, is pleased to announce that they have officially launched new business submission using Brovada's NexExchange product suite. Beginning in May 2011, brokers have the capability to send Personal Lines Automobile new business directly from their broker management system in real time using CSIO XML standards.

Western Financial Group Announces Acquisition of Leading Winnipeg, Terrace and Berwyn Brokerages.
High River, Alberta - June 2, 2011 - Western Financial Group announced today that it has acquired the following insurance agencies to date in 2011 - Keenleyside Insurance Services in Terrace, BC, Berwyn Insurance, in Berwyn, AB, and Bell & Cross Insurance Agency Ltd. in Winnipeg, MB.

Claims

ICLR study: Involving Homeowners in Urban Flood Risk Reduction.
ICLR's latest study "Involving Homeowners in Urban Flood Risk Reduction: A Case Study of the Sherwood Forest Neighbourhood, London, Ontario" investigates basement flood perceptions and mitigative behaviours of residents in the Sherwood Forest neighbourhood of London, Ontario. Though the Sherwood Forest area is relatively new and serviced by a separated sewer system, considerable sewer backup flood risk exists largely due to foundation drain connections to the sanitary sewer system.

FINEOS Solution to Manage and Support the Complete Claims Lifecycle for Friends First.
Dublin, Ireland, June 8, 2011 -- FINEOS Corporation, a market leading provider of core insurance software solutions, today announced that Friends First has gone live with FINEOS Claims to manage claims and payments arising from its Income Protection (Disability Insurance) operation. Friends First is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eureko, a pan-European insurance group with total assets of ?93 billion. The company is using FINEOS Claims to support and automate the complete claims lifecycle for Income Protection.




The Intersection: Insurance-Canada.ca BlogWhat's Going Through The Intersection of Insurance and Technology, an Insurance-Canada.ca Blog.




Policy and Product Management

LOGiQ3 Again Recognized as One of Canada's Fastest Growing Companies.
1 June 2011: Insurance and reinsurance outsourcing company LOGiQ3 today placed 25 in the 23rd annual PROFIT 200 ranking of Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies by PROFIT Magazine. Ranking Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies by five-year revenue growth, the PROFIT 200 profiles the country's most successful growth companies. Published in the Summer issue of PROFIT and online at PROFITguide.com, the PROFIT 200 is Canada's largest annual celebration of entrepreneurial achievement.

iv3 Loss Control Solutions Expands PropertyIntel™ Service.
TORONTO, June 6, 2011 - iv3 Loss Control Solutions, one of North America's leading providers of technology-based inspection and risk analysis solutions to the property and casualty insurance industry, today announced it has enhanced the quality and geographic coverage of its PropertyIntel service.

IBAO: Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Ban the Use of Credit Scoring in Personal Property Insurance.
(Toronto, Ontario) Today, the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) is applauding the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for banning the use of credit scoring in personal property and private passenger auto insurance. The prohibition for personal property insurance came into effect on May 13, 2011. The prohibition on private passenger automobile insurance comes into effect on June 1, 2011.

eBusiness and Technology

Celent: North American Insurance Software Deal Trends 2011: Life/Health/Annuity and Property/Casualty Editions.
May 23, 2011 - In two new reports, North American Insurance Software Deal Trends 2011, Life/Health/Annuity and Property/Casualty Editions, Celent analyzes deal data provided by software vendors active in insurance in North America. A close look at 2009 and 2010 deals that fall into each metacategory and subcategory shows that insurers are still investing in solutions, but at a slower rate.

Our People

InsuranceWorks.ca - Buy Now and Enter to Win Unlimited Job Postings.
For the month of June, InsuranceWorks.ca (Canada's Leading Insurance Jobs Site), is doing their Biggest Giveaway Ever since being in business since 1998 - A chance to win unlimited job postings for up to 6 months with the purchase of their bulk job posting packages:

Consumer Information

Foresters announces $7 million partnership with non-profit KaBOOM! to build playgrounds in US and Canada.
TORONTO, ON & WASHINGTON, DC, June 2, 2011 - The more time a family spends together at a community playground, the greater their sense of family well-being, according to a recent study conducted by Harris Interactive, and commissioned by ForestersTM, a life insurance provider committed to the well-being of families. The study includes the views of close to 1,200 parents of 2-12 year-old children in Canada to learn more about the role of community playgrounds in the current state of family time and family well-being.

IBC Recognizes Ontarians for Being Prepared.
Toronto, ON - June 7, 2011 - Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is pleased to present awards to the Ontario communities with the highest participation rates per capita in the Emergency Preparedness Challenge presented by Emergency Management Ontario (EMO). "We are pleased to recognize those communities with residents who have taken steps to be better prepared for disaster," said Ralph Palumbo, Vice-President, Ontario, IBC. "Our industry has seen first-hand the devastating impact that disasters can have on individuals, families and communities. Especially with many recent examples of disasters around the world - fires, tornadoes, flooding and more - the time to get prepared is now."

Allstate Canada and MADD Canada Remind You Not to Drink and Drive.
TORONTO, June 7, 2011 - Long weekends and outdoor celebrations are two of the summer's sweetest treats; but, sometimes summer's revelry can also lead to tragedy. Allstate Insurance Company of Canada and MADD Canada want Canadians to enjoy their summer celebrations safely and to be aware of the dire consequences of drinking and then driving.

ICBC launches mobile app to help new drivers.
June 2, 2011 - ICBC has launched an app for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad, that lets new drivers practice the driving knowledge test before taking the real test. The ICBC licensing mobile practice knowledge test can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store and also includes the complete Learn to Drive Smart guide, all driver licensing locations, and selected videos that are aimed at helping new drivers prepare for their test and be safe on our roads.

from Doug:

My wife and I grew up a hundred miles apart - me on a farm, she in the city. She is writing family history books about different ancestral branches of her family. One branch connects to an extended family which settled along the Avon River downstream from Stratford ON in the 1830's as very early pioneer settlers in that area. That is the same community where I grew up.
On the weekend we took my Mother-in-law and my Dad to the 89th annual family picnic for that family. Neither had attended previously, but my Mother-in-law talked with several relatives whom she had met on different occasions and it was almost like old home week for Dad. In spite of the cool weather, a good time for us all.





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