The Chronicle: Issue 2011-38, September 20, 2011




Distribution

Kanetix Ltd. acquired by Monitor Clipper Partners (MCP) combining growth with exceptional service.
TORONTO, Sept. 14, 2011 - Kanetix Ltd., Canada's first online insurance marketplace, today announced it has been acquired by Monitor Clipper Partners (MCP). The partnership with MCP will provide Kanetix with the financial and operating resources to continue its exceptional growth and development.

Hub International to Acquire Horizon Insurance.
Chicago September 14, 2011 - Hub International Limited (Hub) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the operations of Horizon Insurance, LP. (Horizon), a full service insurance brokerage firm headquartered in Manitoba. The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2011 and is subject to customary closing conditions. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Claims

Swiss Re Sigma - preliminary estimates: Catastrophes cost the insurance industry USD 70 billion in the first half year of 2.
Zurich - 09 September 2011 - According to preliminary sigma estimates, total insured losses for the global insurance industry from natural catastrophes and man-made disasters reached an estimated USD 70 billion in the first half of 2011. This is more than double the figure of USD 29 billion for the first six months of 2010. Claims from natural catastrophes alone reached USD 67 billion in the first half of 2011, compared to USD 27 billion in the same period of last year.

Business of Insurance

Industrial Alliance's Vancouver-based Subsidiary Merges with Parent Company.
QUEBEC CITY, Sept. 12, 2011 - Industrial Alliance Insurance and Financial Services Inc. announces the merger of its subsidiary, Industrial Alliance Pacific Insurance and Financial Services Inc., with its own operations.

Conning Research: Market and Product Specialization Driving Superior Performance among Property-Casualty Insurers.
(Hartford, CT) September 13, 2011 - While there are various market interpretations of the term "specialty" in property casualty insurance, Conning?s research shows that specialization pays off for the true segment experts, according to a new study by Conning Research & Consulting.


eBusiness and Technology

London Market Group: How fast is fast enough?.
At last month's LMG Forum, the audience joined Rob Gillies, Steve Spicer and Bent Isachsen in a lively debate on the progress of the endorsements initiative. This month's main article seeks to take forward one of the most interesting aspects of that debate.

IBM and WellPoint Announce Agreement to Put Watson to Work in Health Care.
INDIANAPOLIS and ARMONK, N.Y., - 12 Sep 2011: WellPoint, Inc., and IBM announced an agreement today to create the first commercial applications of the IBM Watson technology. Under the agreement, WellPoint will develop and launch Watson-based solutions to help improve patient care through the delivery of up-to-date, evidence-based health care for millions of Americans. IBM will develop the base Watson healthcare technology on which WellPoint's solution will run.




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

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




Policy and Product Management

Munich Re creates more transparency for complex accumulation risks.
Severe natural hazards have always led to a local accumulation of insured losses. But these losses mainly involved property insurance and did not affect other regions. Today, accumulation risks increasingly result from the interdependency of risks worldwide, for example owing to the globalisation of the economy, or concurrent global developments such as changes in life expectancy.

Managing Relationships and Customer Service

Guidewire BillingCenter® Selected by Southern Farm Bureau forr Billing Management.
RIDGELAND, Miss. and SAN MATEO, Calif., September 15, 2011: - Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company, a leading provider of Property and Casualty insurance in the U.S., and Guidewire Software®, a provider of core system software to Property/Casualty insurers, today announced that Southern Farm Bureau has selected Guidewire BillingCenter as its new billing and receivables management system.

Social Business

eMarketer: Sites See Results from Social Sharing Buttons.
SEPTEMBER 13, 2011 - One way websites and content publishers can get readers and consumers to share their content is to make sure there are easy ways to do so, including buttons on the homepage for sharing on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and now Google+.

eMarketer: How Men Share Purchase Recommendations.
SEPTEMBER 14, 2011 - Men, like consumers in general, are far more likely to recommend purchases to family and friends in person than by any other means, according to ?The Great Male Survey? conducted by AskMen.com with Ipsos OTX Media CT.





Insurance-Canada.ca Webinar; 

What's Your Risk? Improving Aggregate Risk Exposure:
- Webinar was held Sept 15, 2011.

Thanks to our speakers, Sean Russell Guy Carpenter, Dave Crozier TEIG and Bill Sinn PBBI who provided a very good overview of the aggregation issues.

Both the slide set and a recording (both wmv and mp4) of the webinar are now posted here.




Marketing and the Market Place

Manulife Bank of Canada: Limited Financial Knowledge an Impediment to Debt Freedom.
WATERLOO, ON, Sept. 12, 2011 - Younger Canadian homeowners don't realize how good they've got it, according to the most recent consumer debt survey conducted by Manulife Bank of Canada. The mistaken perception that current interest rates are the norm or even high may be setting them up for future financial difficulties and suggests their optimism for how soon they will be debt free is misplaced.

Hartford Steam Boiler Adopts Munich Re Brand.
Hartford, Connecticut, September 12, 2011 - The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company (HSB) today announced that it is adopting the brand of its parent company, Munich Re, as part of a dual brand strategy that enriches Munich Re's reputation for innovative risk solutions with the integration of the specialized technical capabilities of HSB. The dual brand combines the value of HSB's leadership in equipment breakdown and technical risks with Munich Re's reputation for forward thinking risk solutions.

Insurance in the Community

The Co-operators partners with David Suzuki Foundation to create innovative environmental internship program for youth.
VANCOUVER, Sept. 15, 2011 - The Co-operators has announced a four-year partnership with the David Suzuki Foundation to engage post-secondary students in environmental issues by creating internships with the Foundation's frontline outreach staff and scientists. The agreement expands upon The Co-operators IMPACT! Youth Program for Sustainability Leadership to create 12 internship positions within the communications team at the David Suzuki Foundation.

Consumer Information

I.C.B.C. drivers polled see cellphone use as risky as drinking and driving.
August 30, 2011 - B.C. drivers seem to be getting the message that using a cellphone or other hand-held devices while driving is extremely dangerous. A new Ipsos Reid survey conducted on behalf of ICBC found that nearly nine in ten respondents (87 per cent) believe texting or emailing while driving is one of the most risky things we can do behind the wheel - in fact, 76 per cent believe it's just as dangerous as drinking and driving.

from Doug:

The art and science of fitness and weight loss. After a visit to my doctor in early summer for an annual physical, I decided I needed to focus more on losing a little weight. I had earlier restarted daily exercise after the better part of a year's hiatus while we moved and then dealt with family health issues. I now feel more fit and my weight is down about eight pounds. On Sunday I did a light morning exercise and then took a long reasonably intensive (for me) bike ride in the afternoon. So how is it then that my weight Monday morning is up two pounds from Sunday - go figure, as I can't.


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