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.




eBusiness and Technology

Tritech Financial Systems Inc. announces the release of Web Reporting Portal.
April 2007, Toronto, Ontario -- Tritech has enhanced it's enterprise wide solution, GIMS (General Insurance Management System), to now include a Web Reporting Portal. High volumes of reports across every department, product line, and activity are run daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually and on an ad hoc basis. Some of the challenges that exist for insurer staff, managers, and executives are the secure and efficient storage of these reports, for business, audit and legal reasons, and the ease of retrieval when required later on.

Distribution

Policy Works Launches Certified Data-Exchange Partner Program.
Calgary, Alberta - April 23rd, 2007 -- Policy Works Inc. is pleased to announce the launch of its Certified Data-Exchange Partner Program. The Certified Data-Exchange Partner Program recognizes insurers who have worked in partnership with Policy Works Inc. to ensure accurate transfer of commercial lines information.

Univeris Corporation Announces Gold Sponsorship at Key Insurance Industry Conference.
TORONTO, APRIL 20, 2007 – Univeris, the leader in enterprise wealth management systems, today announces that it will be the Gold Sponsor of the MGA Changing Channel Symposium being held June 11-13, 2007 in Collingwood, Ontario. The MGA Changing Channel Symposium, put on by The Advisor Group, is an annual conference that brings together over 100 executives from Managing General Agencies (MGAs) to examine key trends facing the insurance industry.

Mooney Insurance and Rogers Insurance announce a Strategic Alliance.
CALGARY, April 26, 2007 - Bryan Pobihushchy, President of Mooney Insurance Agency Ltd. based in Red Deer and Lee Rogers, President of Rogers Insurance Ltd. based in Calgary are pleased to announce that their respective firms have entered into a strategic alliance that will secure the perpetuation of both firms and preserve their status as truly independent brokers.

Claims

Accident Support Services Ltd. Receives Approval to Open a Collision Reporting Centre in Partnership with the Timmins Police Service.
Toronto, April 23, 2007 -- Accident Support Services Ltd., Facilitators of Collision Reporting to the Insurance Industry, are pleased to announce that on July 30, 2007 we will open a Collision Reporting Centre with the Timmins Police Service.

Consumer Information

Compucage International Continues to Expand Globally - Business Partners are now located in Germany and Chile.
Recent Business Partners of Compucage are located in Germany and Chile, adding broader distribution to the many countries already in place. Compucage International has been offering strong, theft-deterrent products that protect computer notebooks and systems from physical loss since 1999.

Insurance Bureau of Canada donates $500,000 to fund research at Western to build safer homes.
Thanks to a $500,000 donation from Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), researchers at The University of Western Ontario Faculty of Engineering are testing a house in a controlled environment to learn how to build safer residential structures and recommend improvements to building codes.

Insurance Bureau of Canada applauds changes to graduated driver licensing in Nova Scotia.
Insurance Bureau of Canada recently applauded the Nova Scotia government for making important changes to the province's graduated driver licensing (GDL) program.

Progressive Survey: Hurricanes Cost All Boaters in All States More in the Form of Higher Insurance Rates, Not! Common Boat Insurance Myths Revealed...
MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio � April 9, 2007 � You don't believe in the Loch Ness Monster, nor do you believe your friend Earl caught Jaws while deep-sea fishing off the coast of Florida � so why do most boaters think their boat insurance covers them wherever they decide to go boating? The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, a leading boat insurance group and the number one seller of personal watercraft insurance in the country, surveyed more than 1,000 boat owners and discovered there are many boat insurance myths floating around out there that many accept as truth.

Product Announcements

Compucage Introduces The R8620-M To Its Award Winning Product Line.
Compucage announces the R8620-M with a new keyless design unique to enhanced physical security devices. It is available in different sizes to fit almost any notebook. This new product is ideal for high-traffic high-theft retail environments as well as mobile environments like hospital carts.

Manulife Investments adds five new global mandates to its mutual fund lineup.
TORONTO, April 24, 2007 - Manulife Mutual Funds, a division of Elliott & Page Limited, announced a number of enhancements, including the addition of five new mandates to its lineup of mutual funds today, subject to regulatory approval.

Standard Life's Performance Annuity now reaches a wider number of investors seeking an income for life.
MONTREAL, April 23, 2007 - Standard Life is pleased to announce that Performance Annuity, one of the first market-based annuities available in Canada, is now also being offered on a non-registered basis.

Business of Insurance

PMI Canada Receives Order to Commence Business From the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions.
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. and TORONTO, April 26, 2007 -- PMI Mortgage Insurance Company Canada (PMI Canada) has received its Order to Commence and Carry On Business from Canada's Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI). The Order enables PMI Canada to begin actively marketing its products, pending receipt of provincial licences.

New Marsh Study Indicates as Risks Rise, So Do Concerns among National Oil Companies about Their Ability to Cope.
NEW YORK, April 24, 2007 - Less than 10% of National Oil Company (NOC) leaders surveyed by Marsh Inc. strongly feel they have a full understanding of the risks they face - and how to effectively manage them. This finding was contained in a new study released today by Marsh, the world's leading risk and insurance services firm, examining risks and operational challenges among state-owned oil enterprises.

Marketing and the Market Place

Members of the Association nationale des camionneurs artisans (ANCAI) can now benefit from significant insurance premium discounts by using Kolombo's protection systems.
MONTREAL, April 26, 2007 - Kolombo Technologies Ltd is pleased to announce that members of the Association nationale des camionneurs artisans (ANCAI) can now benefit from significant insurance premium discounts by using Kolombo's protection systems.

eMarketer: Canada E-Commerce Continues to Grow.
APRIL 25, 2007 -- Retail Web sites are popping up in the Great White North. Canadian retail e-commerce just tallied its fifth straight year of double-digit growth, yet online sales still account for less than 1% of the total retail market, according to Statistics Canada's "2006 Survey of Electronic Commerce and Technology."

RIMS Offers Leading-Edge Identity Theft Protection Created by MyPublicInfo to 10,000 Risk Professionals.
New York, N. Y. - April 4, 2007 - The Risk and Insurance Management Society, Inc. (RIMS) announced that it will offer the MyPublicInfo Inc. signature identity theft prevention service, IdentitySweep, as a discounted special benefit to RIMS members. IdentitySweep uses identity scoring, an innovative new method of fraud prevention, to search databases and chat rooms for Social Security numbers, debit card numbers, credit card numbers and other consumer information that may be hacked, stolen, or breached.

from Doug:

Wearing my heritage hat, three of us attended one of the 22 Ontario regional Historica Heritage Fairs last week, and will attend another today. Students in grades 5 through 7 compete within their schools for the opportunity to participate in this board level event. Selected participants then go on to the all-Ontario fair in mid-May, and from there to the all-Canada fair in July, in Lethbridge AB this year. We were amazed at the number of participants, the general quality of the three-panel table-top displays and accompanying artifacts, and even handouts in a couple of cases. A number used powerpoint components, one a DVD with video, stills and voice-over, to present topics ranging from various prime ministers to the War of 1812 and a varirty of celebrities. We were also surprised at the number of students who came to our display and entered into serious discussion. Perhaps there is hope yet for Canadian history.


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