Issue 2008-29 -- July 22, 2008

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.




Summer Break.

We are taking a break for the next couple of weeks and the newsletter will not be published on July 29 and August 5. The next issue is planned for August 12. We wish you a good mid-summer.




Business of Insurance

Aon eSolutions Releases Environmental Module.
CHICAGO, June 24 2008 -- Aon eSolutions, the client technology arm of Aon Corporation (NYSE: AOC) and the leading provider of global risk and insurance solutions, today announced it has released a new Environmental module as part of RiskConsole, its market-leading, browser-based risk management information system (RMIS).

Claims

FINEOS Claims® selected by the Lifetime Care & Support Authority (LTCSA) of New South Wales.
Dublin, Ireland, July 11, 2008 - FINEOS Corporation, a global provider of innovative enterprise software solutions for insurance, bancassurance, and government, has been selected by the Lifetime Care & Support Authority (LTCSA) of New South Wales, Australia, to deliver disability claims management for catastrophic personal injuries arising from motor accidents. The LTCSA is the statutory corporation responsible for paying for the treatment, rehabilitation and care expenses of people with serious injuries caused by motor accidents, regardless of who is at fault.

Farmers® Insurance Selects Xactware's 360Value™ to Estimate Reconstruction Costs for High-Value Homes.
OREM, Utah, and BOSTON, July 14, 2008 - The Farmers Insurance Group of Companies®, the third largest home and auto insurance group in the United States, has selected 360Value™ to estimate reconstruction costs for its high-value home program. Developed by a team from ISO subsidiaries Xactware and AIR Worldwide, 360Value is a web-based reconstruction-cost estimator that provides easy-to-calculate reconstruction-cost estimates for residential, commercial, and agricultural properties.

Lumley New Zealand is set to modernise and consolidate its claims handling systems with a new operating system, Guidewire ClaimCenter, that will enhance its customer service capabilities.
AUCKLAND, New Zealand and SAN MATEO, California, USA, July 16, 2008 - Wesfarmers Insurance Division, its underwriting subsidiary Lumley General Insurance (New Zealand) Ltd. (Lumley NZ), and Guidewire Software®, a leading global provider of technology solutions to general insurers, today announced that Guidewire ClaimCenter® has been selected for Lumley NZ as a first step in a move to modernise its claims management systems environment.

Hot Wheels: Vehicle Theft Continuing to Decline: I.I.I..
Des Plaines, IL, July 9, 2008 - Hot Wheels 2008, the National Insurance Crime Bureau's (NICB) companion study to its annual Hot Spots auto theft report examines data reported to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) and determines the vehicle make, model, and model year most reported stolen in 2007. See the full report at www.nicb.org.

Consumer Information

Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association launches brochure on travel insurance.
TORONTO, July 14 - The Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) has released on its website a new information brochure; a guide to travel health insurance to assist Canadian consumers when they are purchasing travel insurance.

IIHS : Federal bumper rules should apply to SUVs, pickups, vans, and cars alike.
July 1, 2008 - ARLINGTON, VA — Cars, SUVs, and pickups share the road but they don't share the same standard for bumpers. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has petitioned the federal government to regulate the bumpers on light trucks (SUVs, pickups, and vans) just as it regulates those on cars. The same bumper rules should apply to all kinds of passenger vehicles.

Marketing and the Market Place

Three-Fourths of Canadians Online Soon: eMarketer.
More than 22 million Canadians will access the Internet regularly in 2008—over two-thirds of the nation's total population.

Our People

RIMS Canada Conference to Attract More Than 1,500 Risk Professionals for Four Days in Toronto.
NEW YORK, N.Y., June 30, 2008--The 33rd Annual Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) Canada Conference will take place on September 21-24 in Toronto, Ontario. More than 1,500 risk professionals and industry partners are expected to attend. The conference is hosted by RIMS Ontario Chapter.

Policy and Product Management

The Business Case for Modern Policy Administration Systems: Lessons from Early Adopters - Report Published by Celent.
Boston, MA, USA - June 30, 2008 - A new Celent report, The Business Case for Modern Policy Administration Systems: Lessons from Early Adopters, explores how emerging policy administration approaches are changing the debate over system replacement.

Reference and Statistics

MIB Life Index Reports North American Life Insurance Activity Flat in June.
Braintree, MA. – (July 9, 2008) North American application activity for individually underwritten life insurance was off slightly in June, down -0.9% year-over-year, according to the MIB Life Indexsm. Second quarter activity trailed that of Q2 2007 by -2.5%. Year-to-date (YTD) life insurance application activity has declined -1.9%, compared to the same period last year.

Managing Relationships and Customer Service

J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Erie Insurance Ranks Highest in New Buyer Satisfaction with the Auto Insurance Purchase Experience.
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 10 July 2008 - Erie Insurance ranks highest among 18 major auto insurance companies in satisfying new buyers with the purchase experience, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Insurance New Buyer StudySM released today.

eBusiness and Technology

IBM Supercomputer Bolsters Cancer Research.
Toronto, Ontario - 27 Jun 2008: IBM today announced the deployment of Canada's fastest research supercomputer at the Ontario Cancer Institute, University Health Network. The new system will aid in the search for more effective cancer treatments.

Paperless Offices Remain an Elusive Dream, IDC Explains.
02 Jul 2008 - Sydney, Australia, A new report from IDC confirms Australian businesses are producing more hardcopies today than five years ago, reinforcing that years after talks of paperless offices began, the concept remains an elusive dream.

from Doug:

It is many years since we took the opportunity to travel around some of our Maritime provinces. The conference we attended recently in Saint John was wonderfuly well organized and brought together many friends. For the week following we thoroughly enjoyed the history of PEI, Cape Breton and the mainland of Nova Scotia as we visited friends, relatives and historic sites including Fort Louisburg, The Citadel in Halifax, Shelburne and Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was a great trip, but one which warranted much more time.


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