Insurance Networking News: Executive Strategies for Technology Management articles from November 2005

Insurance Networking News: Executive Strategies for Technology Management archives from November 2005

China Marches Forward.(insurance market)(Industry Overview)
November 1, 2005... The market for insurance in China is huge. With a population of 1.3 billion-that's 20% of the people in the entire world - China's insurance premiums are projected to grow from $60 billion this year to $100 billion by 2009 (see "Chinese...

EU's Solvency II Proposal Looms for U.S. Insurers.
November 1, 2005... Just when insurance companies were feeling better equipped to solve the puzzle of requirements presented in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), the United Kingdom and the 24 other member states in the European Union (EU) are now commenting on the EU...

Arguments Change But the Debate Lives On: In the past few years, the introduction of development tools and new programming methods have made building software an easier proposition for some insurance applications.
November 1, 2005... For many years, building computer software applications was the modus operandi in the insurance industry. "No one knows our business," was the common refrain. Since then, software vendors customized their products for the industry, and...

Let's Stop the Blame Game.
November 1, 2005... All this talk about merging business goals with IT seems to have reared its ugly head. With the best possible intentions and following the ultimate in best practice methodology, insurance CIOs are trying to make the marriage work. Is their time...

Overview of Solvency II.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2005... The EU began its fundamental review of solvency in May 2001. The Commission looked at the effectiveness of the current European solvency system, how the current supervisors could prevent, detect and cure problems, and what the typical...

Insurers Address Cell Phone Risks.
November 1, 2005... With new research from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Arlington, Va., finding that drivers using cell phones are four times more likely to get in a crash serious enough to injure themselves, auto insurers are beginning to educate...

PATRIOT Act Changes Point Out Need for Proactive Compliance.
November 1, 2005... Since the promise of further USA PATRIOT Act promulgation by the U.S. Treasury Department fell away in June, life insurance and annuity companies have been holding their breath, waiting for an imminent vote by the 109th Congress that could add...

How To Avoid The Pitfalls.
November 1, 2005... Making the decision to build or buy computer software applications is just the beginning. Once a decision has been made, insurance technology professionals have to proceed with caution. Rick Williams, president of Wilsure Insurance...

Texas Farm Bureau Steers Ahead of the Curve: The Waco, Texas-based insurer makes up for lost time with a forward-looking technology plan that combines Linux and WebSphere-on the mainframe.
November 1, 2005... Contrary to public opinion, the IT department typically can't foretell the future. IT teams usually can analyze the effectiveness of an existing systems implementation, but for some, rather than using a crystal ball, it's more a matter of...

Auto Carrier Signs Up for a Long-Term Partnership: Robert Plan's revised IT outsourcing program fixes what's broken and creates a win-win in the process.
November 1, 2005... Offloading non-core functions to an outsourcer, and thereby relieving your company of the responsibility of maintaining expensive equipment and escalating personnel costs, is increasingly seen as not only a viable option but in many cases the...

Alliances & Contracts.
November 1, 2005... PARTNERSHIP TO HELP COMMUNICATion ACROSS SYSTEMS Whitehill Technologies, a Moncton, New Brunswick-based provider of document composition and data transformation, formed an OEM reseller partnership with Computer Associates International Inc....

Contracts.
November 1, 2005... The Contracts Update section includes announcements of contracts insurance information technology companies have signed with customers in recent weeks. Contract news can be faxed to Insurance Networking News magazine at (312) 913-1366 or by...

Products.(new softwares)
November 1, 2005... SERVICE OFFERS FASTER POLICY COMPLIANCE A new service from e-know Inc., an Arlington, Va.-based provider of services and technology solutions for management initiatives, is designed to help companies complete policy compliance initiatives...

Wausau Addresses Nuances of Middle Market Producers: The commercial insurer uses ACORD XML to craft an interface that enables data to go from an agent's system to the carrier's system and back again-in seven or eight seconds.
November 1, 2005... As any P&C carrier will admit, meeting the ever-evolving needs of independent agents and producers is no easy task. According Gartner Group Inc., a Stamford, Conn., research firm, property/casualty insurers have "struggled with interaction...

e.Business Briefs.
November 1, 2005... Web a Main Source for Auto Quotes Keynote Systems Inc., a San Mateo, Calif.-based Internet competitive intelligence firm, reports that the Web is a primary resource for auto insurance consumers, with 87% visiting sites to obtain a quote...

Index Of Advertisers.
November 1, 2005... Advertiser Site Addresses Page # Acord cartoons.acord.org 10 Adminserver www.adminserver.com 39 AQS www.aqsadvantage.com ...

Electronic Payments Driving the Shift to Self-Service Economy: Insurance companies that focus on improving the customer's experience can meet the rising expectations of the self-service customer segment without giving up the high-touch channel of the agent.
November 1, 2005... From pumping your own gas to checking your luggage and getting a boarding pass at the airport, self-service is becoming the name of the game in our economy. For the insurance industry, which has long had a reputation for providing...