Insurance Networking News: Executive Strategies for Technology Management articles from September 2004

Insurance Networking News: Executive Strategies for Technology Management archives from September 2004

Systems Under Attack.(security measures towards viruses)
September 1, 2004... When it comes to e-commerce, insurers have made a lot of progress over the past several years. They've equipped their employees with browser-based policy, claims, and customer service applications. They've developed self-service features for...

Avoiding An IT Disaster.(information technology)
September 1, 2004... Protecting clients against disasters may be the bread and butter of many insurance companies. But many carriers have only just begun to take a hard look at their own business continuity strategies, especially when it comes to information...

From Obstacle To Opportunity.(internet marketing)
September 1, 2004... Mutual of Omaha Insurance Co. decided that 2004 would be the year to significantly increase its e-mail sales and marketing efforts. The e-mail program would be part of a comprehensive Internet marketing strategy that would enable the insurer to...

Is Outsourcing Back In Vogue?(Zurich Financial Services)
September 1, 2004... The landmark outsourcing deal that Zurich Financial Services signed in July begs this question: Is outsourcing back in vogue, or is Zurich's situation unique? Insurance executives surely will scrutinize the results and ramifications of...

Zurich Hands Application Keys To CSC.(Computer Sciences Corp.)
September 1, 2004... When politicians earlier this year were taking pot shots at offshore outsourcing, some insurance industry experts suggested that the backlash could have a "chilling" effect on potential deals, at least in the near term. However, that...

INN Focus.(Insurance News Network)
September 1, 2004... At Issue: Zurich signed a seven-year, $1.3 billion applications outsourcing contract with CSC. The Details: CSC will assume responsibility for maintaining and developing all applications for all of Zurich's business lines in the...

States Suspend Plans For Multi-State Credit-Scoring Study.(insurance scores)
September 1, 2004... With a legal challenge mounting from industry trade groups, several states that were planning to conduct a multi-state study of credit-based insurance scores have suspended that effort. Instead, the National Association of Insurance...

North American Insurers Eye Global Expansion.
September 1, 2004... If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then U.S. insurance companies are making their contribution to this well-worn axiom. North American insurers currently are pursuing global expansion at the brisk pace rivaling European...

Product Previews.(product launches)
September 1, 2004... PORTAL SOLUTION BRIDGES GAP SEEC Inc., a Pittsburgh-based provider of legacy modernization solutions, has released its Enterprise Portal Solution, an end-to-end service that integrates a company's legacy applications to industry-standard...

Agents To Carriers: 'Easy Does It'.(insurance agents)
September 1, 2004... Despite all the progress that has been made in developing agent-carrier interfaces, insurance agents, particularly those who are independent, want more workflow support than they're currently receiving from the insurance companies with which...

Agents' Top Ten Priorities.(insurance agents)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Ten "ease of doing business" factors were identified by Deep Customer Connections based on its work in the insurance industry. These factors were validated by independent agents and carriers. The factors are: 1. Understanding and acting on...

INN Focus.(Insurance News Network)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... At Issue: North American insurers currently are pursuing global expansion at the brisk pace rivaling European insurers' foray into U.S. markets in the early 1990s, according to TowerGroup. The Opportunity: Favorable economics, key...

Contracts.(industry contracts)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... 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...

Calendar.(conferences and conventions)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
September 1, 2004... Success Forum 2004 Sponsor: Financial Planning Association When: Sept. 11-14 Where: Denver Convention Center www.fpnet.org IASIU Annual Seminar & Expo Sponsor: International Association of Special Investigation Units ...

Horace Mann Sends A Clearer Message To Its Customers: When the Springfield, Ill.-based insurer embarked on a major corporate branding program, it determined that outsourcing customer communications was a better option than upgrading its internal systems.(customer satisfaction of insurance industry)
September 1, 2004... In sports, a coach frequently will encourage an athlete to dig down inside for the motivation to reach new heights. In business, however, improvement often can be the result of a company looking outside its own walls. Many companies across...

INN Focus.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Case Study: Horace Mann Cos. At Issue: The carrier instituted a corporate branding campaign several years ago that included a new logo, tagline and customer-value proposition. To support that effort, Horace Mann needed to rethink...

A Wireless Nightmare Waiting to Happen.
September 1, 2004... When it comes to wireless technology, concern about security is well-founded, according to Nicholas Miller, president of Cirond Corp., a San Jose, Calif.-based wireless security provider. That's because two major security risks associated...

Phishing Threatens E-Commerce Infrastructure of Financial Industry.
September 1, 2004... Although junk e-mail, also known as "spam," may seem like a relatively harmless if annoying productivity killer, one form of spam is actually treacherous to corporations, especially those in the financial services industry. Called...

Insurers: CAN-SPAM Has All the Right Stuff.(Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act)
September 1, 2004... The makers of Spam canned lunch meat, Hormel Foods, Austin, Minn., have taken exception to the way their legendary product's name has been used to refer to junk e-mail. So the ratification of the CAN-SPAM Act (Controlling the Assault of...

Lighter Is Mightier For Indiana Farm Bureau: Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance Co. needed to enhance its auto claims processing efforts. Using hand-held mobile data wireless display technology is helping the provider get a better grip on things.
September 1, 2004... Most laptop computer users remain bullish on this technology as a portable and user-friendly computing alternative, one that enhances productivity. No doubt, that notion-while true-is also relative. Material damage appraisers for...

e.Business Briefs.
September 1, 2004... CIGNA OFFERS NEW ONLINE TOOLS CIGNA HealthCare has launched new eligibility and enrollment capabilities at CIGNAaccess.com. The site is designed to help more than 2,700 employee benefits plan administrators manage their CIGNA health plans...

e.capsule.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... At Issue: Indiana Farm Bureau wanted a solution that would enhance workflow of its material damage appraisers in processing claims. The Solution: A lightweight, hand-held mobile data wireless display developed by Panasonic...

Guaranteeing Security Is One Key to Wireless.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Although wireless solutions offer many advantages, some industry experts believe there are barriers to adoption, including a perceived security risk that a local area network (LAN) or wide-area network (WAN) can be exposed to flaws, enabling a...

Wireless Options.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Wireless modems: Operate on cellular networks with speeds ranging between dial-up and DSL; broadest coverage area of existing options. Blackberry: Pager-like two-way communication devices; newer models are more commonly equipped with...

Index Of Advertisers.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Advertiser Site Addresses Page # ACLI www.acli.com/annualconference 31 AIG www.aigtechnologies.com 21 AT&T ...

Time Is Right To Reshape Your Business: Insurers need to recreate their organizations to compete more effectively.
September 1, 2004... Fifty years from now, will the business community look back at this period as a time when the insurance industry accepted the challenge to reshape itself-or as a time when the industry settled for continuing to do business as usual? We...