Insurance Networking News: Executive Strategies for Technology Management articles from September 2008

Insurance Networking News: Executive Strategies for Technology Management archives from September 2008

Wide View is Key to Data Security.
September 1, 2008... While information security is very organizationally specific, many of the challenges faced by those tasked with safeguarding data are universal. For insurers of all sizes and lines of business, the focus is really about using a blend of...

The Changing Face of the IT Workforce.
September 1, 2008... Change, growth and evolution-while they may be synonyms, they're also inherent to the fabric of time and the advancement of humanity. As societies change with the passing of time, so too progress the ideals and expectations of the people who...

Putting Together the System Integration Puzzle.
September 1, 2008... Belgium-based InBev NV acquires U.S. brewer Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. and Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines merge. When announced, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) always grab headlines. The news causes a variety of initial thoughts and...

When is change a good thing?
September 1, 2008... Keeping up with change is tough. In an industry rife with relatively conservative thinking, unless you are really looking for it, the majority of career changes experienced by C-level insurance executives may be hard to notice. A look at...

Sound Off: How Agents & Carriers Forge Success: They may share common business goals and objectives, but agents and carriers must also share a business environment of open communication and streamlined transmissions.
September 1, 2008... The agent/carrier relationship is like no other-sometimes considered a match made in heaven, it also can be a source of bitter frustration as both parties try to make their expectations known and communicate effectively. INN gathered like minds...

INN's 2008 Agent/Carrier Forum.
September 1, 2008... BRIAN BARTOSH, CIC, LUTCF president, Top O' Michigan Insurance Agency Inc., Alpena, Mich. Bartosh has nearly 30 years of experience in the industry, beginning his career in 1979 as an agent with his father's agency. In 1980, he installed...

News Briefs.
September 1, 2008... ZURICH DEBUTS AGENT/BROKER SITE Zurich North America, Schaumburg, Ill., unveiled a distributor-focused Web site that serves as a central source for information and educational resources for the insurer's agents and brokers. The site...

Solutions.
September 1, 2008... ACCEPT STRANDED PAYMENTS CAPTURED REMOTELY WAUSAU Financial Systems, a Mosinee, Wis., provider of distributed payment processing and receivables processing solutions, announced that its integraPAY product can now accept corporate payments...

Getting to Know the Workforce.
September 1, 2008... While personalities are unique from person to person, there are still notable trends that seem to typify the current worker generations. Typically, these similarities are formed out of growing up within a given societal dynamic, with this...

Solutions.
September 1, 2008... NEXT GENERATION REGULATORY MANAGEMENT SUITE Compliance 360, Atlanta, a provider of enterprise governance, risk and compliance (GRC) solutions, recently released an enhancement of its flagship product. Intended for companies that...

Maintaining Control in an Automated World: Carriers must be cognizant that automation doesn't eliminate the need for process oversight.
September 1, 2008... In today's IT world, change has become a normal part of life. New hardware and software are continually being introduced. One of the claimed benefits of these changes is improved data quality and therefore better information upon which a...

News Briefs.
September 1, 2008... SAPIENS, IBM AND MILLBROOK PARTNER ON BI Sapiens Americas Corp., a subsidiary of London-based Sapiens International Corp. N.V. and IBM, Armonk, N.Y., will partner with Millbrook Inc., Exton, Pa., to provide a new on-demand business...

Solutions.
September 1, 2008... DEXTRYS, DATADIRECT SIGN MAINFRAME PACT Dextrys, a U.S.-based Chinese outsourcing firm that provides product engineering and application services, announced a strategic alliance with DataDirect Technologies, a data connectivity and...

Consumers Looking to the Web for Auto Insurance.
September 1, 2008... Consumers are increasingly reliant on the Internet as a channel to research and learn more about auto insurance, according to a new report from Reston, Va.-based comScore Inc., a global Internet information provider that monitors consumer...

Is Technology Altering the Art of Underwriting?: As carriers look to increasingly automate basic policies, the role of underwriters is shifting.
September 1, 2008... Just as ships are judged by their displacement of water, probably one of the best measures of a technology's success is the disruption it leaves in its wake. If this is so, new underwriting systems and rating engines are-for insurers-the...

Solutions.
September 1, 2008... ADOBE UPDATES ITS LIVECYCLE ENTERPRISE SUITE Adobe Systems Inc., San Jose, Calif., has updated its LiveCycle Enterprise Suite (ES), a host of solutions for automating processes that let financial organizations better engage customers,...

Who's Buying What: Recent deals for technology software and services.
September 1, 2008... FARMERS SELECTS 360VALUE TO ESTIMATE HOME COSTS The Farmers Insurance Group of Cos., Los Angeles, selected 360Value to estimate reconstruction costs for its high-value home program. Developed by a team from ISO subsidiaries Xactware...

Controlling Virtualization: Virtual sprawl can consume an entire software license budget and require the purchase of more physical servers than you need.
September 1, 2008... The value of server virtualization is undeniable. Insurance organizations can consolidate hardware, remove expensive legacy systems, reduce power consumption, cooling needs and footprint, while at the same time provide better service to their...