Content posted in August 2008
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ICW to Launch Improved Web 2.0 Agent New Business Platform
Enhancements to ICW Group's SNAP Web-based workers comp distributor platform include straight through processing for small workers' comp and improved interactive features.
Peak Hurricane Season Arrives
A second tropical storm is in currently in the neighborhood, as former Hurricane Gustav was weakened by slamming into the unfortunate island of Hispaniola. However, Gustav is predicted to gain enough strength to qualify as a hurricane again by tomorrow and is headed toward the Gulf Coast. It remains to be seen whether the storm's path and intensity will be enough to call claims executives back from their vacations.
EagleEye Launches Verisight
EagleEye Analytics has introduced Verisight, a residential property underwriting solution.
Liberty Mutual Agency Markets: A Business Perspective
If you're a subscriber to the print edition of Insurance & Technology, you have likely received the September 2008 issue that mailed recently. Contained within the September issue was a Carrier Confidential feature on Liberty Mutual Agency Markets, the Liberty Mutual Group business unit responsible for the Ohio Casualty and Safeco integration efforts.
Not contained within that article though,
Lori Beer Named WellPoint CIO, EVP
Former CTO will balance innovation and simplification while cultivating greater strategic alignment between IT and the buisness.
CSAM Becomes CSC Subsidiary
CSC has acquired Computer Systems Advisers (M) Sdn Bhd (CSAM), a Malayasian IT service provider.
HCSC Acquires MEDecision
Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) has closed the merger transaction of MEDecision.
AIG Private Client Group Diagnoses SOA Glitches With BMC Solution
AIG Private Client Group speeds diagnosis of system glitches by deploying BMC's problem resolution tool.
Chu Resigns SVP & E-Business Position at The Hartford
John Chu has resigned from his position of senior vice president, e-business & technology at The Hartford's property casualty company. According to a memo circulated internally at The Hartford, Chu has chosen to spend more time with his family. According to sources, Chu's contract with The Hartford had expired and he declined to renew it.
Explaining Coverage to the Consumer
The next step for efforts such as Allstate's "Coverage Checkup" will be for them to rise from being a gimmick to attract customers to being a standard service by which insurers can further differentiate themselves. This service will likely develop as have others in the e-commerce realm, appearing early on in the form of tools in the hands of CSRs and distributors, and later as self-service functionality available through the carrier's customer portal.
Need to Speed up U.S. Broadband
The speed at which Americans access the Internet has declined from first place to 15th since the network came into existence, according to Speed Matters, a Communications Workers of America union (CWA) non-profit outlet that just published its second annual state-by-state survey of broadband speeds. InformationWeek's report on the survey noted that while the median download speed enjoyed by Americans is 2.35 Mbps, Japan's speed is 63.6 Mbps. That decimal point is not misplaced.
JPMorgan Introduces Prepaid Card for Workers Comp Payments
The Chase Workers Compensation Debit Card brings efficiencies for insurers, convenience for individuals through a single card that can enable claimants to receive multiple payments.
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New Aetna chief technology officer Michael Mathias will focus on the insurer's integrated platform strategy, services-oriented architecture, business process optimization and improved technology delivery.
Q&A With James McGlennon, VP and CIO, Liberty Mutual Agency Markets
Liberty Mutual Agency Markets CIO James McGlennon discusses the status of the Ohio Casualty integration, vendor relationships and IT talent retention.
Analytics Key to Proactive Detection and Prevention of Fraud
Advancements in technology have made it so that fighting fraud is no longer as closely linked to searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack. The availability of a greater number of tools to insurance companies is changing special investigation units from reactive to proactive organizations.
Emerging Technologies Fight Claims Fraud
Industry insiders discuss predictive modeling and other tools that allow SIUs to be more proactive in their fight against claims fraud.
Predictive Analysis Allows Insurers to Stay Ahead of Constantly Evolving Fraudsters
When used with data mining tools and street investigations, predictive analytics can be among the biggest electronic enemies of the fraud rings that cost insurers tens of billions of dollars annually.
Passwords Are Dead, Long Live Passwords
To someone who just wrote a cover story on single sign-on technology, the theme of a recent New York Times article was pretty out-there. It suggested that it was time to abandon password-based log-on procedures all together in deference to a authentication model that relies upon cryptographic "handshakes" between computers.
Mapping the World of Risk
Risk atlases can be useful to companies in all industries seeking to expand their geographical footprint. These resources can also be valuable to insurers as the industry globalizes further, or simply as P&C companies consider selling lines of business covering executives who travel to places like Colombia or Pakistan.
Ahmed Named VP of Insurance at CT TyMetrix
Faiz Ahmed has been named vice president, insurance at CT TyMetrix.
Allstate Names a President of Social Networking
Desiree Rogers has been named president of social networking at Allstate Financial.
Christopher Maguire Prioritizes IT at Philadelphia Insurance Companies
Newly appointed COO Christopher Maguire will oversee the delivery of straight-through processing and the establishment of manufacturing-standard capabilities in Philadelphia Insurance Companies' IT organization.
Flexibility, New Technology Key To Attracting Young IT Workers
Insurers are finding that both their technology environments and their working environments are keys to attracting top IT talent from younger generations.
Policy Admin System Replacement: Insurers Shift Focus From Systems to Functionalities
The age of monolithic policy admin systems may be over as carriers recognize that capabilities, not systems, create a modern, competitive insurance organization.
Carrier Confidential: Liberty Mutual Agency Markets
Liberty Mutual Agency Markets needs its IT team to continue its strong integration work if it wants its Ohio Casualty and Safeco acquisitions to be successful.
Fraud Detection and Prevention Starts With Good Data
Neural nets, predictive modeling, and other analytic technologies allow insurers to address potential issues proactively.
Beijing Olympics Offer Business Lessons for Insurance industry
There are likely to be useful lessons about emerging markets, distribution, customer analysis and risk for Insurance company executives following the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
EMC Rolls Out New EMC CLARiiON CX4 Series
The new series of midrange storage systems is optimized for VMware and other virtual environments.
OpenQuote 1.0, an open-source software, is designed to reduce costs of web enabling quotations for insurance products.
Emdeon Business Services Releases Automated Electronic Solution
New solution helps streamline workers' compensation and auto medical bill filing and processing.
When Good Isn't Good Enough
I've written enough articles on transparency tools, mobile-enabled provider search capabilities and physician rating systems that, as an insurance technology journalist, I feel that the health industry is in a pretty good place with their consumer-facing web sites.
However, as a consumer, I know that the industry still has a long way to go. Health insurers' web sites are still, in many ways, limited. At least in my experience, I've found basic tools such as provider networks directories to be
Max Specialty Supports Fast Start-Up With ImageRight
ImageRight provides excess and surplus start-up Max Specialty with paperless, scalable document management capabilities.
Main Street America Group Dumps Legacy Claims Applications for Guidewire
After attempting to rebuild legacy systems, The Main Street America Group adopts Guidewire's ClaimCenter for streamlined claims management.
BPO Continues to Evolve
With financial services-specific expertise increasing among BPO providers, knowledge process outsourcing looks to be the next generation of outsourcing services.
Fiserv/Trident IV Deal Demonstrates Investor Confidence in Insurance Tech Spending
The acquisition of a majority share of Fiserv's insurance business demonstrates continued confidence in the insurance technology vendor market.
Santam Launches Text-based Fraud Hotline
South Africa-based Santam has implemented a text-based fraud reporting system to provide tipsters with an easier, more confidential way to report fraudulent activity.
Casenet Releases New Integrated Care Management Version
Casenet 3.0 will offer fully integrated population management tools.
Bostick Named Conseco’s EVP of Technology and Operations
Russell M. Bostick has been named executive vice president of technology and operations at Conseco Insurance Group.
CDC Software Releases Pivotal CRM 6.0
The new version will provide task-based navigation and a smart client user interface.
Americo Signs With CSC
Life and annuity carrier Americo has signed a 15-year BPO contract with CSC.
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