The Little Carrier That Could
8/26/2004Although its IT staff has only 22 members, Texas Life builds most of its capabilities in-house.
Profile of Julie Gallagher
Blog Posts: 378
Articles by Julie Gallagher
Although its IT staff has only 22 members, Texas Life builds most of its capabilities in-house.
For Berkshire Life, All Systems Are Go
8/25/2004The decision to optimize its existing information technology investments was not a hard one for Berkshire Life
Extinguishing Spam Flare-ups
8/25/2004After several false starts, United Fire & Casualty finds success with MX Logic's Email Defense Service.
Spreading the Word
8/25/2004Mass Mutual uses Web tools to educate about disability insurance.
Alliances & Partnerships
8/25/2004RENTAL CARS; HDM TEAMS WITH TAWPI; FNF ACQUIRES GEOTRAC; FACETIME EXPANDS; CYBERGUARD/INTEL DEAL
https://www.informationweek.com/
8/25/2004Many carriers say their systems don't support their knowledge bases.
Cyber News
8/25/2004LUMENOS/EMPIRE DEAL; MANULIFE IMPROVEMENTS; TRAVEL INSURANCE; EZCHECK, RDM TEAM
Slow and Steady
7/19/2004Professional liability underwriter CAMICO Mutual Insurance has adopted a controlled five-year growth strategy.
Customer Consolidation
7/19/2004As finicky financial services customers increasingly rely on the Internet as a research tool, it's more apparent than ever that the competition's Web site is only a click away.
Insurer Gets Budgeting in Order
7/19/2004In an effort to add consistency to a previously decentralized budgeting process, Philadelphia Insurance Companies implements Satori Group's proCube.
Return on Intelligence
7/19/2004Chubb leverages SAS BI and data mining tools.
Security Attacks Double
7/19/2004More awareness, savvy perpetrators contribute to reported increase.
Cyber News
7/19/2004Modernization Boosts Speed to Market
7/19/2004The more states that opt into the NAIC's Interstate Insurance Product Regulations Compact, the better off carriers will be.
LIMRA Selects Insurance Technologies as Illustration Software Vendor for Members
7/14/2004As part of a deal crafted to provide favorable service for LIMRA International's global insurance and financial services members, the organization will endorse Insurance Technologies' illustration software services.
Document Sciences Aims to Acquire Objectiva
6/30/2004As part of a deal calculated to diversify its revenue streams and expand its breadth of solutions, Document Sciences Corp. has signed a letter of intent to acquire the remainder of global software development services company Objectiva Software Solutions.
IT Opportunities on the Rebound
6/16/20042004 InformationWeek salary survey reports that job challenges - and compensation - will start looking up for IT professionals.
Widows Stays Strong
6/16/2004After its demutualization and acquisition by Lloyds TSB, Scottish Widows strives toward strength, reliability and innovation.
Look On the Bright Side
6/16/2004Rather than letting the clouds of regulation rain on their operations, insurers that look for compliance's silver lining have an opportunity to improve their business processes.
P&C Carrier Gets Down to Business
6/16/2004Providence Washington Insurance improves the usability of its business intelligence reports with tools from Cognos.
E-Sales Appeal to Young
6/16/2004Willingness to make insurance purchases via e-mail and Web sites is expected to grow as younger consumers age.
Lawmakers Push Insurance Tech
6/16/2004Illinois bill addresses electronic notification of cancellations.
Evans
6/16/2004Web-based CLAS; EReinsure/Hannover; GLIC Relaunches Site; Nationwide's ICR Tool; Online Applications
Alliances & Partnerships
6/16/2004PMCS, Genelco Partner; Synergy, Cognos Join; IDS/Intalio Expand Deal; Compliant Messaging; LOMA/PossibleNOW
@First Tool Helps MetLife Auto & Home Fight Fraud
6/16/2004MetLife Auto & Home teamed up with CSC to develop @First, an automated first notice of loss fraud detection tool that uses a combination of predictive data modeling technology, company claims data and industry data sources to help the underwriter flag suspicious claims.
Aon Close to Turning Over IT Operations to CSC
6/2/2004Executives at Aon say they're close to a deal that would see the insurance and risk management firm turn over the operation of its basic IT operations in the United States to Computer Sciences Corp (CSC).
North Carolina Farm Bureau Expedites Policy Processing
5/19/2004Using Clear Technology's Tranzax platform, North Carolina Farm Bureau has reduced its staff and expedited its policy processing function. The carrier has improved quality dramatically while redeploying 30 percent of its staff and reducing policy turnaround from three weeks to five days at the most.
Speaking Up for VoIP
5/18/2004As Voice over IP matures, more insurance technologists than ever are clearing the hurdles that once hindered the protocol's full potential.
Making Met-Tech Magic
5/18/2004Catherine Rein, MetLife Auto & Home, takes an active roll in IT project prioritization.
IDP Helps Cooperativa Search Against OFAC
5/18/2004Puerto Rican carrier streamlines compliance efforts and avoids penalties by qutomating matching process.
SPIM Gaining Ground on Spam
5/18/2004IM is becoming the conduit of choice for senders of unsolicited messages.
IT Isn’t Tapped for Compliance
5/18/2004Insurers face cultural hurdles in streamlining processes.
Honesty Is the Best Policy
5/18/2004A new lie detector telephone technology may encourage more policyholders to tell the truth when filing insurance claims.
Safeco Launches Single Platform for P&C Sales
4/21/2004Aiming to promote cross-selling and drive greater agent productivity generally, Safeco has launched Safeco Now, an online sales platform that enables agents to rapidly quote multiple lines of P&C business.
BearingPoint and Teradata Partner to Promote Data Consolidation
4/7/2004In an effort to address the demand for data consolidation in the insurance industry, BearingPoint has formed a marketing and sales alliance with NCR Corp. Both parties will lend their intellectual property to the deal intended to help customers converge their data by leveraging NCR's Teradata tools.
Successful ERM Eludes Carriers
4/2/2004Technology challenges widen the gap between successful enterprise risk management planning and execution.
What’s Your Business’ Intelligence Quotient?
4/2/2004Before carriers start using business intelligence for competitive advantage, they must first consolidate disparate BI tools.
https://informationweek.networkingpipeline.com
4/2/2004After its training and development funds were reduced, Fireman's Fund achieved efficiencies with AthenaOnline.
IIABA Resists Crop Offering
4/2/2004Association opposes online crop insurance sales as too complex.
Nicholas
4/2/2004Carriers to participate in training program to improve U.S. tech skills.
NAIC Plans Enhancements for SERFF
3/23/2004Enhancements to the System for Electronic Rate and Form Filings (SERFF), the filing system used by insurers and state regulators, will include third-party interface refinements and the ability to open filings that have inadvertently been closed, according to a status report presented by Julie Fritz, director of insurance products and services for the NAIC.
Growing Up and Out
3/16/2004After experiencing rapid growth, First American P&C is taking advantage of current conditions to prepare for the soft market.
Battening Down the Hatches
3/16/2004When it comes to predicting low-frequency, high-impact catastrophes, underwriters of risk must rely on thousands of years of scenarios rather than their proprietary loss data. Technology is critical to pulling off this high-stakes juggling act.
Cyber News
3/16/20043/16/2004
Northface University will fill a need for business/technology focus.
Alliances & Partnerships
3/16/2004Will Telematics Finally Pay Off?
3/16/2004OnStar technology and GMAC's ties to GM may be the keys to usage-based insurance success.
PCI Opposes Massachusetts Credit Scoring Bill
3/10/2004During a hearing before the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Insurance yesterday, the Property Casualty Insurance Association of America expressed opposition to a bill seeking a total ban on the use of credit-based insurance scores in Massachusetts for auto and homeowners' insurance rate-making.
2/25/2004
In a study of the current state of insurance agent adoption of technology, IVANS finds that 84.3 percent of agents prefer to work with carriers they consider "aggressive" in their use of new technology.
Reducing Call Center Turnover
2/19/2004LOMASelect Service Index identifies call center rep suitability and reduces turnover.
Reporting for Duty
2/19/2004With a focus on cultivating its employees, Minnesota Life has remained innovative while supporting growth.
Uncovering Offshore Secrets
2/19/2004Overly generous cost savings estimates can doom a carrier's offshore outsourcing effort before it even begins. In order to optimize success and manage expectations accordingly, insurers must take the hidden costs of these deals into consideration.
Getting It Together Post-Consolidation
2/19/2004After a series of mergers, UnumProvident relied on Staffware's Processing Suite to integrate claims and manage workflow.
Outsourcing Limits Could Hurt Carriers
2/19/2004As presidential election nears, candidates are discussing offshore outsourcing restrictions.
IIABA Seeks Spam Exemption
2/19/2004Non-profits shouldn't have to abide by Can Spam, says IIABA
Tech Could Assist State-Based Reform
2/19/2004Not all are convinced that a federal charter is the best solution for industry regulatory reform.
BCBSA Signs E-Business Agreement with Connecture
2/11/2004Seeking to enhance the e-business capabilities of its 41 independent health insurance plans, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has signed an agreement with Connecture for use of the vendor's distribution automation solution.
Associations’ Priorities Run the Gamut
2/9/2004Insurance industry associations will seek to influence public policy and enforce technological efficiency in 2004
No Rest for the Compliance Weary in 2004
2/9/2004Many insurance carriers are playing post-deadline compliance catch-up in 2004
Taking a New Look at HSAs
2/7/2004Self-service tools support newly authorized health savings accounts
CGI SEALS DEAL WITH MILLBROOK
1/28/2004Seeking to lower its insurance customers' loss ratios through the use of analytical tools, business process outsourcing services provider CGI Group has struck a partnership agreement with Millbrook Inc.
CEOs Discuss Outsourcing’s Moral Dilemma
1/14/2004A panel of insurance industry CEOs discussed the moral dilemma of offshore outsourcing, among other topics, at the Property/Casualty Insurance Joint Industry Forum yesterday at New York City's Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
"Can-Spam" Law has Minimal Insurer Impact
12/17/2003Although "Can-Spam" legislation signed into law yesterday will have a minimal effect on the e-mail efforts of insurance marketers in the near term, the law opens the door for the creation of a national spam registry that could threaten some marketing efforts.
Insurance M&A’s in Style: Anthem/Wellpoint Face Integration Hurdles
12/3/2003The mergers and acquisitions market in the insurance and financial services space is heating up. For Anthem and WellPoint, two Blues that have traditionally grown through acquisition and consolidation, the companies' experience in technological integration will be important to the deal's success.
Doing a Lot with Little
11/26/2003Although it works with a modest budget, Cincinnati Equitable is able to cater to agents' needs.
Keep Them Coming Back for More
11/26/2003Now more than ever, carriers need to focus on keeping today's skeptical customer satisfied.
Shelby/Vesta Regains Agent Loyalty
11/26/2003Insurance carrier puts policy management in the hands of its agents, thanks to LegaSuite tool.
Fraud Spurs Analytic Spending
11/25/2003Compliance, risk management fuel investment, Datamonitor forecasts.
Is Grid Computing Next Wave?
11/24/2003Uptake is slow, but emerging strategy can make the most of resources.
M&A Trend Driven by Need to Enhance Scale
11/19/2003A spurt in merger and acquisition activity within the financial services industry has been catalyzed by a need to bulk up scale for growth opportunities and greater operational efficiency.
News from ISOTech: CIOs Should Focus on Building Equity, Says Gartner’s Oliva
11/5/2003Speaking at the ISOTech show in Anaheim, Calif., Vincent Oliva, vice president, Gartner, said CIOs should advance beyond looking at ROI on a project-by-project basis.
Product & Services Showcase
10/29/2003Insurers Speak Up for VoIP
10/29/2003Intrigued by the possibility of lower costs and greater flexibility, a number of insurance carriers are moving toward IP-enabling their traditional PBX systems.
Second Time Around Is a Charm for Alfa
10/29/2003Legato's ApplicationXtender suite helps Alfa Insurance improve its imaging system.
Job-Loss Bill Proposed
10/28/2003Over the next few years, financial services companies have the potential to save close to $30 billion by migrating approximately 500,000 jobs offshore.
Tech Not M&A Motivator
10/28/2003Technology tends to be a consideration, not the driver, of carrier M&As.
Cyber News
10/28/2003OneBeacon's Claims Contract
10/28/2003As part of an effort to eliminate the need for manually entering first-notice-of-loss-data received from its independent agent force via fax, Boston-based OneBeacon Insurance Group has awarded a contract to EasyLink Services Corp.
NEW CONTRACTS
10/28/2003Linux May Not Lead to Savings
10/28/2003Free software doesn't necessarily lead to lower computing bills.
Past Elite 8: Where Are They Now?
10/22/2003Despite the challenges of adapting to new positions and responsibilities, former Elite 8 honorees make the most of 2003.
Chubb Takes Step Toward Uniformity
10/22/2003Chubb Group of Insurance Companies has begun to provide its producers using an Applied Systems agency management system with real-time online policy inquiry for personal lines policies and loss reporting capabilities for most lines of business.
Navigating Competitive Direction
10/22/2003To advance Highmark Life's strategic direction and position, CIO Matt Piroch constantly must adjust.
Scholten’s School of Collaboration
10/22/2003The enactment of a federated IT governance model is producing sustainable results at The Principal Financial Group.
Consolidation Queen
10/22/2003With experience in Lincoln's life and annuity units, Linda Fraley is well poised for the consolidation of those lines of business.
RBC TAPS WEB TECHNOLOGY TO ENABLE EXAM-FREE RISK ASSESSMENT
10/8/2003Catalyzed by the desire to reach the lower-income customer segments that have tended to be overlooked by many life agents, RBC Insurance has created RBC ExpressTerm, a term life insurance product designed to be underwritten and bound online in as little as 15 minutes. Through a partnership with Quotesmith.com, ExpressTerm will be sold on Quotesmith's consumer Web site, Insure.com.
Exploiting Intranets To Transmit HR Info
9/29/2003Proactive carriers see an opportunity to reap retention and recruitment benefits.
Customizing for Excellence
9/29/2003Hartford Financial Products builds on its legacy systems to improve underwriting performance.
Selectively Testing the Web Services Waters
9/29/2003Still worried about the security of open, dynamic Web services over the public Internet, insurers are pursuing more controlled and secure transactions that use a Web services architecture
FAIR ISAAC ACQUIRES DIVERSIFIED HEALTHCARE TO BEEF UP MEDICAL BILL REVIEW CAPABILITIES
9/24/2003As part of a move to enhance its medical bill review solutions and customer service benefits for workers' compensation payers, Fair Isaac Corp. has acquired Diversified HealthCare Services. Diversified -- a provider of medical bill review products and services for the workers' compensation insurance industry, will be integrated into Fair Isaac's Healthcare and Insurance market unit.
Wells Fargo Brings Rating In-House
9/10/2003In order to keep sensitive data closer to home, Wells Fargo Insurance has implemented InsBridge Rating Solutions in its homeowners insurance call center.
INSURERS NOT FAZED WHEN LIGHTS WENT OUT
8/27/2003Although the blackout of August 14 left inhabitants of North America's eastern seaboard in the dark, disaster preparedness and insignificant insured losses helped to dim the event's impact on insurers.
Making the Case for Credit Scoring
8/21/2003In order to stay competitive, insurers must enhance use of credit scores.
Registry May Help Marketers
8/21/2003Do-Not-Call Indicator will provide carriers with customer preference info.
XFire Enables Data Sharing
8/21/2003IASA's statutory reporting database will utilize the XBRL standard.
GL Implementation Facilitates AXIS’ Growth
8/21/2003In anticipation of rapid expansion, AXIS Specialty Limited chooses a general ledger system to support strategy.
AVIVA Sends Voice Over IP
8/20/2003In a bold move, AVIVA goes from a PBX to a voice-over-IP telephony solution.
Looking for a Few Good CIOs
8/20/2003NYID's insurance department is meeting its technological objectives in large part because of the superintendent's and governor's embrace of technology.
’Singhing’ about Scalability
8/20/2003RLI keeps profits high by reducing maintenance costs and beefing-up underwriting tools.
Executive News Briefs
8/20/2003Recent insurance executives moves.
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