Joe McKendrick

IT is now called upon to play a more proactive role to help insurers advance in a new globalized, hyper-competitive environment.

Although depended upon for virtually every aspect of the business, IT still has issues that are shrouded in uncertainty.

Insurers can take simple steps that ultimately return far more than what they initially cost.

As an innovation inabler, IT needs to be able to turn things around faster than ever, and at the same time, let the business guide the process.

The insurer enables five different business lines to tap into common data services supported by a data warehouse.

One of the reasons mainframes are so popular again is their ability to scale to the growing requirements of cloud computing.

Given its value, it must be treated with the same sense of security and accountability as money.

While insurers have the technology to do amazing things, they must not let organizational issues hinder them from putting it to good use.

Putting analytics in the hands of decision-makers up and down the line helps affect positive and profitable changes for the business as situations change.

Insurers ranked No. 42 out of 50 industries in regard to their social media savvy, just ahead of debt collectors and hair salons, but way behind banks, which were ranked No. 3 in the report.

Innovation, growing the business and keeping the lights on are crucial for insurance IT shops.

An outgrowth of "The Great Recession," The Great Inflection may lay the groundwork for new, more innovative ways to do business over the coming decade.

Despite pronouncements that the recession has ended, we're still not back yet to business as usual.

We may just be emerging from a recession, but these IT shops will soon be facing tough challenges in not only standing up new systems, but finding the talent to do it.

Insurers should look at six key areas going forward to develop a competitive advantage.

An effective social media approach to HR and recruiting may be the LIFT needed to get through what will soon be challenging times for insurers.

Insurers could realize a 105% return on equity as a result of a 10% improvement in data quality and mobility.

Technologies such as business analytics are opening up new possibilities for coaxing businesses out of their comfortable boxes.

While the long-term answer is likely no, many companies presently will be able to succeed without hiring new workers inside or outside of IT.

Expert believes it’s more about communication and less about alignment.