Digital Platforms

IBM and Accenture are the front runners, with other major players steps behind, says new report.

For a bill that has already seen its fair share of fits and starts, regulatory reform legislation hit a wall Wednesday as it failed a key procedural vote in the Senate.

Insurers watch as the amendment could affect use credit scores for underwriting.

Agency adjusts the guidelines by which it rates both property/casualty and life insurers.

As legislators ponder lifting cap on damages resulting from oil spill, Senate Majority Leader Reid suggests abolishing it altogether.

Onus is on them to address the “elephant in the room,” manage reality-based models, and shape organizational culture in post-crisis world, says Swiss Re.

Religious funds have grown in the past decade due to a larger number, and wider range of investors, analyst says.

Life insurers are adjusting the way they calculate capital requirements a new study from New York-based Towers Watson finds. The report, Evolving Capital Management Practices, queried 30 CFOs and found they expect to make greater use of economic capital when determining capital requirements.

The amendment preserves state attorneys generals' role protecting their citizens against abusive practices.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City’s integration of Tuo Underwriting system is part of a marketing strategy to leverage Tuo and Microsoft Dynamics.

Minneapolis-based Wolters Kluwer Financial Services reports that it will incorporate its insurance compliance information and analysis technologies with FINEOS Claims for Workers’ Compensation.

Facebook remains an intriguing channel and marketing tool for insurers, and this debate with regulators underlines just how important it could be.

Insurers must work harder to educating advisors on how their products work if they want to boost sales, LIMRA says.

S&P affirms Liberty Mutual Group Inc., A.M. Best downgrades Town and Country Mutual Insurance Co. and Moody’s upgrades Unum Group.

SMA report says agencies may open wallets to improve areas such as product development and premium volume rebounds.

After rebuilding balance sheets following a costly 2008, P&C insurers hope to not face further financial risks.

The question of how to handle security identification is a thorny one.

Insurers face an uphill battle when it comes to claims management, according to James Swayze, president and CEO of Symbility Solutions, Toronto. Swayze, who presented on the topic at the 2010 PLRB Claims Conference last week in San Antonio, presented results of a JD Power & Associates study that revealed 46% decline in client satisfaction scores for property claims between 2004 and 2008, and a rising claims process cycle time that averages 18.6 days to close.

A new Moody's report says favorable economic and capital market trends signal stability.

Ventana research finds 41% of respondents have a strong desire to improve BI and performance management in the areas of operations, finance and customer management.

A coalition of industry associations is working to scuttle an amendment to financial reform legislation that would strip health insurers of anti-trust protections currently enjoyed under the auspices of the McCarran-Ferguson Act.

To alleviate apparent confusion over storm surge and flooding predictions that were in conflict with the reality of events when a hurricane made landfall, the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale was updated by the National Weather Services’ National Hurricane Center, which is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Insurer looks to bring investment capabilities of Sun Life’s Boston-based asset management arm to Canadian retail investors.

Alterra Capital Holdings sees favorable ratings following merger, Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Co. and First Chicago Insurance Co. downgraded.

In testimony on Capitol Hill, industry says the use of credit scores vital for underwriting.

A survey conducted by Munich Re America that targeted insurance executives to determine their most pressing concerns revealed what most in the industry know: the economy still presents a challenge, but less so than last year.

SAP's pending acquisition of Sybase is designed to offer improvements in transactional and analytic applications as well as enhanced mobility, messaging interoperability and content delivery.

The new Cyber Command appointment confirms the notion that we really are engaged in cyber-war.

Allianz SE, The Hanover and Nationwide all see net income growth over this time last year.

Kognitio’s Data Warehousing-as-a-Service program compares historical and current price points using Quomation technology.

Branded Marketing LLC is trying to combat churn by offering free Chubb insurance policies to users of its prepaid MasterCards.

The boundary between where social networking for an employer stops, and personal networking begins keeps getting fuzzier and fuzzier.

It apparently will take more than a visit from the Dali Lama to rebuild Conseco’s name and reputation as a stable financial services leader in Medicare supplement, long-term care, life and annuity products.

Beacon Mutual will integrate StoneRiver Power Suite and Underwriting Management System into its BeaConnect site.

Boston-based Liberty Mutual Group is planning an initial public offering for its subsidiary, Liberty Mutual Agency Corporation (LMAC).

AIG's mortgage insurance subsidiary reported Q1 earnings of $73 million —its first quarterly profit in three years.

AIG and Prudential are in talks to revise the composition of the AIA Group Ltd. deal—cutting the $25 billion cash component of the deal by $2 billion.

Aetna, Berkshire Hathaway, Genworth and Wellpoint among the insurers affected by most recent ratings changes.

NIBC reports staged-accident questionable claims skyrocket 46% from 2007 to 2009.

Insurers still focusing IT dollars on delivering core systems and much-needed support for the business side.

Lack of communication, persistence of silos among the factors hampering risk management at an enterprisewide level.

The stalwart reputation garnered by global insurance companies over the years may be fleeting, according to a report by rating agency A.M. Best.

While the workers’ comp calendar year combined ratio was 110 in 2009—up 9 points from 101 in 2008—the market still faces a host of challenges, says NCCI Holdings.

For the second consecutive month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports insurers reduced their ranks, and has seen a 3.2% loss in jobs over the past year.

Having weathered the financial storm, life insurers need to shift away from rebuilding capital and towards premium growth, according to a new study by Hartford, Conn.-based Conning Research & Consulting.

As legislators craft reform measures for the financial services industry, insurers are asking to be excluded from funding a bailout mechanism for systemically risky companies.

Aon’s Investment Protection Insurance, the first policy written for space investors, covers satellite-related losses, including failure to launch.

RMS’ portforlio management platform, Miu, includes event mapping and historical cat event analysis features, and the ability to compare historical scenarios with future risks.

Forrester survey finds knowledge workers seeking agile, self-service business intelligence tools to ease backlog.

Novarica reports reveal that policy admin projects are now designed to deliver business capabilities or replace unsustainable systems, not necessarily to reduce costs.

The debate devolved into partisan gridlock as both sides clashed over how much power to give to a new consumer protection bureau.

The insurer, which needed a hefty government bailout, reported a profit of $1.45 billion as a result of fewer writedowns in the quarter.