Distribution

New data shows that commercial banks are continuing to make inroads into the U.S. insurance market.

To counter stagnant growth, distribution channels and technologies need to be examined anew, says research firm.

Shifts in customer behavior, distribution patterns and preferences could provide significant growth opportunities for insurers prepared to embrace and leverage these emerging changes.

Finally, there is evidence that insurers are employing real-time activity, and the beneficiaries aren't just agents.

Because the invoice is an opportunity to renew contact with a policyholder and demonstrate excellence in customer service, new attention is being paid to the technology behind the opportunity.

Lexington, Ky. — Kelley Sloane, VP of worldwide marketing for Exstream Software LLC, was honored as one of the OutputLinks Women of Distinction Class of 2008. OutputLinks, a Houston-based information and research resource of the high-volume transaction output (HVTO), industry sponsored the award. Established in 2002, the Women of Distinction award honors the contributions and achievements of the women who help to shape the HVTO industry. Sloane will be recognized along with six other recipients at a luncheon being held during the AIIM/ON DEMAND conferences in Boston, March 3-6, 2008.

Madison, Wis. — MemberCONNECT, CUNA Mutual Group's analytical approach to relationship building, provides credit unions with a direct marketing solution for auto and homeowners insurance. While the channel provides a tool for building member relationships on its own, it also is a complementary tool for credit unions with strong agency relationships.

Foresight, and a focus on usability, will help those converting to straight-through processing reap dividends from the process.

New York — Two New York-based companies are partnering in their support of FUTURITY FIRST, a life insurance distribution organization that will be headquartered in Hartford, Conn.

Waltham, Mass. — Ipanema Technologies, a France-based provider of application traffic management systems for wide area networks, was recognized in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 for France and the Fast 500 for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa).