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(St. Louis, MO-December 11, 2003) Genelco Software Solutions, a division of Liberty Insurance Services Corporation and a developer of software applications for the life and health insurance industry, has joined IBM's ISV Advantage Initiative, a program designed to provide independent software vendors (ISVs) with technical and marketing support to help meet the specific needs of small and medium business (SMB) customers.

HARTFORD, Conn., Dec. 11-- Aetna InteliHealth, Aetna's online consumer health information resource, and Aetna Navigator, the company's self-service website for members, have received 2003 eHealthcare Leadership Awards for Health/Healthcare Content and Interactive Site, respectively.

Most consumers admit that purchasing life insurance is not something they relish-mainly because of the issue of their mortality. For life insurers, selling their various products has been difficult as well, but this shortcoming has little to do with consumer resistance.

The insurance industry appears poised to remove the "technology laggard" label. Despite a back-to-basics management philosophy brought on by the two-year economic slump, insurance companies continue to move forward with their Internet strategies.For the third consecutive year, Internet-related categories ranked at the top of Insurance Networking News' "Best of the Newest" survey, a poll of 17 technologies rated by insurance company executives and industry experts. The panel rated each technology based on its impact on carriers' operations and its level of innovation.

For anyone who has ever owned a car, it's an inevitable question: Continue pouring money into the old jalopy, or cut your losses and buy a shiny new model complete with six-cylinder engine, alloy wheels and keyless entry?

Great-West Healthcare began using computer-based training to teach new sales reps about its products and services. The company is now using online training for its claims examiners, call center reps and HIPAA compliance across the organization.Spending on employee training has not been felled by budget axe wielders. That's according to the American Society of Training & Development (ASTD), Alexandria, Va., which also found the percentage of total training dollars spent on e-learning jumped from 8.8% in 2000 to 10.5% in 2001-the largest increase in four years.

Why would a company's separate business units buy goods and services independently if centralizing procurement can produce volume savings that go directly to the bottom line? Why would a company route paper requisitions for approvals when they can be automatically distributed over the Internet in seconds? Why would a company keep service contracts in file cabinets across the organization when they can be archived electronically with a complete history of all the negotiations that took place? And, what insurance executive wouldn't want to know more details about the company's spending activities?Volume discounts. Shorter procurement cycle times. Less paper. More informed purchasing decisions. These are the main reasons electronic procurement and sourcing have gained popularity in the past few years across many industries, including insurance (see "Procurement And Sourcing Software Gains Popularity," page 30).

Insurance agents and carriers both know that capturing new business centers around offering fair and competitive prices. Most understand that pulling in customers also hinges on the ability to issue coverage swiftly and accurately.Paul Bouwers, principal of Pella, Iowa-based Pella Insurance Agency, never had difficulty finding competitive quotes for auto or homeowners insurance through his many insurer affiliates. But when it came to maximizing the service behind new or existing business, Bouwers had a burning desire to get policies in the hands of Pella's customers much faster.

Boston-based John Hancock Financial Services Inc. was an early adopter of e-procurement and e-sourcing technologies.In 1998, the company implemented an e-procurement solution from iPlanet, which was acquired in 2002 by Santa Clara, Calif.-based Sun Microsystems Inc. Then, in 2001, John Hancock deployed e-sourcing software from Frictionless Commerce Inc., Cambridge, Mass.

Acordia Inc., the insurance agency arm of Wells Fargo & Co., sent a clear message in September that its integration with Wells Fargo is complete and it is once again an active buyer of agencies.Last month, Acordia announced three deals for agencies in Texas, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania. These purchases came on the heels of the purchase of a fourth agency, in Omaha, Neb., in August.