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Security vulnerabilities exist in a number of areas; data sent from a wearable device to a nearby smartphone, for example, may be exposed during transfer via Bluetooth or WiFi connections.

Australian insurer Suncorp Group Ltd., has selected Solera's Risk Management Solutions platform to help manage an increasingly complex auto industry, while managing rising customer expectations, Solera said.

Jose Mercado has been named chief technology officer at Metromile, a pay-per-mile car insurer, effective immediately. Mercado will continue to report directly to CEO Dan Preston, Metromile said.

Majesco, a provider of insurance software, consulting and services, has launched Majesco Business Analytics, which the company says was built on the foundation of the Cover-All BI. Majesco previously acquired Cover-All, creator of the business intelligence application.

Texas Mutual Insurance Company, provider of workers’ comp insurance, has selected Guidewire’s DataHub and InfoCenter to support its enterprise-wide data management and business intelligence strategies, Guidewire said.

Clements Worldwide, provider of international car, property, term life, health, specialty and high-risk coverages for expatriates and international organizations, has deployed a direct-to-consumer portal using ISCS’ SurePower Innovation. The insurer completed the implementation of the policy, billing, claims and underwriting components of SurePower Innovation last year.

Several carriers gave insight into their technology strategies in their second quarter earnings calls. Here are the highlights.

As direct sales, online comparative raters and insurance aggregators gain visibility in the U.S. market, independent agents continue to offer value to both consumers and insurers, says Bill Wilson, CPCU and associate VP of education and research for Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America. In the first part of this exclusive interview, Wilson discusses trends in insurance distribution, the differences in claims experiences and the fact that not all policies are created equally.

For an IT strategy to be successful, control areas, such as strategic planning, legal, regulatory and finance, and operational areas, including underwriting, claims, actuarial, product development and marketing, need to help. If that were not challenging enough, IT leaders must be able to create a strategy that works in the context of multiple divisions, entities and possibly countries.

Security researchers demonstrated that they could hack Metromile's UBI dongle; insurance carrier issued patch in June.