Insure Think

How will you ensure that the vendor you choose will stand the test of time and will truly become your strategic business partner versus just a technology provider?

A forecast increase in overall IT spending and in cloud computing funding will have to wait for insurer fears to subside.

The insurance industry is seen as a prime example of how to handle data-sharing the right way; namely, collecting data on policyholders' driving habits in order to offer discounts for safe driving behaviors.

Maybe Google Plus will do no more than shake up Facebook ... or will it fragment the audience, making each platform less valuable?

Converting to a new PAS is much like running a race. Preparation is critical, regardless of the distance.

An IBM study confirms consumer demand for technology, but hurdles remain.

Congress is patting itself on the back for its new bill, but the fix is far less than is needed.

What's required is an enterprise tool that can capture and process social media conversations for management and maintenance by the carrier, not the social network service.

Outsourcing may be down a bit, but there's a compelling value proposition in the idea of looking to cloud providers to acquire bite-size chunks of services when needed, paying only for what is used, when it is used.

Other factors, including a bottoming-out of the recession, likely have also played a role.

Deciding where to cut the budget is never easy, but insurers that focus on department metrics, communication with stakeholders, and a thorough review of work performed will be at an advantage.

The user experience is changing for the better, in both subtle and dramatic ways.

The big worry in cybercrime is data or systems loss, but hacking into implanted devices may also be a cause for concern.

Insurers have tough decisions to make in order to strike a balance between security and loss of productivity.

Insurers that employ value analysis will be on target to see cost-effective improvements that produce expense savings and position the organization for rapid, cost-effective growth.

Is there technology out there that can save insurers from mistakenly classifying luxury automobiles as farm vehicles?

Is social media about transparency and creating a dialogue with customers, or is it a relatively inexpensive way (to date) to reach large numbers of potential customers? This is an important debate for all insurers.

User organizations are banding together to establish baseline for cloud data interactions.

Social CRM may ultimately lose its cachet, but until then, the insurance industry is just beginning to explore the possibilities this new dimension of data provides.

A power struggle is developing between CIOs and CFOs, and the loser will be our enterprises.

Social networks and their features are changing the way we interact with the world, each other and with insurers. The insurance industry will be forced to respond.

Winning management teams have adapted to new dynamics, achieving the jet squadron’s equivalent of focused synchronicity in translating shared plans to targeted results.

Some say hacking has become a form of entertainment; if so, the insurance industry is likely safer than many.

The OS is something we're thinking less and less about, as we focus on higher parts of the stack.

Without talking to my "friends" directly, I have no way of knowing why they clicked on the Like button, rendering an analytical tool of questionable value even further devalued.

With a focus on growth rather than simple cost-cutting, insurance CIOs are trying to deeply change the mix of capabilities, knowledge and assets within their organizations.

If we collectively suffer from a bad rap, it's because our industry lacks a community of leaders that can act as an organized front—a cohesive voice that can rebrand insurance as a prominent and respected force in financial services.

Insurance is said to be leading a tepid revival in IT spending for 2011, but the overall picture is anything but encouraging.

USAA's corporate culture fostered on the inside is reflected out to the market.

Once master data management becomes a reality, companies that hope to truly leverage it will need a tool that marries different platforms, different architectures and different brands of MDM.

It pains me to have regular conversations with industry participants of all persuasions where we all agree that there is room for two big industry shows a year, but not within weeks of each other.

My blog on “Why Do So Many IT Projects Fail” touched a nerve with readers who offered more possible reasons.

The insurance industry needs to emphasize mobile initiatives and begin to guide consumer expectations rather than sit back and watch.

Insurers will be challenged to make work on legacy systems as interesting and fulfilling as any social networking startup may be.

By comparison, insurers must decide which initiative(s) to fund out of many worthwhile projects; developing an objective decision-making model can both help you choose the best projects and build corporate buy-in.

New research is advancing the notion of remote healthcare monitoring, an obvious plus for health insurers, but social factors may inhibit adoption.

Still sorting out how they can leverage it, almost one-third of French insurers are considering investment in social networks, a clear sign demonstrating that value can be generated from data gathering from and customer interactions through this medium.

Experts at the IASA Educational Conference and Business Show came up with lots of potential answers, but a solution continues to elude us.

When creating an “influence channel,” insurers and agents could really help each other: Insurers need social media fan recruitment, and agents need content.

Five Key Points That Should be Part of Every Social Media Policy

Without dirt-cheap storage, there would be no Big Data. And no cloud for that matter, either.

Scientists and the insurance industry are wise to ponder the potential impact of climate change.

Undergoing a PAS replacement affects nearly everyone in the organization, as well as agents and insureds. As a result, organizational change management is essential.

How does the strategically-focused insurance organization avoid the anomaly of Parkinson’s Law, especially given the current economic environment?

Another INN blogger had a different take on Al Gore’s speech at IASA, but in the end, Gore cannot escape the slick image he earned as a politician.

Former Vice President Al Gore touched on everything from Moore’s Law to Minnie Pearl while pondering the impact of technology on the insurance industry, during his keynote address at the 2011 Insurance and Accounting Systems Association conference in Nashville.

When I heard that former Vice President Al Gore was speaking at this year’s IASA Educational Conference and Business Show, I expected political posturing and bloviation mixed with carefully chosen fuzzy bits of science. I was not disappointed.

Organizations need to defend their data assets against internal threats, not only disaffected workers but also trusted administrators who hold the keys.

Core systems renewal and improving the customer experience help optimism hold the lead over pessimism.

Insurers contemplating integrating mobile platforms into their enterprises must take heed of this disturbing trend and make tough calls.

Insurers fail to pay timely benefits because life and annuities business units’ motives for discovery of insureds’ demises differ and their separate blocks are administered on siloed platforms.

Does this mean that our technology providers have emerged from the economic sweat lodge and are now gathered around the tribal fires chanting “Kumbaya” for your benefit? Probably not.