Insure Think

The business often asks crazy things of IT, but sometimes that craziness can lead to creativity.

Some think mobile devices are the rising stars while PCs are legacy toast. But is that true for insurers?

Survey data reveal that IT employees are more confident about a number of things—including finding employment elsewhere.

The concerns of Japanese insurers are very similar to those of their North American counterparts.

Many business and IT initiatives fail because decision-making responsibilities are given to under-skilled or under-talented managers who wind up making bad decisions.

Investments can be made in one area, but if other related areas are forgotten, the initial investment's benefits may be less than expected.

Giving customers what they want seems like a no-brainer, but where do we draw the line between service and servitude?

Effective deployment of information technology will be a difference-maker for insurers.

Imagine the benefit of agents logging in and accessing application processing or customer verification services, or internal departments helping with claims processing or adjusters in the field.

To reach consumers, the confectioner, like many insurers lately, is eschewing traditional e-mail marketing in favor of social media.

Black Hat was set to expose Chinese cyber-attack capabilities until big-money agencies stepped in to silence them.

Insurers watch and wait as Microsoft looks to standardize cloud services around its Azure platform.

The insurer believes an analytics-based strategy is the future of customer relationships.

No prior IT architecture initiative has had an impact as positive or broad-reaching as SOA.

Researchers and TV shows have already proven that it’s possible, but is it advisable?

Consumers want it, but will we survive it—and how do we insure it?

When was the last time your company rolled out an innovation? Are you playing catch-up?

Effective data management and data quality are no longer “nice to have” options.

Universities have taken up the challenge of grooming willing replacements for needy insurers.

An increase in qualified actuarial resources, and a need to move actuaries into more strategic activities, will offer insurers opportunities that were previously unavailable.

The economy, it seems, is forcing us to make choices.

However, we now have new means and methodologies to add to our toolboxes.

In the face of public anger, and legislators anxious to produce a fix, the insurance industry was able to influence the course of financial reform legislation largely to its liking.

Study shows consumers want responsiveness, but clearly they also don’t trust portals when it comes to more difficult issues.

Insurers are finally starting to stand up and take notice of Lean IT, which has been a staple in the manufacturing world for years.

Insurers should look at how many websites they're running, what they cost and if any of those services could be merged onto cheaper platforms.

The federal government wants to build a place where everyone feels safe online, but are they instead creating a tempting target for cybercriminals and other enemies?

While it doesn’t make sense for insurers to hand over critical systems to third-parties, there are many other processes that can be handed over without worry.

While some hopeful signs are anticipated, economic recovery is still not a reality in terms of IT budget levels.

A new tax on British insurance purchases creates a challenge for insurer IT departments to respond in a timely fashion.

Even the best-aligned insurers face IT departments not quite getting what the users want, and users not understanding how IT operates.

The best way for insurers to differentiate themselves from their competitors is to deliver on this simple promise.

Asian insurance CIOs tend to be very tech-aware, and are actively pursuing process automation.

Pundits and analysts are having a field day with social media for insurance, but is it really that big of a deal?

Not treating data quality as an IT issue and taking critical enterprise info out of employees' heads are two of the keys.

The economic recovery horses are at the starting gate, but when will the race begin, and when do we plunk down our bets?

Insurer says achieving efficient, green data centers need not be expensive or overwhelming.

Cyber-security is a rapidly growing problem, but you’d never know it by the response in our industry.

Risk management is only the first of many apps and functions that can be delivered via cloud-based services to insurers.

A more integrated and holistic approach to the delivery of health care is crucial.

The economy still stinks, but the IASA Educational Conference and Business Show came up smelling like a rose.

Most bad business policies involve similar one-stage thinking—the type of thinking that never considers the question: “And then what happens?”

Messaging and collaboration, and infrastructure have even the largest of carriers reaching for the cloud.

An industry analyst survey says BI systems efforts aren’t cutting it in the insurance industry.

A good reputation will prevail over all, especially in the insurance marketplace.

Vendors are making insurance software tools easier for business users, but how much technology can we leave in the hands of non-techies?

Breaking business process problems down into components to be digested by groups of three people can save insurers significant amounts of time.

What insurers can do to enhance their customer experience in the years ahead.

Exhibitors acknowledge improvements, but daunting challenges remain.

For those who see converting to a green facility as daunting or expensive, Aflac has five words: it's okay to start small.

Seriously engaging and understanding the customer is of dire importance.

A surprising reprimand of national politicians and a less surprising disregard for the industry highlighted the conference’s first day.