New Products

Its investor woes notwithstanding, Quotesmith.com, a Darien, Ill.-based insurance information exchange, is rolling out a new product for consumers seeking long-term care insurance. The product, LTCompare, enables consumers to comparison-shop and acquire long-term care coverage at www.quote-smith.com. The product, available in all 50 states, is being launched as the company faces delistment from the Nasdaq stock exchange for failing to rise above $1 a share for 30 or more trading days.NextPolicy.com has launched a Web site to sell insurance directly to consumers. At www.nextpolicy.com, consumers can obtain online quotes, track policies and obtain personal assistance and counseling. The San Rafael, Calif.-based company claims market differentiation because it deals only with "A"-rated carriers and its site contains no disclaimers about advising consumers on coverages and companies. Products include auto, homeowners' and life insurance in the state of California, and boat, pet, health and aviation insurance in 40 states.

The Chubb Group of Insurance Cos., Warren, N.J., is offering an insurance policy designed to help protect financial institutions against losses resulting from Internet-related security breaches. Called CyberSecurity, the policy consists of six insuring clauses: e-theft, denial of impairment of e-service, e-signature, e-communication, e-vandalism and e-threat.

St. Paul-based Minnesota Life Insurance Co.'s financial services unit has unveiled a product designed to make it easier for consumers to buy term insurance. CustomQuote Ten-Year term life insurance provides basic coverage that can be quickly purchased over the phone or via the Internet by qualified consumers in about seven minutes. The quick approval is made possible with an Internet-based capability that-with the consumer's permission-provides instant access to MIB codes, providing a "clear-or-no-clear" report needed for simplified, automated underwriting to take place.

Mountain View, Calif.-based VeriSign Inc. has launched its Wireless Developer Program, enabling independent software vendors and others to provide security for transactions made over wireless networks. Among the program's initial members are 2Roam, a Redwood City, Calif.-based provider of wireless Web solutions, and Commtouch Software Ltd., a Mountain View-based provider of outsourced electronic mail and messaging solutions. VeriSign's wireless trust services platform will provide security for confidential information such as credit card numbers, online forms and financial data via the use of public-key infrastructure (PKI) and digital certificate technologies. Through the program, Verisign will also work with wireless developers on issues of authentication, validation and certificate policies.

Palo Alto-based TurboCoverage launched an insurance platform that enables uninsured car buyers to secure coverage in about 10 minutes in the dealer showroom. Typically, car buyers wait an hour or more for off-site insurance agents to arrive and provide coverage. Using the TurboCoverage-installed workstation, consumers fill in a brief online form to obtain quotes and purchase coverage from participating carriers. Consumers can use self-help tools and information to evaluate their insurance needs, or they can talk to a live insurance agent in a Turbo-Coverage service center.

Interlink Electronics Inc., a Camarillo, Calif.-based developer of interface technologies, plans to develop and market an electronic signature capture solution for Adobe and Acrobat electronic documents. The product, ePad SignKey, is being jointly developed by Interlink and Cyber-Sign Inc., a San Jose, Calif.-based developer of electronic signatures, e-commerce security and user authentication software. The product will capture electronic signatures using Internlink's

ePad input device and will use Cyber-Sign's Screenlock software, which uses biometric technology to analyze hand-written signatures. The ePad SignKey will capture and permanently bind an electronic signature into a PDF document.

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