RECORDING SOFTWAREWitness Systems Inc., a Roswell, Ga.-based global provider of workforce optimization software and services, enhanced its Impact 360 IP Recording solution, featuring tripled channel capacity, unified recording management and a centralized administration tool. Designed for interactions in enterprise and contact center environments, Impact 360 now features TDM and IP recording under a single management tool. The software operates across IP, TDM and mixed telephony networks, designed to help customers ensure all their calls are recorded, whether for compliance and liability, sales verification or quality assurance purposes. Impact 360 IP Recording allows the recording of SIP-based calls. Also new to Impact 360 IP Recording is tripled channel capacity, which results in fewer servers. The solution introduces centralized administration capabilities, which provide access to all the vital Impact 360 IP Recording configuration settings, enabling customers to centrally manage all of their Impact 360 recorders regardless of location.
PORTABLE VOICE AND VIDEO PC
The CATCHER, from Leesburg, Va.-based Catcher Inc., captures information in the form of voice-video data within one portable personal computer. The power of its processor is designed to enable the user to run complex applications such as a real time translator, perimeter monitoring, facial recognition, fingerprint identification, breathalyzers and speech to text and much more. The CATCHER enables the transmission of voice, data, video and biometric information across wireless systems, while providing location and tracking solutions. This portable PC, built around an Intel Pentium processor, is designed to be lightweight, rugged and built to withstand adverse conditions. It includes two digital cameras, biometric sensors, wireless and wired communications, Bluetooth, a GPS receiver, full-motion video and video conferencing, and a 6.4 inch sunlight-readable display.
COMMUNICATION GUIDE
To improve communication between carriers and independent agencies on interface and workflow enhancements, ACORD-User Groups Information Exchange (AUGIE) created and issued "Productive Agency Visits by Insurance Carrier Marketing Reps: A Guide to Improved Communications on Workflow & Technology." The online guidebook is designed to help principals communicate to their staff about key workflow and technology issues and to improve communications between agencies and carrier field representatives, says Mike Bergstein, who headed the working group of volunteers who developed it. It includes comprehensive checklists for carriers and agents designed to help make meetings more valuable. It includes a form the agency can fax or e-mail to the carrier before the next visit to help the carrier prepare for the meeting and create an agenda.
VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
E.V.A., which stands for electronic virtual assistant, is a hybrid tool that combines people and technology. The system from Salt Lake City-based Virtual Management Inc. enables people to call in information rather than type it in. EVA uses a technology that captures information in a wave file (or over voice mail) and is sent to each account's individual personal assistant (the client is assigned an assistant, who will be the same for every communication). The assistant types in the information and does the work for the customer. For example, an insurance agent leaves a sales appointment, calls EVA's 800 number and says, "This is Jason and I need to send an e-mail to Shelly. Her e-mail is shelly@evergreen.com. Dear Shelly, thanks for meeting with me. I will have competitive quotes over to you by morning. Best, Jason. Please add Shelly to my contact list and send me a reminder to pull numbers for Evergreen."
CUSTOMER SERVICE SUPPORT
IStream Communicator 2.2, is part of Moncton, New Brunswick-based Whitehill Technologies Inc.'s InSystems product line that is designed to help insurers get new products to market faster. It manages the product lifecycle, from initial drafting of contract language through approvals and policy issuance, and handles customer service, support and communications once a policy has been issued. IStream Communicator 2.2 enables insurers to create personalized communications with their customers and maintain account continuity. It distributes correspondence via e-mail, postage and fax, providing a searchable content repository for rapid retrieval and online viewing of customer and policy-related documents. The latest version of IStream Communicator was designed to provide integration with home-grown and third-party applications, improved clustering and load balancing for better performance, and platform support for IBM WAS 6 Express.
AGENCY MANAGEMENT
The new version of Bothell, Wash.-based AMS Services' agency management system bridges agency information, business relationships and management tools. AMS 360 v2.0, built on an advanced technology platform, features multiple product advances designed to provide agencies greater productivity, streamlined information access and tighter carrier connectivity. AMS 360 v2.0 automates everyday tasks and streamlines workflow so that agents can spend more time writing new business. Agencies can import or "drag and drop" data lists directly into the system. The system compares schedules designed to make it easy to reconcile changes and alert users to endorse policy changes.
NEW FEATURES FOR MODELING AND PLANNING SYSTEM
Wayne, Pa.-based SunGard Data Systems Inc. released a new version of PlanningStation, a financial modeling and planning solution for financial advisors. Among the new features of PlanningStation is Cash Flow Consultant module, which positions cash flows at the core of the analysis to produce lifetime plans based on criteria and assumptions provided by the advisor. The module analyzes aspects of a client's financial future, taking into account life events that affect cash flows and assets. Cash Flow Consultant is designed to give advisors control over the client's distributions and contributions, helping advisors to model asset behavior and projections to their liking. Other features include enhancements to PlanningStation's workflow for client financial plan reviews, updates to its At Retirement module and additional formatting options for client reports.
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION
Voxonic Inc.'s new software allows one language to be seamlessly translated into another languages and is designed to make communication easier, save money and internationally connect the world's business communities. Through a 10-minute sample of a voice, Voxonic's technology is designed to replicate a specific voice in any language, breaking it into "phonemes" that compose the voice. A second actor, fluent in the desired language comes in and records a lyric or speech, while mimicking the speaker's vocal patterns. The Voxonic technology aligns the two, resulting in a 99% percent level of accuracy in the original speaker's voice, according to New York-based Voxonic.
RECORD INTEGRITY
Surety, LLC, Herndon, Va., released AbsoluteProof-ISOX9, a timestamp service that's conformant with the American National Standard X9.95-2005 Trusted Time Stamp Management and Security Standard (ANSI X9.95) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 18014-3. Surety was a key contributor in the development of both of these highly recognized standards. Designed to offer long-lasting protection, AbsoluteProof-ISOX9 provides objective proof of record integrity independent of a company's people, processes and systems, and is accredited by a domestic and an international standards body.
AUTOMATE ASPECTS OF NATURAL
Software AG, Darmstadt, Germany, released Natural Engineer for Refactoring, a tool designed to automate the analysis, structuring and streamlining of applications created in Software AG's Natural development language. The product enables users to analyze, restructure and streamline existing applications so they can be more easily incorporated into new Web-based applications-often as part of Service-Oriented Architecture. This is a further step in the company's focus on providing new value to customers out of existing systems. In the future, Software AG will extend the scope of development languages that can be analyzed and restructured, and provide cost savings and reuse possibilities to a broader market.
IDENTITY THEFT CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR INSURANCE
Identity Theft 911, a Scottsdale, Ariz. provider of identity theft resolution and proactive education, offers an Identity Theft & Data Protection Continuing Education Course. The course is a three-hour accredited program led by fraud resolution experts with ten to twenty years of experience. The subject matter is focused on real-world situations that insurance professionals face when dealing with the threat or reality of identity theft-both with their clients and their own organizations. The goal of the course is three-fold: (1) to impart a keener understanding of the nature and scope of the problem; (2) to review necessary protocols and best practices to help mitigate exposure; and, (3) to identify resources that are available to effectively resolve an incident once it occurs.
COMPOSITE APPLICATION FRAMEWORK
The latest composite application frameworks from Cordys, Putten, the Netherlands and Chicago, includes the introduction of the Web Workplace, a browser-based interface designed to ease the creation of composite applications that support specific business requirements; an enhanced business process management and execution system (BPMS) that provides business people with the tools they need to graphically design, manage, execute and adapt business processes in a code-free environment; and enhancements to the Cordys business activity monitoring capability, that now provides deeper and broader levels of intelligence across the enterprise. The new release of the Cordys platform is delivered as a single product that comprises a five-tier architecture with a single point of administration, a single install, and delivers unified and open SOA-based enterprise architecture.
BI ADAPTED TO SOA
InsFocus Systems Ltd., an Israel provider of business intelligence solutions for insurance companies, released InsFocus BI, a business intelligence suite pre-configured for the content, calculations, definitions and data structures of the insurance world. The system meets the specific requirements of insurance companies and includes a variety of insurance-specific analyses, functions and reports. This latest release is adapted to a service-oriented architecture (SOA). The new version enables insurance companies to deploy InsFocus BI as a Web service on their servers. The service-oriented architecture allows other SOA-enabled software applications to retrieve analyzed information from InsFocus BI. The SOA-enabled version can provide information directly to queries generated by the insurance company's operational system. For instance, InsFocus BI can directly answer a rating system's question about a client's portfolio, or provide information to a scorecard system about an agency's profitability.
COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT ASP
TraceSecurity, a Baton Rouge, La., provider of on-demand security compliance management software, launched TraceSecurity Compliance Manager Version 3.0, a security compliance solution designed specifically for financial institutions and other high-risk industries. The ASP-based application, designed to scale to support institutions of all sizes, determines if an organization is meeting regulatory and compliance standards using TraceSecurity's patent-pending technology to analyze and assess the security program on a scheduled or real time basis. The application offers advanced reporting capabilities that allow authorized individuals to customize reports to include only the appropriate data needed to help in strategic planning. In addition, employees can access the online training and policy management solutions, which can be accessed and maintained by management personnel.
DESKTOP SURVEILLANCE
Hidden Camera 250x1 from Oleansoft, headquartered in Chicago, offers a software-based electronic surveillance system to monitor desktop activities across corporate networks. It controls both productivity and security. Features include real-time monitoring from a split-screen, filtering of archive records and remote control of monitored systems. Hidden Camera 250x1's newest version includes a two-side system for remote desktop monitoring and control. It is now possible to transmit messages to clients and also block or otherwise interfere with activities that are not work-related.
NETWORK CONTROL
Insightix, Framingham, Mass., released Insightix NAC 3.0, a real-time network access control application that functions across the entire enterprise network. It provides network coverage by discovering in real-time a comprehensive inventory of elements connected to the network and their associated properties. Insightix NAC 3.0 features a straightforward, rules-based policy engine for defining compliance checks performed against authorized elements as they attempt to connect to the network. The compliance checks on Windows-based operating systems, including verification of the service pack level, presence of operating system patches, and installation and status of anti-virus software.
ONLINE ERM RISK MATURITY MODEL
The Risk and Insurance Management Society Inc. (RIMS), headquartered in New York, announced the launch of the Risk Maturity Model for enterprise risk management. The online resource provides guidelines and best practices for developing and maintaining a comprehensive risk management program. The Risk Maturity Model provides standardized criteria by which organizations can evaluate and improve their approaches to enterprise risk management. In addition to a reference guide, the Risk Maturity Model features a real-time benchmarking exercise that enable executives to score key characteristics of their risk management programs and help them generate personalized maturity assessments, according to RIMS.
DATABASE SECURITY AND COMPLIANCE
IPLocks Inc., which is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., released IPLocks Database Security and Compliance Solution Version 6.0. Report capabilities include pre-packaged SOX report templates and a custom report engine to consolidate and extract information. Performance and usability enhancements including Audit Trail Filter and a SQL Capture Filter are designed for high-transaction environments and ease of product administration. Rule chaining enables real-time, automated decision-making for responding to suspicious activities and terminating sessions to provide stronger ties to workflow and ticketing systems. The enhanced IBM Stack adds support for WebSphere and DB2 Universal Database repository and modifications enable the solution to take advantage of DB2 performance enhancements.
PUBLIC SAFETY REPORTS MELDED WITH SOFTWARE
Metropolitan Reporting Bureau, a Philadelphia-based supplier of public safety reports, and Guidewire Software Inc., San Mateo, Calif., a software provider, have formed an alliance to improve claims processing for insurance carriers. As a result, Guidewire ClaimCenter can leverage Metropolitan Reporting Bureau's services to order public safety reports anytime in the life of a claim, the vendors say. Besides Integrating the reports with ClaimCenter, the vendors are automating report ordering, completion and tracking. They say insurers will benefit from better claims adjusting procedures, lower claims costs and improved customer service. Clients can customize "report ordering" thresholds and configure a claims adjusting environment that automatically recommends (or requires) ordering a public safety report at predetermined trigger points. Insurers had been asking Guidewire to integrate public safety reports into the software, says Priscilla Hung, company vice president, alliances.
DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT WITH THIN-CLIENT ARCHITECTURE
Docubase Systems Inc., Clearwater, Fla., has released new electronic content management software called the Docubase Information Suite. The product is a suite of software modules providing functions that cover the information management process from capture to searchable archiving (digital vault), the maker says. The product "allows organizations to unify corporate information strategy and control information assets within one repository, making it possible to streamline document handling using thin client architecture to manage documents regardless of their origin or format," says Mike Mansperger, Docubase Systems general manager. The system transforms uncontrolled information and serendipitous business processes into a form that's "consistent, coherent, cohesive and tied to line of business applications maintaining constant, replicable and auditable business operations," says Mansperger. It provides functions that include management of processes and distribution, as well as the benefits of increased productivity, optimization of client relations and preservation of legacy information, he says.
AUTOMATED INFORMATION CONTROLS MANAGE EXCEPTIONS
Naperville, Ill.-based Infogix, a provider of automated information controls, has previewed a solution designed to detect, manage and resolve exceptions. The product, called Infogix EM, generates status reports for all items in process, correction reports that list items by type, as well as activity reports that break down actions by user, says Sumit Nijhawan, group leader of product development for Infogix. Companies can annotate and attach supporting documentation to any item in the exception queue, and filter those exceptions to multiple management levels for rapid approval or rejection. With the help of Infogix EM, companies can improve the integrity of their critical business processes across the enterprise, says Nijhawan. Third parties see an advantage to the product. "As new technologies disrupt traditional business models and trigger strategic transformations, gaining control over the emerging information flows becomes a source of power within and outside the organization," says Guillermo Kopp, a vice president at TowerGroup, the Needham, Mass., research firm. "A first leadership move is to envision the desired state of information assets that will drive innovation and change through diverse business models, product and service offerings, and operational processes," says Kopp.
