WEB-BASED POLICY PROCESSINGAgent X Press, a suite of processing capabilities, is designed to enable small insurers to support their agents and MGAs with Web-based policy processing. The suite from Wyncote, Pa.-based IDP Inc. is available to new and existing clients of IDP's VISION 21 policy management system. Agent X Press' functionality includes online policy inquiry for billing and claims information; and quoting, application submission and issuance. Agents enter a customer's name or unique identification data, such as policy number. They can then obtain the status of a bill or a claim, or obtain an accurate quote, within seconds, according to IDP. Subsequent to providing a quote, Agent X Press will permit the agent to electronically submit the application to further speed the process.
PLATFORM TO ENABLE BROKER BUSINESS
Camilion Solutions Inc. designed AuthorityOnline for P&C carriers to rationalize their online systems into a single, Web-based platform from which brokers can write business, get quotes and bind policies quickly. With AuthorityOnline-powered by Camilion's ProductAuthority-product data is externalized and business users have full control over product definitions, resulting in the ability to launch new and refreshed products designed for online processing in weeks, rather than months, according to the Markham, Ont.-based company.
RETRIEVING MORE CUSTOMER DATA WITH CRM
Summer '06, the 20th generation of customer relationship management (CRM) products from San Francisco-based Salesforce.com Inc., is designed to provide companies a more complete view of each customer by integrating more customer information from sales, marketing, service, support and mobile devices. Users can choose from a number of editions: Personal, Team, Professional, Enterprise and Unlimited. In conjunction with Summer '06, Salesforce.com is also launching the Salesforce Connector for SAP R/3, to extend on-demand CRM to enterprise customer environments. It is designed to enable enterprise customers to integrate Salesforce with their back-office SAP R/3 application to gain an integrated view of all relevant customer data. Web-based Performance Management for Mid-sized P&C Companies
Atlanta-based iPartners LLC added an ad hoc reporting feature called iControl to the iPartners Insurance Scorecard. The Scorecard is a Web-based performance management system designed to help managers in mid-sized property/casualty insurance companies view and analyze data to maximize profitability. The iPartners Insurance Scorecard automatically loads data from policy and claims systems, stores that data securely and presents it graphically. It incorporates more than 40 key performance indicators, and through its dashboard feature, displays that information in more than 100 ways. The iControl module is designed to enable users to create reports by defining rows and columns, building or modifying calculations and establishing parameters and setting alarms. Users can nest multiple dimensions together to gain additional insights.
ONLINE PROPERTY CHARACTERISTICS DATABASE
MSB InterChange, an online database of property characteristics data, assists agents and underwriters creating preliminary insurance-to-value calculations, quoting, and binding homeowners coverage. The database from Marshall and Swift/Boeckh (MSB), a Los Angeles-based company, is continuously updated with data drawn from real estate, financial, insurance and remodeling activity across the United States. "Our InterChange initiative is not just to source any data, but rather to apply scoring metrics before insurance-ready building characteristic data is released," says Peter Wells, president of MSB. Because MSB works in several industries requiring details of mission-critical building cost information, it receives data from multiple sources and is able to develop reliable analytics to ensure the viability of input data, he says.
MULTI-LANGUAGE QUOTING PROGRAM
Multi-language capabilities for the iWORKS NAVIGATOR Illustrations system from SunGard Data Systems Inc., Wayne, Pa., are now available. iWORKS NAVIGATOR Illustrations, an integrated, Web-based or desktop software solution, is designed to enhance the sales process and incorporate the functionality required for life insurance and annuity illustrations and quotes. It now supports both input screens and compliant reports in English and Spanish, and agents can provide customers sales illustrations in either language.
VIRTUAL BACK OFFICE
AdminServer Inc., headquartered in Chester, Pa., introduced its Virtual Back Office (VBO), a suite of unique solution components linked by a centralized and common rules engine. The VBO suite components available through AdminServer include the AdminServer Policy Administration System, the UVServer unit value management and fund accounting.
IllustrationServer, which provides point of sale illustrations, NewBusi-nessServer for new business and underwriting and CommissionServer, which manages license and appointment and commissions.
INSURANCE-SPECIFIC BI SYSTEM
InsFocus Systems Ltd., and Israel-based business intelligence firm, has launched a new version of InsFocus BI, a business intelligence system designed for insurance companies. The new version, InsFocus 1.1, contains a modified query engine, which was redesigned using the latest development environment-Microsoft Studio 2005. The new query engine can be accessed from other programs as an Application Program Interface (API), enabling integration of InsFocus as part of a company's operating environment. It also supports advanced claims run-off analysis.
ALLIANCE FOR SOA ADOPTION
BEA Systems Inc., San Jose, Calif., and Prima Solutions, Paris, France, signed a strategic alliance agreement designed to help further accelerate the adoption of Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA) in the insurance industry. The two companies integrated Prima IBCS, Prima's insurance reference model, with the BEA WebLogic platform and are now integrating Prima's insurance object model with the BEA AquaLogic suite of SOA products. BEA AquaLogic is a cross-platform product family designed for composing, orchestrating, securing and managing SOA throughout the enterprise.
MAPINFO PROSPECTING PORTLET
Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM Corp. has selected location intelligence technology from MapInfo Corp., headquartered in Troy, N.Y., to power the new Prospecting portlet in IBM's Core Life Solution for the insurance industry. The MapInfo Prospecting portlet enables insurance agents to identify and locate target customers based on neighborhood demographic, lifestyle and consumption patterns, helping increase sales and market share. Reaching the Advanced Optimized IBM partner status last year, MapInfo solutions are available as portlets for IBM WebSphere Portal. The new Prospecting portlet was developed on the MapInfo Envinsa location intelligence platform, which is built on an open, ACORD XML standards-based architecture designed for seamless integration into existing IT environments and business applications.
INSUREWORX TEAMS WITH PATNI
InsureWorx, an insurance software provider headquartered in Oakland, Calif., selected India-based Patni Computer Systems to provide resources and services for quality assurance (QA) testing, software maintenance, and implementation services for the InsureWorx's PowerSuite solution. The relationship enables InsureWorx's IT and professional services staff to leverage a broader set of quality and cost-efficient resources for development and client support.
DIALOGUE INTEGRATES WITH SAP
Exstream Software Inc.'s Dialogue 5.0 enterprise document personalization software has achieved certification from SAP AG for integration with the SAP NetWeaver platform. Through the "Certified for SAP NetWeaver" status, achieved using the SAPscript interface, customers can seamlessly integrate SAP NetWeaver with Dialogue. The SAP NetWeaver platform is the technology foundation that powers mySAP business applications and SAP xApps composite applications, as well as Dialogue and other solutions, including custom-built applications.
DATA DEDUPLICATION TECHNOLOGY
New York-based ChoiceMaker Technologies Inc. developed a data deduplication and record matching solution for insurance clients that uses machine learning technology as an alternative to traditional, rule-based solutions. ChoiceMaker's patented artificial intelligence technology is designed to achieve the highest levels of accuracy by learning from examples to imitate human choices. The solution can enable insurers to reduce double payments, merge legacy data without duplicating records, and increase customer satisfaction by providing a single customer view, the company claims.
HOME INSPECTION TOOL
Myriad Development Inc., based in Austin, Texas, added standard edition reports to its risk manager system, a Web-based workflow and management tool that automates the home inspection process. The standard edition reports module is an executive dashboard-style reporting suite for viewing a variety information-from multiple vendor comparisons to drilling into individual inspection reports. The suite is designed to provide underwriting reports that show work volume, timeliness, on-hand work and quality of work for both staff and vendors. The workflow scorecard and the vendor scorecard are now available. Details about additional scorecards, the business performance management scorecard and the data analysis scorecard will be released soon.
MEDICAL EDI STATE REPORTING SERVICE
Jopari Solutions Inc., based in Concord, Calif., is offering Medical EDI State reporting on behalf of claim payers using Jopari's medical bill and payment automation services. The new services are available in workers' compensation jurisdictions implementing mandatory medical bill payment reporting. California commences mandatory medical bill payment EDI State reporting on September 22, while Texas will require EDI reporting of prior processed medical bills on or before September 1. EDI medical bill payment reporting is at the planning stage in 10 additional states.
Offered in conjunction with Jopari's electronic bill presentment and payment services, the new service provides claim payers a streamlined solution that incorporates IAIABC standardized data sets and EDI transaction specifications matching broad jurisdictional reporting requirements.
