Pharmacists Mutual Selects Interactive Communications Suite
Pharmacists Mutual Insurance selected Interactive Intelligence's Customer Interaction Center (CIC) as its IP communications suite. The 2009 H1N1 flu outbreak was cited as a key factor in implementing a new communications system.
"The swine flu outbreak prompted us to reevaluate our disaster recovery plans," said Barrie Parker, CTO, Pharmacists Mutual. "Providing financial peace of mind for our 46,000-plus customers is our No. 1 priority, and it became evidentthat if an outbreak was to occur within our organization, our current phone system would limit us."
According to Interactive Intelligence, CIC is designed to allow for unified messaging, multi-channel recording, and real-time monitoring and reporting. The program was purchased from Spanlink Communications, which will provide ongoing system support. Pharmacists Mutual said CIC will support several hundred employees, both on-site and at branches, and plans to have the program implemented by Q2 2010.
Integrand Adopts Karen Clark Smartphone Tech
The Puerto Rico-based insurance company INTEGRAND, licensed Karen Clark & Co.'s RiskRover, a smartphone-enabled program designed to collect onsite data on commercial property. INTEGRAND said the technology will help streamline loss control inspections.
"It is a priority to provide our underwriters and decision makers with quick access to accurate information," said Victor Salgado Jr., president and CEO, INTEGRAND. "RiskRover allows us to improve the efficiency of our loss control process by capturing data and photographs electronically in the field, and having that information quickly linked directly into our proprietary data systems."
RiskRover, a program Karen Clark said can be tailored to a company's needs, is designed to record pictures, addresses, GPS coordinates and other information on each site. The company said the information is sent to a database, and can then be translated into catastrophe models or used for company pricing, among other uses.
Grange Grabs HP Exstream for Enterprisewide Document Automation
Grange Insurance, which partners with independent agents offering auto, home, life and business insurance protection to policyholders in 13 states, is implementing HP Exstream to assist with document automation. The Columbus-based insurer will replace its current software with HP Exstream for greater efficiencies in the design, production and delivery of customer-facing documents such as claims correspondence, insurance ID cards, declarations, billing invoices, quote proposals and product contracts, HP says.
"A single solution for the enterprise aligns with an IT strategy to have 'one solution-per-key function,'" said Michael Fergang, CIO, Grange Insurance. "By selecting HP Exstream as our enterprisewide document automation solution, we will eliminate multiple-point solutions with a single platform to support all of our interactive, batch and real-time document requirements."
American General Life and Accident Selects iPipeline
iPipeline, a provider of on-demand software, announced that American General Life and Accident Insurance Co. (AGLA) is now using iPipeline's illustration software for marketing and selling their life and annuity products. The system, AGLA Passport, includes iPipeline's end-to-end needs analysis, illustrations and advanced sales capabilities.
"We are excited about the launch of the AGLA Passport System powered by iPipeline," said Terry Keiper, SVP, consumer solutions at AGLA. "We expect this integrated solution to deliver immediate selling advantages to our career agents, and help us significantly grow our independent sales channel via iPipeline's presence in distribution."
