CANAL SELECTS TRUMBULL FOR SUBROGATION MGT.Canal Insurance Co., Greenville, S.C., entered an agreement with Trumbull Services, Windsor, Conn., to use Trumbull's Subrooutsource, an internally developed, advanced system designed to enhance subrogation recovery activities for all lines of business nationwide. Trumbull, in conjunction with an experienced subrogation team, will manage the entire subrogation process, leveraging the system's abilities to increase recoveries through effective resource allocation, automated workflows and a continuous improvement model.
MGA TO USE POLICYWARE
Managing general agency and surplus lines wholesaler U.S. Risk Insurance Group Inc. is deploying Frisco, Texas-based Skywire Software's Policyware, a Web-based agency management system. The system is designed to standardize business processes and increase productivity. The company will deploy the software at its Dallas headquarters and nine branch offices throughout the United States.
FARM MUTUAL SEEKING ASSISTANCE IN FINAL PHASE OF CONSULTING PROJECT
Farm Mutual Reinsurance Plan Inc. (FMRP), Cambridge, Ontario, has engaged Magic Software Enterprises Inc. a Laguna Hills, Calif., provider of integration services, to provide assistance in the third phase of a consulting project for a custom reinsurance system that spans business processes across all of FMRP's reinsurance operations. The $2.5 million deal includes eDeveloper and iBOLT services integration of Oracle J.D. Edwards World software on the IBM System i (formerly iSeries) platform. Magic will finalize implementation specifications, develop applications, perform testing, and implement the production version. The fully integrated system, which will provide an on-demand approach to FMRP's business processes, is expected to go into live production in 2007.
HEALTHMARKETS SELECTS PRODUCER LIFECYCLE MGT.
HealthMarkets' Agency Marketing Group, through its subsidiary insurance companies MEGA Life and Health Insurance, Mid-West National Life Insurance Co. of Tennessee and Chesapeake Life Insurance, will use a producer lifecycle management system from Sircon Corp., Okemos, Mich., to speed agent on-boarding capabilities and automate its entire agent activation and maintenance processes. Sircon's software-as-a-service model opens up direct online access between insurance carriers, recruiting locations, agents and state regulators to process electronic appointments, terminations, license applications, renewals and other services over the Web. Utilizing Sircon's services, HealthMarkets' Agency Marketing Group, North Richland Hills, Texas, expects to streamline agent activation workflow, reduce the time required for agents to become productive and improve the management of agent information.
SAMMONS TO USE CSC'S CUSTOMER SERVICE SYSTEM
Sammons Financial Group (SFG), which includes Midland National Life Insurance, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Chicago-based North American Company for Life and Health Insurance; Sammons Annuity Group; and Sammons Securities Co., selected Customer Service Accelerator software from Computer Sciences Corp. (CSC), El Segundo, Calif. The system, which includes a call center component, internal rules engine, business process management, and integrated workflow and electronic imaging capabilities, provides a single Web-enabled interface for customer service transactions. Sammons will use the software to consolidate back-office insurance administration systems without disrupting business units and customer service processes, CSC reports.
FORTIS DEPLOYS XML FIREWALL
UK-based Fortis Insurance Netherlands deployed an enterprisewide licence of Vordel Ltd.'s XML gateway, VordelSecure. Ireland-based Vordel is providing the secure framework for the rollout of products and services online to Fortis' 8,000-strong network of independent insurance vendors. Fortis Netherlands has pursued a strategy of IT infrastructure virtualization to align with its corporate strategy of delivering life, pension and healthcare insurance, as well as mortgage and savings products.
SUNCORP EXTENDS RATING SOFTWARE LICENSE
Suncorp Metway Insurance Ltd., which is based in Australia, chose Sales & Service Suite from FJA-US, a New York-based subsidiary of FJA AG. Suncorp is also extending the use of FJA's Product Machine. This implementation is designed to facilitate the modeling, development and distribution of the company's personal lines insurance products. Suncorp first licensed the Product Machine to improve rating sophistication for personal lines. After reaching a level of rating performance, Suncorp chose to extend the Product Machine's capabilities to incorporate the business, marketing and segmentation rules and distribution via the Internet. A soft launch of the new Internet "facility" proved the Product Machine capable of handling the expected number of hits and quotes, and a significant percentage of fulfillments are now being completed by Suncorp's call centers.
THE PHOENIX COS. TO USE MCCAMISH BPO
Atlanta-based McCamish Systems, LLC will provide 409A technical support and plan administration to The Phoenix Companies Inc., a Hartford, Conn., provider of life insurance, annuities and investments services, the companies report. Phoenix will use three McCamish platforms to pursue this market. McCamish's BPO services will provide plan administration and record-keeping services.
AMICA SEEKS ASSISTANCE WITH FRAUD PREVENTION
Amica Mutual Insurance Co., Lincoln, R.I., agreed to a partnership with Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Identity Theft 911 LLC, a provider of identity fraud education and resolution services. Amica is providing its policyholders with access to proactive education and one-on-one assistance from a fraud resolution expert. Identity Theft 911's resolution experts lead victims through the resolution process one-on-one until their identity is fully restored. A few highlights of this service, available to Amica Insurance policyholders who become victimized, include ongoing fraud monitoring; direct assistance with filing a police report and creating a fraud victim affidavit; and systematic notification to credit bureaus, creditors and collectors, government agencies and relevant parties.
INSURER AUTOMATES ACCOUNTING PROCESSES
Sweden-based provider of property and casualty insurance If P&C Insurance, agreed to implement Infogix Insight and ACR/Detail product lines from Naperville, Ill.-based Infogix Inc. The company will automate information controls within its accounting information and payment processes in all Nordic countries. Infogix Insight provides a real-time aggregated view of Infogix's automated information controls. In addition, Infogix's ACR/Detail solutions automatically reconciles line-item information and balances top-level information. "If P&C Insurance needed a solution that could function in several technical environments," says Johan Dahlgren, head of corporate accounting at If P&C Insurance. "Infogix helped us put together an end-to-end solution that met our technical requirements, and it will continue to work with us during implementation and thereafter to make sure that we obtain maximum benefits from the solution."
INSURER IMPLEMENTS FULL LINE OF SOFTWARE TESTING
In an effort to ensure a more cost effective, streamlined and thorough internal software testing process, Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Co., will implement a full line of complete server-side and browser-based testing solutions, including TestBench, TestDrive, TestSmart and TestPlan, all from The Original Software Group, based in Chicago. These automated tools will help the company balance business risk against the cost associated with time and resources required for the major software migration. Brotherhood Mutual also needs to abide by regulatory guidelines for their IT systems. Proof of well-tested software is required under the CobIT objectives IT framework of the U.S.-based Sarbanes-Oxley regulatory act.
AIG GAINS VISIBILITY TO ENTERPRISEWIDE TRAFFIC
AIG Technologies Inc., based in Livingston, N.J., will use ReporterAnalyzer network traffic analysis product and services from NetQoS Inc., headquartered in Austin, Texas. ReporterAnalyzer is designed to handle the volume of flow data of large networks, providing real-time visibility into enterprisewide network traffic and one year's access to detailed data. ReporterAnalyzer captures a rich set of traffic statistics from Cisco IOS NetFlow or other IPFIX-enabled routers and switches to identify which applications and users are consuming bandwidth, and when.
AUSTRALIA INSURER SELECTS HR SOFTWARE
Insurance Australia Group Ltd. (IAG) deployed Saba Enterprise Performance Suite from San Francisco-based Saba Software Inc., to align employee goals and performance with corporate strategy. The Saba solution enables the Australia-based insurer to provide well-defined career progression paths by creating individual goals and tracking and managing employee performance, all within the context of corporate objectives. Having streamlined its performance plans, IAG is able to more efficiently carry out its people strategy. The company is able to engage people on a personal level with face-to-face performance reviews. That allows IAG to retain and develop key talent.
