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A new Web site marketplace offers insurers and brokers a chance to market their voluntary benefits packages to employers and their employees.

Cambridge, Mass. — Is business rules technology finally hitting its stride? That's the question posed by Forrester Research Inc., a Cambridge, Mass.-based research firm, which says business rules are now a key enabling technology for dynamic business applications.

Charlotte, N.C. — Patrick Vaughn recently joined LMC Capital LLC, an investment banking firm focused exclusively on the insurance industry, as managing director, and will lead LMC’s M&A practice for insurance technology and services companies.

The Foundation for Health Coverage Education captured, on a single Web site database, government-sponsored programs to help consumers in need of health coverage. This may be just in time, as California is set to vote on a mandatory health insurance bill.

Pearl River, N.Y. — John Leonard, The MEMIC Group's president and CEO, has been designated the 2008 chairman of ACORD's Board of Directors. This is Leonard's second time chairing the ACORD Board, having previously served in 2001. The announcement was made by ACORD's President and CEO Gregory Maciag.

Despite barriers such as cost, electronic health records are slowly but surely becoming a technological cornerstone of the health insurance

Redwood Shores, Calif. — Oracle Corp. and San Jose, Calif.-based BEA Systems Inc. entered into a definitive agreement under which Oracle will acquire all outstanding shares of BEA for $19.375 per share in cash. The offer is valued at approximately $8.5 billion, or $7.2 billion net of BEA's cash on hand of $1.3 billion. "We expect this deal to be accretive to Oracle's earnings by at least 1-2 cents on a non-GAAP basis in its first full year after closing," says Oracle president and CFO Safra Catz.

New York — MetLife announced the appointments of Ruth Fattori as executive VP and chief administrative officer, and Maria Morris as executive VP and head of technology and operations. Both Fattori and Morris will join MetLife’s executive group, and report directly to C. Robert Henrikson, chairman of the board, president and CEO. The appointments are effective January 14, 2008.

Los Angeles — Farmers Group Inc. announced Kevin Kelso, EVP, was named vice chairman of the board for the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), the property loss reduction trade association of the property/casualty insurance industry. Kelso also was named chair of the executive committee for IBHS.

Cleveland — In the ever-increasing competitive personal lines car insurance market, it appears that Progressive is serious about obtaining “home field advantage.” The story begins with some unlikely neighbors: In March of 1937, Steve O’Neill was managing the Cleveland Indians, the team was at Spring Training in New Orleans and preparing for another season at League Park at Lexington and East 66th Street in Cleveland. At the same time, just a few blocks away on Euclid Avenue, two young Clevelanders, Jack Lewis and Joe Green, were starting a car insurance company known as Progressive.

Meeting business demands with technology requires knowledge from both sides of the house, a clear understanding of how to execute on well-developed strategies, and a certain amount of finesse. Such was the overarching theme communicated by three distinct-yet-seasoned technology executives at the Celent U.S. CIO/CTO Roundtable, held January 10 in New York.

Novato, Calif. — Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. is making good on a long-standing promise to offer customer-focused claims service by creating a Claims Service Pledge, the company reports.

Springfield, Mass. — MassMutual Financial Group is featured in "America's Greatest Brands," a large-format book that annually recognizes the strongest and most trusted brand icons.

New York — AIG Executive Liability, a division of the property/casualty insurance subsidiaries of American International Group Inc. (AIG), announced AIG e-Discovery Solutions, a program of e-discovery-related products and services to help all of AIG Executive Liability’s clients, including the division’s directors and officers and errors and omissions insureds, more effectively manage the e-discovery process. AIG e-Discovery Solutions is a claims service offered by AIG Executive Liability to their clients.

Blythewood, S.C. — CSC plans to add 300 jobs in Blythewood, S.C. The Columbia area was selected from more than 225 cities to be the first CSC World Sourcing Service Center in North America due to the prestigious Blythewood facility, an attractive business environment, and the availability of well-trained IT resources in the community, according to the company.

Waltham, Mass. — Ipanema Technologies, a France-based provider of application traffic management systems for wide area networks, was recognized in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 for France and the Fast 500 for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa).

Chicago — Tri-City Brokerage, a division of Crump Insurance Services Inc., a Dallas-based insurance wholesaler, announced an expansion of their binding authority group, Tri-City Binding Authorities. The new financial services binding authority provides D&O, E&O, EPLI, Crime and Fiduciary coverage for numerous classes. Target industries include community associations, nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies, miscellaneous service providers, property managers and technology service companies.

Hopkinton, Mass. and Carlsbad, Calif., - EMC Corp., a Hopkinton, Mass.-based information infrastructure solutions provider, and Carlsbad, Calif.-based Document Sciences Corp. signed a definitive agreement whereby EMC will acquire publicly-held Document Sciences in a cash transaction valued at approximately $85,000,000. Document Sciences is a provider of document output management (DOM) software that facilitates highly personalized, multi-channel communications to customers, partners and suppliers. The acquisition complements and extends EMC's position in the transactional content management marketplace, the fastest-growing segment of enterprise content management, according to the company.

Edison, N.J. - Sudhakar Ram, the chairman, managing director and group CEO of Mumbai-based Mastek, the parent company of Edison, N.J.-based MajescoMastek, has been honored as the 2007 CNBC Asia "India Business Leader of the Year."

Washington – A new study claims that the property/casualty insurance industry continued in 2007 to systematically overcharge consumers and reduce the value of home and automobile insurance policies, leading to profits, reserves and surplus that are at or near record levels. Not surprisingly, the study drew a sharp rebuke from members of the insurance industry.