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SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- InsWeb Corp. today announced results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2003. Revenues for the fourth quarter totaled $4.1 million, compared to $6.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2002. During the quarter, InsWeb recognized a gain of $6 million relating to the sale of its remaining investment in Finance All K.K., a Japanese corporation."

Docucorp International, a provider of enterprise information solutions, announced today that it signed a software licensing agreement with Liberty American Insurance Group, Inc. The company's subsidiary, Mobile Homeowners Insurance Agencies, Inc., will utilize Docucorp's suite of insurance publishing solutions to enhance the automation of its policy production process.

DxCG Inc., a provider of predictive modeling software for health care organizations, today announced a national agreement with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) to provide RiskSmart to independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies.

BRUNSWICK, Maine -- Allenbrook Inc., one of the top three providers of policy processing software and consulting services for the insurance industry, announces that New York Marine and General Insurance Company, a division of New York Marine Group, has signed a licensing agreement for Phoenix adding to a mounting list of insurance companies using Allenbrook's products. The speed-to-market Phoenix solution will provide NYMAGIC, Inc. with an integrated policy processing and

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Jefferson Pilot Corporation, parent of the Jefferson Pilot Financial companies and one of the nation's leading providers of universal and variable universal life insurance and annuities, today reported results for the fourth quarter of 2003. Jefferson Pilot earned $1.01 per share before realized investment losses in the quarter, up 35 percent from fourth-quarter 2002 earnings of $0.75 before realized investment losses. Net income per share for the fourth quarter of 2003 increased 78 percent to $0.82, including net realized investment losses of $0.19 per share, versus net income per share of $0.46 in the fourth quarter of 2002, which included net realized investment losses of $0.29.

When it comes to claims processing, insurers are being driven by the rules-business rules, that is. Using rules-based technology, insurance companies are automating routine tasks, streamlining claims workflow with consistent best practices, and automatically adjudicating low-risk claims."At this point, anybody who is not using rules-based technology is already behind the curve," says Michael Lucarini, partner in the insurance group at Bermuda-based Accenture. "There are certain processes and certain areas of low risk where insurance companies need to cut the costs out and streamline those processes. And that requires the ability to segment your claims and understand your claims experience."

If benefits administration managers across the United States appear particularly upbeat these days, it's for good reason.Their responsibility for overseeing employee benefits plans-which many managers have long viewed as a nuisance-is undergoing a significant transformation. In an ongoing process, a pipeline is being built that directly links group benefits insurers to employees in matters pertaining to the individual plan-with employers in many instances serving as intermediaries.

Just five years ago, security maintenance and administration for insurance giant Aetna Inc's more than 100 nationwide field offices was complicated, cumbersome and costly. In fact, the security "system" for the Hartford, Connecticut-based insurer and its field offices was an amalgam of multiple records for each badge technology type and required more than 30 systems integrators to support the program with-no direct interface to human resources or vendor databases."Not only was it difficult to manage all these different systems, there were frustrations in locating vendors when there were problems and getting work done at the sites as well," says Dave Gionfriddo, system design manager at Aetna.

The outsourcing option is not a new concept for insurers. Indeed, our cover story in September 1999 noted that "stagnant premium growth, industry consolidation, rapid technological change and financial service market convergence are among the key drivers forcing insurers to rethink outsourcing."Fast-forward to 2004. Although the primary market drivers are somewhat different today, the industry still is wrestling with increased competition, new regulatory requirements, the inability to differentiate products, aging IT infrastructures, and the need to reduce expenses-business issues that are directly associated with implementing new technology.

Insurance fraud is an $80-billion a year industry-and the bad news is: Organized criminals know it."The word has gotten out," says Dennis Jay, executive director of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud (CAIF), Washington, D.C. "There are huge loopholes in state legislation that have made insurance fraud at least as lucrative as drug trafficking."

In recent years, a combination of poor planning, bad execution and an inability to properly measure results have conspired to undermined customer relationship management (CRM) initiatives, casting doubt on future insurer investments in this space.Despite these missteps, a growing number of insurance companies have realized that best-practices CRM can become a reality if insurers can somehow summon up the ability to re-engineer their CRM strategies and alter their corporate focus.

The life insurance industry plans a high profile on Capitol Hill this year in an effort to focus policymakers on its agenda, which includes an optional federal charter and a broader array of retirement products.The lobbying effort will include "fly-ins" by company CEOs and other high-level executives to speak to administration officials and key members, briefings and interview opportunities, and introduction of legislation supportive of industry interests. Also to be disclosed shortly is establishment of an "insurance caucus" by members of Congress with great interest in insurance issues.

As the insurance industry continues to focus broadly on growth, cost containment and risk management, new research has identified several strategic initiatives that might provide traction to insurers as they endeavor to improve their businesses.The final segment in a series of six "2004 Perspectives" formulated by Needham, Mass.-based research and consulting firm TowerGroup examines critical business and technology issues and trends that the firm expects will impact financial services.

The Contracts Update section includes announcements of contracts insurance information technology companies have signed with customers in recent weeks. Contract news can be faxed to Insurance Networking magazine at (312) 913-1366 or by electronic mail to Stephen.Dwyer thomsonmedia.comAccenture

As a small, regional insurer, Wayne Mutual has been outsourcing its IT operations for 20 years. Formed in 1910 as a mutual protective association for local farmers, the Wooster, Ohio based carrier today provides property/casualty insurance to 30,000 policyholders in "the Buckeye state.""Wayne Mutual has never done its own IT processing," says Tim Suppes, vice president of operations at the company, which reported $16.6 million in net written premium in 2002. "We're not big enough to have an in-house staff of programmers," he says.

At the end of the 1990s, when the promise of the Internet revolution and the dot-com craze lost its luster, business analysts predicted the demise of application service providers (ASPs). However, with a new and more precise mission focus, enhanced technologies, higher returns on investment, and evolved security measures, ASPs are making a strong comeback.During the heady days of the IT boom, ASPs sprung up like weeds in a new, fertile landscape. They were conceived to provide Web-based processing software and powerful host server access to businesses so that they wouldn't have to buy their own systems and hardware.

Many property/casualty insurers struggle to comply with changes in rates and rules promulgated by insurance bureaus. Insurance Services Office Inc. (ISO), the American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS), National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), National Association of Independent Insurers (NAII) and state workers' compensation bureaus together send insurers thousands of notices each year changing loss costs, rates, rules and forms in the 50 states.Each company must interpret and code these changes-an expensive, never-ending effort. Insurers also must report policy, premium and claims data back to the same bureaus, another time-consuming task.

Feb 02, 2004-- Salmon Ltd, the IT services and consulting firm, today announced the launch of its new underwriting solution. Unlike traditional underwriting solutions, Salmon's is fully Web-based and covers all the key elements of the insurance lifecycle with an integrated solution including claims, reinsurance and management information systems (MIS).

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Travelers Property Casualty Corp. announces that it will now provide Web-based ability to create and print Ocean Cargo Certificates of Insurance to its Ocean Cargo policyholders and their agents.

NEW YORK-- Association Health Plan (AHP) legislation proposed by President Bush to level the playing field for small employers seeking health insurance may instead cause significant disruption, according to a special report published by Fitch Ratings.