Core systems

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--Workscape, Inc., a proven provider of outsourced benefits and workforce management solutions, today announced the introduction of its new nationwide partner program. Known as the Workscape Broker Alliance Program, it is available to insurance brokers and consultants that service employers with greater than 2,500 benefits-eligible employees and wish to supplement their offering with Workscape's benefits administration solution, OneForce/Benefits.

HARTFORD, Conn.-- MassMutual Financial Group today introduced Web-based enrollment for its Strategic Edge group universal and group variable universal life insurance products, making participant enrollment fast, easy and accurate.

WARREN, N.J.--The Chubb Corporation today reported that net income in the third quarter of 2004 was $364.0 million or $1.88 per share, compared to $259.8 million ($1.37 per share) in the third quarter of 2003.

LOUISVILLE, Ky.-- In response to the growing need for affordable health benefit plans for small and mid-size employers, Humana Inc. today launched SmartExpress, a family of health insurance plans designed for businesses with 2 to 299 employees that want to better control and predict health care costs while giving their employees expanded benefits and a better health plan experience.

HONG KONG-- New York Life Insurance Company announced today that Joseph Gilmour, 48, executive vice president and chief financial officer of New York Life International, the company's overseas arm with operations in nine markets, will succeed Gary G. Benanav, 58, as chief executive of New York Life International effective March 1, 2005. At that time Mr. Gilmour will become president and CEO of International, and Mr. Benanav will remain chairman until March 1, 2006.

Newark, Calif.-- Risk Management Solutions (RMS), the world's leading provider of products and services for the management of catastrophe risk, is now offering software developer tools for its RiskLink and RiskBrowser systems. The RiskTools software development kit allows companies to efficiently integrate key components of RMS products into their internal underwriting and portfolio management systems, allowing users to access RMS decision support tools via internal system interfaces.

ACORD's Board of Directors approved a motion appointing the members of the new ACORD Standards Committee (ASC). The 15-member ASC is comprised of Domain Steering Committee and Subcommittee Chairs as well as three ACORD Board directors who will be collectively responsible for leading the ACORD standards process at all levels.

Commercial property/casualty insurance premiums continued to decline significantly during the third quarter of this year, with two-thirds of all large and medium accounts experiencing drops of up to 20 percent and an additional 11 percent of large accounts seeing premiums down between 20-30 percent.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Jefferson Pilot Financial, one of the nation's leading providers of universal and variable universal life insurance and fixed annuities, recently expanded its continuing education program for insurance agents with five new courses of study.

LONDON and PRINCETON--Aon Re International has today announced that it has licensed the Pivot Point insurance transaction system from CATEX Inc. Pivot Point is a web-based system handling the full reinsurance process from business production and quoting through to IBA ledger.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) announced today that the Web site of its Technology Evaluation Center has been awarded Health Web Site Accreditation from URAC, a Washington, DC-based healthcare accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the healthcare industry. The accreditation applies to the Technology Evaluation Center Web site at bcbs.com/tec

ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer sued insurance giants Marsh & McLennan, American International Group and several others Thursday, alleging policy brokers have been taking payoffs from insurance companies to steer corporate clients their way rather than get the best prices, as they are required.

PEARL RIVER, NY--ACORD, the global leader in standards for the insurance and financial services industries, is launching an advocacy campaign that features original print and web advertising that takes a humorous look at a world without standards.

BOSTON, Oct. 14--OneBeacon Insurance, a wholly owned subsidiary of White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd., today announced that Matt Mueller has joined the company to lead its high-tech commercial insurance business.

DALLAS--Docucorp International, a leading provider of enterprise information solutions, announced today the introduction of QuickConnect, a process designed to upgrade the company's longtime Documerge customers to its rules-driven, real-time publishing solution.

SEATTLE--Safeco announced today that its aggregate pretax catastrophe losses for the third quarter are estimated at $195 million. The estimated effect on third-quarter net income is $127 million after tax, or $0.96 per diluted share. Safeco expects its total catastrophe losses to increase the company's third-quarter combined ratio by 13.9 percentage points and that, as a result, its third-quarter combined ratio will be 101.6 percent.

PEARL RIVER, NY--ACORD released a new Strategic Briefing, Impact of Technology and Data in Rating A Company's Financial Strength, that provides insight into the process used by one of the industry's leading ratings agencies when evaluating the technological capabilities of an insurer, reinsurer, or intermediary.

New Haven, CT--Metaserver, Inc., a leading provider of business process integration (BPI) solutions for the insurance industry, today announced the release of iConnect 2.0 for P&C, the latest version of its agency interface solution for Property and Casualty carriers.

Growing market share and reducing costs currently are the most important business objectives for life insurers, a new survey reveals. The study, conducted by SOLCORP, DSPA Software and Whitehill Technologies, reveals that 77% of executives polled believe that the best means to improve profitability and revenue are to increase their market shares while reducing overall expenses.

NEW YORK--MetLink, MetLife's state-of-the-art employer benefits administration portal, has received a Web Marketing Association 2004 Standard of Excellence Web Award. This annual award competition judges corporate Web sites against an overall standard of excellence related to design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, navigation and ease of use.