Insurers competing for boomer business will need business and technology platforms flexible enough to accommodate different boomer market segments, new types of transactions, new federal and state regulations and competition from multiple fronts.

Newark, Calif. — Risk Management Solutions Inc. (RMS), a provider of products

Novato, Calif. – Michael LaRocco was recently named president and CEO of Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co., a $6 billion property/casualty insurance firm based in Novato, Calif.

Because the invoice is an opportunity to renew contact with a policyholder and demonstrate excellence in customer service, new attention is being paid to the technology behind the opportunity.

San Jose, Calif. — ISCS Inc., a Web-based policy administration solutions provider, opened a new office in Missoula, Mont. in January 2008.

Lexington, Ky. — Kelley Sloane, VP of worldwide marketing for Exstream Software LLC, was honored as one of the OutputLinks Women of Distinction Class of 2008. OutputLinks, a Houston-based information and research resource of the high-volume transaction output (HVTO), industry sponsored the award. Established in 2002, the Women of Distinction award honors the contributions and achievements of the women who help to shape the HVTO industry. Sloane will be recognized along with six other recipients at a luncheon being held during the AIIM/ON DEMAND conferences in Boston, March 3-6, 2008.

Armonk, N.Y. – Touting its energy efficiency, IBM Corp. has unveiled its System z10 mainframe. The Armonk, N.Y.-based company says the z10 was designed to increase data center efficiency by significantly improving performance and reducing power consumption, cooling costs and floor space requirements.

St. Louis — Wells Fargo Insurance Services Inc., a Chicago-based, bank-owned insurance brokerage, and a subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Co., acquired St. Louis-based Insurance Brokers of America (IBA).

NATIONWIDE FINANCIAL ADVANCES TIME TO MARKET

STUDY GAUGES BACK OFFICE EFFICIENCY

IVANS GIVES PROVIDERS HIGH-SPEED CLAIMS PROCESSING

Carriers are taking steps to modernize their claims processing systems and better integrate technologies with existing systems.

A recent survey of actuaries focused on business intelligence strategies for actuaries coping with new challenges surrounding financial reporting, planning, forecasting and risk management.

Despite its ability to change the face of a company's IT infrastructure, the best approach to SOA implementation is incremental.

Instead of adding hardware to solve a file transfer problem, the AEGON chose a diagnostic software solution.

Mashup applications, which enable divergent data sources, business processes and applications to be combined and streamlined, are on the rise and poised to change the insurance IT landscape.

Washington — The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) warned of potentially higher insurance rates for Connecticut consumers if the state adopts a ban on the use of credit-based insurance scoring to underwrite motor vehicle insurance premiums. The Legislature is considering a measure to forbid the use of credit ratings among auto insurers.

Cleveland — Cleveland Clinic is collaborating with Google to pilot features and services of a new health offering. The recently announced Google Health electronic system, not yet publicly available, will assist providers by helping patients gain control of their medical records, which stands to benefit health insurers. Customers will have access their own health records online, enabling them to schedule appointments and refill prescriptions as well as interact with multiple physicians and health care service providers on their own—reducing reliance on an insurers’ customer service departments.

Hartford, Conn. – The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) is urging Connecticut lawmakers to reject legislation (SB 288) that would prevent consumers from learning about the full range of their auto body repair options, increase repair costs and, ultimately, force motorists to pay higher premiums.

After years of insurers pushing ePrescribing adoption, recent survey results show physicians may be more amenable to the idea.