September 14, 2004 -MI-Assistant, a division of Fiserv FSC, Inc. announced today that independent insurance distributors in five Midwestern states are now writing auto insurance faster and more efficiently using a bridging system that connects MI Comparative rater, MI-Assistant's rating program with Safeco Insurance's Safeco Now online sales platform.

SANTA MONICA--Digital Evolution, a leading provider of Web Services Security and Management software, today announced the acquisition of Flamenco Networks, a leading provider of specialized network infrastructure to enterprises that are implementing secure, service oriented architectures. Only weeks after announcing a $15 million Series C Round of funding, the acquisition of Flamenco Networks propels Digital Evolution ahead of all other competitors in breadth and maturity of SOA product offerings and customer base.

SAN FRANCISCO--Esurance, a direct-to-consumer personal auto insurance company, announced the launch of its new service powered by eStara, Inc. eStara's Push to Talk is a fully-hosted, Voice over the Internet (VoIP) "click to call" service, the most widely-deployed service of its kind in the world. The click to call feature allows Esurance customers to click a button to speak with an Esurance insurance advisor directly from Esurance's Web site, from PC-to-phone or through phone-to-phone calls.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Humana Inc. is taking full advantage of processing efficiencies from technology investments and changing market dynamics by naming Availity LLC its primary gateway for the submission of claims and encounters. Under this national arrangement, Humana is asking all of its major clearinghouses to send submissions destined for Humana through Availity.

The Citizens and Hanover Insurance Companies have launched The Agency Place, a new, web-based agency portal that provides its network of independent agents with centralized access to all of the information and tools they need to conduct business in the most efficient and simplest manner possible. The Agency Place is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making it easier for agents to conduct business on their own schedules.

BETHLEHEM, Pa.--A new Web site, InsuranceGripe.com has been created in an effort to help consumers complain to their respective insurance departments about insurance problems. The site was created specifically to walk consumers through the process of collecting the proper information, preparing a letter and sending the letter to the appropriate address. According to Rick Weidman, President and CEO, "this site has been long overdue for insurance customers and shoppers. If you have ever had an insurance problem and attempted to contact your insurance department to complain, it can be a daunting experience.

HARTFORD, Conn.--Life insurers suffered a steep decline in gross investment returns over the last five years, led by falling interest rates, corporate defaults, and rating agency downgrades, according to a new study by Conning Research & Consulting, Inc.

ST. LOUIS--With 120-mile-per-hour winds and devastating force, Hurricane Charley ripped into the Alligator Mobile Home Park in Punta Gorda, Florida earlier in the month. If the destruction wasn't enough, just two weeks later Hurricane Frances hit Florida 's East coast with 100 mile-per-hour winds. RVs were overturned, belongings strewn for hundreds of yards, and in its wake, hundreds of RVers were left homeless and stranded, their lives threatened to come to a screeching halt.

LONGMONT, Colo.--- First MainStreet, a northern Colorado financial services organization offering banking, insurance, trust, investment and mortgage products and services, announces that First MainStreet Insurance acquired Value Quote Insurance, a Longmont-based insurance agency guiding individuals and businesses through the health insurance purchase process, and providing administrative services for employee benefit programs. Details about the transaction are undisclosed.

When it comes to e-commerce, insurers have made a lot of progress over the past several years. They've equipped their employees with browser-based policy, claims, and customer service applications. They've developed self-service features for policyholders on their Web sites. And they've rolled out real-time transactions-such as quoting, policy issuance and inquiry-to their agents and brokers.But just as the insurance industry is embracing the Internet and increasingly harnessing its ability to improve productivity and operational efficiency, malicious attacks--which can bring down corporate networks and compromise confidential company and customer information--are growing exponentially.

Mutual of Omaha Insurance Co. decided that 2004 would be the year to significantly increase its e-mail sales and marketing efforts. The e-mail program would be part of a comprehensive Internet marketing strategy that would enable the insurer to generate sales for such products as life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment, hospital indemnity and medical supplement.In the big picture, the electronic marketing effort was just a fraction of the Omaha, Neb.-based insurance and financial services giant's ambitious multimedia marketing strategy, which includes television, telemarketing and direct mail.

When politicians earlier this year were taking pot shots at offshore outsourcing, some insurance industry experts suggested that the backlash could have a "chilling" effect on potential deals, at least in the near term.However, that notion was laid to rest with the announcement in July that Zurich Financial Services had agreed to a seven-year applications sourcing contract with Computer Sciences Corp.

With a legal challenge mounting from industry trade groups, several states that were planning to conduct a multi-state study of credit-based insurance scores have suspended that effort.Instead, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) will appoint a five-member panel to work with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Federal Reserve Board on their federally mandated research into the underwriting practice.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then U.S. insurance companies are making their contribution to this well-worn axiom.North American insurers currently are pursuing global expansion at the brisk pace rivaling European insurers' foray into U.S. markets in the early 1990s, according to a recent report by Needham, Mass.-based research and advisory firm TowerGroup.

Despite all the progress that has been made in developing agent-carrier interfaces, insurance agents, particularly those who are independent, want more workflow support than they're currently receiving from the insurance companies with which they conduct business.In a survey conducted by Scituate, Mass.-based Deep Customer Connections (DCC), there's a gap between agents' expectations and carriers' performance-a gap that has widened since DCC's first survey last year. The Web-based poll was sent to more than 40,000 independent insurance agencies and brokerages nationwide.

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 News magazine at (312) 913-1366 or by electronic mail to Stephen.Dwyer thomsonmedia.com AGO Insurance Software Inc.

Fiserv Inc. has acquired Results International Systems, Inc., a provider of outsourced solutions for the property-and-casualty insurance industry.

JUPITER, Fla.--Dramatic improvements in underwriting performance by the nation's property and casualty insurers led to the first underwriting gain in nearly seven years. The industry reported a $5.5 billion net underwriting gain in the first quarter of 2004, compared to the $1.1 billion loss reported during the same period a year ago, according to Weiss Ratings, Inc., the nation's leading independent provider of ratings and analyses of financial services companies, mutual funds, and stocks.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Humana Inc. today announced the filing of applications for five patents in pharmacy and health metrics by its Innovation Center. All five of the patent applications are for Humana's use of innovative information technology applications to engage consumers in health benefits.

With boating season in full swing, Safeco has announced the launch of a new specialized claims unit dedicated to handling boaters' insurance claims.