Tech Decisions April 2010
Cover Story
The Sinister Side of Social Networking
My daughter wants her own Facebook page. Desperately. All her friends are on there, and they're tweeting, too, so I am told.
Features
-
Direct vs. Agent Channel: Insurers Face a House Divided
For some it's a battle, for others it's a complement. The direction of personal lines insurance is a source of continuing debate as insurers define and hone their channel strategies between agent-based sales and direct to the consumer.
-
Project Management: Some Assembly Required
Just as a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, achieving the best resolution to business problems often begins with identifying the right software solution and the vendor that can provide that product.
Columns Editor's Note
-
How the Web Was Won
The cowboys of the Old West lived by such homespun advice as, "Don't squat with your spurs on." Hard to argue with that one.
Columns Inside Track
-
Tipping Point for Transformation in Insurance
Insurance companies are finding themselves faced with increased pressures due to new regulatory requirements, more-demanding customers, and the competitive imperative to innovate and launch new products.
Columns Trends & Tech
-
Keep Your Technology Tools Simple
I was at home one day ranting about the iPad around the time it was newly announced--pointing out the obvious to my captive audience.
Columns Stats Watch
-
IT's Turn to Dive In
A look at the IT outsourcing landscape for insurers, which recently was released by Novarica, shows midsize carriers turn to external partners for more expensive project-based work and have yet to adopt the philosophy of a blended sourcing strategy.
Departments Industry Intelligence
-
Nationwide Center Keeps Development Jobs In-house
Many companies find themselves caught in a vicious circle. They need specialized capabilities in building new applications but don't have the available talent in-house to develop those systems.
Departments Business Solutions
-
Not Your Average Insurer
MutualAid eXchange Insurance Company (MAX) is a reciprocal insurer owned by its members--and safely can be described as unlike any others.
Departments Top Tech
-
New Infrastructure Improves Value for Insurer
ULLICO Inc.'s IT infrastructure today looks much different than it did when CIO Jim Tierney joined the company four years ago.
News
-
RAVE Awards: Methodology
The ACE Rankings are based on an online survey of senior technology and operational executives at either five or 10 (Standard or Gold Rankings) clients that have direct experience with the vendor product and organization.
-
What Does It Take to Be a RAVE Winner?
Although the insurance industry has a long history of building its own technology solutions, the pendulum has been firmly paused on the "buy" side of the "buy vs. build" spectrum for the last few years across most core application areas.
-
Category: Back Office
Offering an intuitive and easy-to-install financial accounting solution is paying dividends for StoneRiver in terms of customer praise.
-
Category: Agency Management System Connectivity
Deep experience in the insurance industry helped NxTech founders, Thad Bauer and Bill Tedrick, develop a suite of connectivity products that has earned rave reviews from customers.
-
Category: P&C Agent Portal
In business for only a decade, AgencyPort is earning high praise from customers and attracting top-tier insurers to its easy-to-use portal solution.
-
Category: Illustrations
As a global software and technology company, SunGard knows how important it is to align its products to address specific customer needs.
-
Category: P&C PAS
When it comes to its relationships with clients, Ebix views itself as more of a business partner than as a developer of on-demand and transactional systems.
-
Category: P&C Claims
When Accenture first developed its claims software solution more than 10 years ago, it did so with one key feature in mind: flexibility.
-
Category: Document Management
Client input is key to the success of the DocFinity solutions from Optimal Imaging Technology, Inc., according to Jim Thumma, vice president of sales and marketing at the company.
-
Category: Other
PilotFish Technology uses its own integration products before putting them on the market, which helps the company ensure it delivers what it promises, according to Neil Schappert, president and CEO of the company.
