UPGRADES

Seagull announces enhancements to Web-to-host products
Adds advanced security, deployment options, and integration

Seagull (www.seagull.com) has made new features available in its Web-to-host solutions for legacy applications, WinJaT (for mainframes) and J WalkT (for iSeries systems). The new releases include enhancements to the products development and deployment environments, expanded server support, XML-based architecture, and integration with Seagulls host application integration solution, TransidiomT.

With the new release, WinJa and J Walk clients can call XML objects that have been built with Seagulls Transidiom Web services solution. This can be used to enable multitasking within a single application (the company cites an example of a Transidiom object checking or retrieving a customer address while a call center is booking a reservation) or across multiple mainframe or iSeries applications. It can also invoke post-processes based on a users actions.

Both WinJaT and J WalkT support 128-bit SSL in all clients and servers. The Seagull server runs on Windows NT/2000, AIX, HP-UX, and Sun Solaris systems, as well as mainframes and iSeries hosts. Upgrades are free to all Seagull maintenance subscriber customers.

Pencel releases Kinectivity 2.0
Now offers custom controls and access to XML data sources

Pencel Corporation (www.pencel.com) released version 2.0 of its Kinectivity development environment, adding a mobile computing architecture for application developers looking to build custom mobile computing solutions.

Kinectivity boasts what the company calls a single visual environment for database coding, forms development, and application deployment. In keeping with the times, it now includes an XML server interface to exchange data with a wider variety of data sources.

Other features in Kinectivity 2.0 are designed to give developers greater control of the look-and-feel of their applications, such as custom forms and menus, top and bottom bars, and actions associated with pull-down menus. It also offers Quick Actions such as Load Form, Synchronize and Keyboard Pop-up, to give designers fast access to common functions.

The Kinectivity platform consists of a synchronization engine and a distributed data engine that connects mobile devices directly to back-end data source, and includes the Kinectivity Studio application tool.

The initial objective for Kinectivity was to provide a single environment to define and deploy sophisticated mobile applications that integrate with enterprise data systems, said Chris Maloney, Pencels president and CEO.

REPORT

Meridien: CRM Spending Flattens

Meridien Research (www.meridien- research.com) released its annual report predicting spending on CRM technology over the next five years. It calls its predictions unsettling for all participants in the industry.

In the report, CRM Spending Update: Hitting the Wall or Taking a Time-Out?, the company predicts significant market consolidation and a flattening of financial institutions spending through 2003. And, faced with new analytical tools and applications, financial services companies, the company said, will struggle to master the complexity of channel integration as they deal with the expenses of the data warehouse infrastructure needed to support those tools.

And spending will also remain flat in 2002, Meridien says, because of a lack of ROI from existing CRM investments.

But there is some good news, at least for companies that have implemented some sort of CRM solution successfully: They will carefully seize upon the market confusion to quietly strengthen their arsenal of capabilities, often at bargain terms, according to Tom Richards, Meridiens research director for CRM.

Meridiens estimates are based on information from 55,000 institutions, and cover external IT spending for hardware, software, and related development, consulting, and implementation services for all financial industry segments.

POLICY ADMIN

AdminServer adds life processing
Enhancement to work with annuity system

AdminServer.com (at www.adminserver.com, obviously) added life processing to its policy/contract administration system, complementing the annuity capabilities announced last year. The new system supports universal and joint life policies, including 7702, loans, and lapse/reinstatement.

The company claims that AdminServer now offers the insurance industry complete annuity and life processingfrom illustrations to policy administration to payout. Or, as company COO Bob Hamill put it, cradle to grave processing on a single platform.

AdminServer products are based on Microsofts .NET platform and use Internet browsers for access. They are available as an ASP or through standard software license agreement.

DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT

Comfidex delivers FormFiler 1.1
Company claims it lowers cost of processing forms that require signatures.

According to Comfidex (www.comfidex.com), each year, U.S. and international businesses spend between $30 billion and $40 billion handling and processing forms that require an ink signature. To help organizationsspecifically insurance carriersmove some of those transactions online, Comfidex now offers FormFiler 1.1. The company says it can handle any electronic form that requires an ink signature for business, legal, regulatory or compliance reasons.

FormFiler uses Internet-based forms to capture customer data, which is then submitted to the companys Web server, which creates a PDF form that is sent back to the end users PC. The end user then prints, signs, and sends the formby fax, snail mail, or by scanning and e-mailing it. By including a unique identifier with each form, usually a bar code, the back-end system can then process the form and complete the transaction quickly upon receipt. The company claims that FormFiler can save U.S. businesses 40 to 50 cents of direct labor costs per form.

Through an agreement with Confidex, Unisys is reselling FormFiler through its e-Workflow and Imaging division.

CLAIMS

Stop them before they upgrade again!
Bridium releases version 4 of Claims3

Bridium has unveiled version 4.0 of Claims3 (pronounced Claims Cube; www.claimscube.com), which automates tasks involved in processing an insurance claim. The latest version adds full functionality to its workers compensation and property liability modules, allowing Bridium to call Claims3 an all-lines claims processing solution.

New in version 4.0 of Claims3, besides the workers comp and property liability modules, are the ability to track reserve changes throughout the life of the claim; more powerful search tools and reports; a reserve worksheet; integrated index bureau, medical management, and return-to-work tools; integration with Scene Access.net, and other features.

You might remember that the company changed its name from Cyber-ASP last June, and released version 3.0 of Claims3 in September.

CONFERENCES

Insana to keynote LOMA
CNBC anchor joins Schwab CEO, business-book author

Ron Insana, co-anchor of CNBCs Business Center and an economic expert on Americas New War, will keynote the 2002 LOMA Systems Forum (www.loma.org), taking place April 7-10, at the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, Fla., the organization announced.

Other speakers include Paul Bates, president and CEO of Charles Schwab Canada; and Marcus Buckingham, author of First, Break All the Rules and Now, Discover Your Strengths.

NEW PRODUCTS

Siebel ships 20 Siebel 7 Industry Applications
And yes, theres an enhanced insurance product among them

Siebel Systems (www.siebel.com) announced that it has shipped 20 new and enhanced industry-specific e-business applications that leverage the breadth and depth of the Siebel 7 platform, and enable comprehensive out-of-the-box functionality that minimizes the need for customization and development.

Each Siebel 7 Industry Application (note the capital letters) consists of a suite of applications for customer and employee relationship management (CRM and ERM). Siebel adds industry-specific functions as well as analytics and appropriate business processes.

Included among those 20 new solutionsand the reason youre reading about it hereare enhancements to the companys insurance products.

All Siebels Industry Applications sport what the company calls a zero-footprint Web architecture, which it claims offers the same kind of user experience and interactivity found in desktop applications. The Industry Applications now ship with Siebel Analytics 7, which includes prepackaged (and configurable) reports for sales, marketing, service, partner management, and executive users.

Siebel says that all its Industry Applications will work with other applications within an organization, including homegrown legacy systems, industry-specific niche applications, and external applications for collaborating with partner systems.

MassMutual introduces application and admin system for employee insurance
Designed for producers to offer supplemental disability income insurance

MassMutual launched e-Worksite Solutions, an Internet-based interactive worksite marketing system for HR and employee benefits administrators. It allows users to provide electronic applications and administration tools for employee supplemental disability income insurance needs. According to the company, e-Worksite Solutions streamlines tracking of supplemental disability income insurance sales for agents and brokers and is designed to extend the reach of MassMutuals supplemental disability income insurance and allow producers to reach a wider audience within an organization.

MassMutual has developed two Web sites to act as information resources and points of entry: www.halfapaycheck.com for employers and www.halfmyincome.com for employees.

RATING

Priority Data releases batch rating tool
Allows carriers to compare auto rates

Priority Data Systems (www.priority -data.com) released PriorityRate NVision Auto, its new tool that allows subscribing companies to compare their auto coverage rates against the competitions.

According to the company, NVision offers variant-based statistical analysis of either imported or manually entered rating data by testing the effect of territory, age, gender, marital status, vehicle type, or any other rating factor. Behind the scenes, NVision uses Prioritys comparative rating system, PriorityRate.

PriorityRate NVision Auto provides an output summary analysis based on all coverage types. Subscribing companies can compare themselves to all companies in the system or against an individual credit or non-credit competitor. NVision also offers a credit conversion table for companies utilizing credit, and optional upgrades, including HomeOwners Batch Rating and a rate modifier (it allows subscribing companies to modify rate tables to perform What If? analyses).

Update Your Address Book

Policy Master has rebranded itself
as Sirius Financial Systems
(www.sirius-inc.com).

INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS

Gaspar heads ACORD board; Norman is chair elect

ACORDs board of directors confirmed Carl L. Gaspar as its new chair and Marilyn Norman as chair elect, according to the standards organization.

Gaspar, of Gaspar-Jones & Associates, has 30 years of industry experience, serving as an underwriting manager with SafeCo until 1975. He is also a founding member and former president of the National Users of Agena Systems, past chair of the National PIA Business & Technology Committee, and current chair of the Industry Affairs Committee for the AMS Users Group.

Norman is senior vice president of distribution management for Zurich U.S., and previously served as chair of the ACORD Planning Committee.

HIPAA

OpenNetwork develops HIPAA transaction security solution
Helps companies using BizTalk Accelerator with compliance
OpenNetwork Technologies (www.opennetwork.com), has developed DirectorySmart TransactionShield (DSTS) to provide enhanced transaction security for Microsoft BizTalk Accelerator for HIPAA, which enables healthcare organizations to comply with HIPAA transaction requirements by translating electronic data transactions into HIPAA compliant codes.

According to the company, DSTS will allow these organizations to securely manage access to all BizTalk-based HIPAA transactions. This will help these companies comply with the HIPAA transaction management requirements, which come into effect in October.

E-BUSINESS

eHealth Systems to license eHealthInsurance Technology
Solutions to major health insurance companies

EHealthInsurance announced the formation of a new initiative and operating unit, eHealthSystems, which will market eHealthInsurances technology to health insurance carriers and brokers nationwide as an alternative to their own electronic-commerce projects. (According to the company, carriers are predicted to spend more than $1 billion building online solutions in the next two years.)

It is a natural extension of our core business to license portions of our technology to health insurance companies that want to build online solutions featuring only their plans, said company CEO Gary Lauer.

EHealthInsurance products offer online processing, an integrated Internet-based CRM system, and EDI to carriers legacy IT systems.

Selective redesigns Web site
Carrier adds features, ease of use

The Selective Insurance Group revamped its Web site to better reflect Selectives business focus, and to be more user-friendly for agencies, customers, investors, and the media.

New features include an agent locater, online claim filing and bill paying, agency software updates, and financial results and other company information.

Check out the new site at www.selective.com.

Special Reports /

Technology and insurance news and information

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