Twenty-four property and casualty-related companies make an appearance in the 2013 InformationWeek 500, which ranks the nation's most innovative users of business technology across multiple industries.
InformationWeek also ranks the Top 250 from its list, and eight of the P&C-related companies make an appearance there.
Chris Murphy, editor of InformationWeek, tells PC360 in an email that P&C-related companies consistently do well in the rankings. “This year we see a lot of innovation around mobile-app development to build new tools for customers and employees,” he says. “And we see creative uses of analytics software to understand the mountains of data their businesses generate and to wring more value out of that data.”
In a statement, Rob Preston, InformationWeek editor-in-chief, says, “The theme of this year's InformationWeek 500 is digital business. It's a movement, rooted in data analytics, mobile computing, social networking and other customerfocused technologies that are turning companies and industries on their ear. Every enterprise is now a digital business—or needs to become one fast. The companies in our ranking are leading the way.”
Click “next” to see the eight P&C-related companies in the Top 250, and for a list of the remaining 16 companies in the InformationWeek 500. Click here to see InformationWeek's coverage of its top 500 tech innovators.
CUNA Mutual Group
Ranking in InformationWeek's Top 250: 19
CUNA Mutual Group, through its subsidiaries, provides P&C, life and health and other financial products and services to credit unions and their members. It was the highest ranked insurance-related company in InformationWeek's Top 250 across both the P&C and life and health sectors.
While CUNA Mutual Group offers P&C products, it was its mobile annuity planning application, Retirement Radar, that earned honors for the ranking, according to the company.
The company says this is the 11th year it has been named to the InformationWeek 500 and the second time it has been ranked in the Top 20. Last year, CUNA Mutual Group ranked 75th in the Top 250.
Rick Roy, CUNA Mutual Group senior vice president and chief information officer, says in a statement, “As a company, we are very focused on developing mobile products and services that not only deliver the best customer experience for credit union members, but also strengthen market share for credit unions.” He adds, “Applications like Retirement Radar help engage members in the complex process of retirement planning.”
Esurance Insurance Services, Inc.
Ranking in InformationWeek's Top 250: 28
Esurance, acquired by Allstate in 2011, offers auto insurance and other personal-lines coverages direct and online in 39 states.
This year represents Esurance's third straight appearance in the InformationWeek 500. Last year, Esurance was ranked 186th.
An Esurance statement sent via email says, “Esurance made the InformationWeek 500 because of our continued innovation in mobile. Our aim is to provide consumers with useful online tools and technology help make the insurance process faster and easier, and this year we began rolling out new time-saving features on the Esurance mobile app that help us accomplish those goals.
“The Esurance mobile app now has a feature that does data pre-fill for vehicle VINs and prior insurance information to help customers get a personalized insurance quote faster. We also added a claims function that allows customers to upload pictures of their car damage via their smart phone and have their claim settled more easily. These are the types of leadership innovations in mobile that have helped Esurance go from 186th on the InformationWeek 500 to 28th in just one year.”
The Progressive Group of Insurance Cos.
Ranking in InformationWeek's Top 250: 29
Progressive, the fourth-largest auto-insurance group by countrywide premium according to National Association of Insurance Commissioners data, offers a variety of personal-lines coverages.
Last year, Progressive ranked 36th in InformationWeek's Top 250.
A Progressive statement sent via email credits the company's strides in usage-based insurance for its ranking this year. The statement says, “With more than 8 billion miles of driving data collected with our usage-based insurance program, Snapshot, we undertook the big data challenge of creating the infrastructure that allows all consumers, not just Progressive customers, the opportunity to test drive Snapshot, with a no-obligation trial.
“Being named to the InformationWeek 500 for the 14th consecutive year is a testament to Progressive's leadership in usage-based insurance through our collaborative culture of innovation and data analysis.”
USI Insurance Services LLC
Ranking in InformationWeek's Top 250: 100
USI is an insurance brokerage and consulting firm specializing in P&C and employee benefits products. Last year, USI was in the InformationWeek 500, but did not crack the Top 250. According to USI's website, this is the brokerage's third straight year in the InformationWeek 500.
Stewart Gibson, USI's senior vice president and chief information officer, says in a statement, “We are extremely honored to have ranked 100 in this year's InformationWeek 500 ranking. Being selected to be in the top 100 is an extraordinary testament to USI's commitment to enhancing our technological resources through innovation and investment.” He adds, “We have responded to the increasing digital demands of our clients and employees by constantly looking for ways to improve how we interact and communicate.”
Allstate Insurance Co.
Ranking in InformationWeek's Top 250: 151
Allstate is the third-largest P&C insurance group by net-premium written according to SNL Financial.
Last year, Allstate ranked 11th in the InformationWeek Top 250.
Allstate spokesman Kevin Smith says, “Making the Information Week 'Top 250 Innovators' list is about using technology to move the business forward. At Allstate, we are committed to finding innovative ways to serve our customers and our agents.”
FCCI Insurance Group
Ranking in InformationWeek's Top 250: 170
FCCI offers commercial P&C products through an independent-agency network. Last year, the company was included in the InformationWeek 500, but did not appear in the Top 250.
An FCCI statement sent via email says the company was recognized in the rankings for developing its Automation of Claims Conversion, “an initiative that transitions claims processes onto a single system with little manual intervention, thereby gaining new efficiencies and eliminating legacy systems.”
Paul Ayoub, FCCI's senior vice president and chief information officer, says in the statement, “At FCCI, we strive to use technology to solve business challenges and position our company for continued success in meeting and exceeding our customers' expectations. We do this through creating innovative solutions wherever possible, so this recognition is a great honor.”
Acuity, A Mutual Insurance Co.
Ranking in InformationWeek's Top 250: 195
Acuity is a provider of personal- and commercial-lines insurance products, and was the 65th largest P&C insurance group by net-premiums written according to the latest NU rankings.
Last year, Acuity ranked 56th in the InformationWeek Top 250, and Acuity says this is the 10th straight year it has made the InformationWeek 500.
Acuity says in a statement it was recognized this year for its ACUITY FLEX (FiLe EXchange) solution, which “allows a mobile Acuity employee to create digital content of a loss or risk, tag it with a policy or claim number, and automatically upload it to the insurer's content management system.”
Neal Ruffalo, Acuity vice president, Enterprise Technology, says in the statement, “We rely on our mobile staff to gather information, such as pictures and multimedia, during loss control surveys, claims investigations, and other processes.”
He adds, “FLEX allows us to reduce the time it takes to gather and transmit information in those processes from hours to minutes, which puts information in the hands of decision-makers faster and enhances our service to policyholders and agents.”
Lockton Inc.
Ranking in InformationWeek's top 250: 207
Lockton, a privately owned independent brokerage firm, provides insurance, employee benefits and risk-mangement services to clients around the world.
Last year, Lockton appeared in the InformationWeek 500, but did not crack the Top 250.
David Robinson, CIO at Lockton, discussed the project that earned the brokerage recognition for the rankings, stating, “Lockton operates around the world with thousands of people on the go all the time, delivering results for clients. So this 'virtual desktop' project supports our cloud strategy and our client service strategy, allowing thousands of associates access to their personal desktop and applications with any device from anywhere at any time. This Cirrus mobile desktop project has increased mobility for our people and put information into their hands wherever they are.”
P&C-related companies in the InformationWeek 500, but not listed in the Top 250:
Access Insurance Co.
AIG
Alliant Insurance Services Inc.
American Safety Insurance Holdings Ltd.
Aon PLC
The Chubb Corp.
The Cincinnati Insurance Cos.
Crawford & Co.
Employers Holdings Inc.
Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Co.
Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance
Marsh Inc.
Mercury Insurance Group
Nationwide Insurance
Stewart Information Services Corp.
Transatlantic Holdings Inc.
P&C-related companies in last year's rankings not included this year:
AAA Mid-Atlantic
New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Co.
USAA
P&C-related companies in this year's rankings not included last year:
AIG
Stewart Information Services Corp.
© Arc, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to TMSalesOperations@arc-network.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.