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May 22, 2007
Microsoft Showcases New Mobile, Collaboration and Productivity Technologies
Impacting Insurance Industry at 2007 ACORD LOMA Forum
ORLANDO, Fla.,
May 22, 2007 — Insurance companies flocking to the
2007 ACORD LOMA Insurance Systems Forum in Orlando this
week are witnessing first-hand how consumer demands impact traditional
businesses as never before. During ACORD, Microsoft and its
industry partners are demonstrating how new mobility, collaboration and
productivity technologies are transforming the insurance industry for the
next generation of insurance leaders. To learn more, PressPass
spoke with Bill Hartnett, general manager for the U.S.
insurance industry at Microsoft.
PressPass: What is Microsoft announcing during
ACORD?
Hartnett: Several things. First, Microsoft is announcing its
participation in the creation of ACORD’s Insurance Capability Model.
ACORD, the leading standards body for the industry, built
its model to assist insurance companies in the alignment
of emerging business practices with legacy business systems. Microsoft
contributed its business-architecture methodology to the model, which serves
as a framework to establish an architectural foundation for
companies to build their overall business architectures and gain
competitive advantages.
We’re also announcing Progressive Insurance’s new policy management
application, which is built on Microsoft SQL Server 2005
Enterprise Edition (64-bit) and developed utilizing Microsoft Visual Studio
2005 and the Microsoft .NET Framework. This application integrates
seamlessly with existing Progressive Insurance applications and empowers its
more than 28,000 employees and 30,000 agents with streamlined
and efficient access to policy data.
Finally, and perhaps most
importantly, we're using our time at ACORD to demonstrate
some of the new technologies that are starting to
have a real impact the traditional boundaries of this
industry. Consumers are frankly demanding more interactive, real-time access
to information, and their insurance agents and carriers are
being forced to respond with better technologies and tools.
PressPass:
What kind of technologies are you demonstrating?
Hartnett: Microsoft has
a hospitality suite at the Grand Harbor Ballroom of
the Disney Yacht & Beach Club. The suite showcases
innovations in mobility, productivity and collaboration, including:
• Windows Vista
and the 2007 Microsoft Office System, a secure platform
that combines productivity and collaboration tools, as well as
enhanced security
• Windows Mobile devices, which allow consumers
to file claims remotely and agents to verify damages
in real-time, on-site
• Microsoft Virtual Earth, mapping software
that allows carriers to approximate flood plains, add location
to auto claim reporting, and more
• Xbox, a
gaming and entertainment device for agent offices that also
serves as a secure communications and collaboration platform
•
Zune, a mobile entertainment player that can also be
used to train insurance agents and other employees in
new and interactive ways
Representatives from Towers Perrin, an
actuary firm, are present in the suite to demonstrate
the company’s work with Microsoft’s Windows Cluster Server 2003
for a high-performance computing solution.
PressPass: Last year, we
heard a lot about Microsoft’s Insurance Value Chain (IVC)
program. What’s on tap for this year?
Hartnett: Microsoft has
self-running animated demos for each of the IVC scenarios
available during ACORD. These will be published on Microsoft’s
MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) Web site during the conference.
In addition, Microsoft’s MSDN Web site will go live
with:
• An article written by Dan Woodman, industry technology
strategist at Microsoft, discussing the IVC and Microsoft’s technical/architectural
agenda for the insurance industry.
• Three business solution
documents for developers and architects focusing on new business
origination for commercial auto, annuities and policy renewal for
homeowners.
• Updated content for partners and developers within
insurance.
PressPass: What Microsoft IVC partners are exhibiting at
ACORD?
Hartnett: Microsoft participates in the conference through support of
our IVC partner ecosystem. Representatives are present at partner
booths to answer questions and provide insight into the
collaborative innovations for the insurance industry. These partners include
Accenture, Duck Creek, Technologies, ImageNow by Perceptive, PDMA Inc.,
Acrosoft, Document Sciences, InsFocus Systems, RiskClick Inc., AdminServer, DSPA
Software, INSTEC, SeaPass, AMS Services, EDS / Solcorp, Insurity,
Skywire Software, AQS, Fair Isaac & Company, ISO Technology
Solutions, Strategic Insurance SW, Blue Frog Solutions, HP, Insurance
Technologies, Whitehill Technologies, Decision Research Corp., Hyland Software, Majesco
Mastek and Wipro.
PressPass: In recent months, Microsoft launched
the 2007 Office system, Windows Vista and Microsoft Exchange
Server 2007. How has that impacted insurance industry?
Hartnett:
In one of the most paper-driven industries in the
world, the new 2007 Office System greatly assists in
migrating to paperless forms workflows via XML forms embedded
in Office programs and via InfoPath. In addition, agents
and employees at insurance firms can benefit from the
features of SharePoint Server 2007, particularly in an Advisor
Platform-type implementation, to obtain a single point of truth
of customers, their policies, claims, etc. all in one
place, allowing more time to interface with customers themselves,
up-sell, cross-sell and prospect.
PressPass: Have there been changes within
the leadership of Microsoft’s insurance team?
Hartnett: Cynthia Saccocia recently
joined Microsoft as industry solution sales professional, U.S. Insurance
Solution Sales. Cindy has 22 years of experience in
the insurance industry, including industry analyst positions at TowerGroup
and Cerulli Associates, and senior positions with Putnam Investments,
SunLife Financial and Smith Barney. She is responsible for
expanding strategic relationships with insurance customers and sales of
mission-critical applications based on Microsoft’s enterprise technology platform.
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