A.M. Best Names Five Finalists for E-Fusion Insurance & Technology Award
Five online insurance-related projects have been selected as finalists for the E-Fusion Award, A.M. Best Company’s annual competition designed to recognize outstanding, resourceful uses of Internet technology by an insurance organization. Judges selected the top five projects from among 97 entries in the first round of judging. They will be presented for final judging on Monday, Sept. 29 as part of the 2003 E-Fusion Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Philadelphia.
Representatives of the insurance organizations behind the finalist projects will present in-person demonstrations and answer questions from judges during E-Fusion. Conference attendees will have an opportunity to attend the presentations.
Entrants for the E-Fusion Award include insurance companies, reinsurers, third-party technology providers working with an insurer or brokerage, or related financial services engaged in insurance.
“These are complex, highly evolved information projects that are helping insurers break new ground via the Internet and reinvent their business,” E-Fusion Conference chairman Paul Tinnirello said. Entries are judged by panels of insurance technologists from throughout the industry.
“Our first-round judges identified 27 entries that might have warranted finalist status,” Program chairman Lee McDonald said. “They spent an entire day whittling that list down to the final five.”
The five finalists include:
PersonalPlans by Marsh@WorkSolutions offers multiple product information and facilitates the enrollment activities of employer voluntary benefit plans. Marsh@WorkSolutions, a unit of Marsh Inc., is based in W. Des Moines, Iowa.
AnnuiTRAC is Integrity Life Insurance Company’s producer Web site. Integrity’s offices are in Louisville, Ky and it is a member of The Western & Southern Financial Group, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Wildnet Insurance Platform for Global Aerospace (www.pbo-online.com) is an Internet-based insurance trading and processing platform. Global Aerospace was created in 2001 through the merger of the British Aviation Insurance Group and the Associated Aviation Underwriters in the USA. It has offices in London and Short Hills, N.J.
General Fire & Casualty Co.’s Geographic Information Systems Integration Project ties the company’s Geographic Information System to its policy rating system. General Fire & Casualty is headquartered in Boise, Idaho.
Availity@Gateway by Availity, L.L.C. is an online portal serving Florida-based physicians, hospitals, clearinghouses and other health care professionals. Availity, L.L.C. is a joint venture between two health insurance competitors, Navigy, Inc. (a subsidiary of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Inc.) and Humana Inc. The project is based in Jacksonville, Fla.
A.M. Best has also recognized five honorable mention entries, including: Ceres Group (QQLink); IMT Insurance Co. (IMT Online); Royal&Sun Alliance/MedRisk Inc. (Healthport); Scottsdale Insurance Co. (Agency Information Exchange); and Valley Oak Systems (iVOS).
Final award judging and presentations will take place on Monday, Sept. 29 – the first full afternoon of A.M. Best’s E-Fusion Conference–at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Philadelphia. The recipient will be announced Tuesday, Sept. 30.
E-Fusion 2003, “Insurance-Driven Technology,” is set for Sept. 28 – 30. For information or to register, visit www.efusion2003.com. The conference is still open to registration.