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    Technology in Insurance

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    Technology in Insurance

    y Introduction

    y Components of Total Underwriting System

    y Application of IT

    y IT & Life Insurance

    y Technology & Cyber Insurance in India

    y Impact of Technology on Insurers

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    INTRODUCTION

    The developments in IT are the working wonders in all the fields of activity.

    It has become possible to send & receive information almost

    instantaneously. If circulars do not reach the agent on time or doubts are not

    cleared quickly, or the agent does not have detail of new plan announced in

    the press, the agent may face awkward situation with the prospects. These

    problems ca be totally avoided with use of IT. Insures traditionally have

    been quick to adopt latest advanced in technology. This is happening in the

    areas of IT as well. The extent of IT application will vary between insures.

    The information technology has always played a very important role in the

    operation of every life insurance company. In fact, of all the business

    organization in the service sector, the life insurance companies were the

    organization in the service sector, the life insurance companies were the first

    to adopt Mechanization as an inalienable part of their operations all over

    the world. This becomes necessary because of the two important reasons

    namely-

    1. The nature of services to be rendered to the policyholders.2. The need to evaluate the liability under the policies in vogue the time

    of valuation.

    EVALUTION OF POLICY BOND

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    The first service rendered by a life insurance company to the

    policyholder is the issue of policy bond. In the olden days, every policy

    was Narrative type. All the policy documents & conditions applicable

    had to be typed out separately. But the number of policy sold was

    limited; it was possible to continue that method of preparation of policy

    bond. Hence, the life insurance companies switched over to Scheduled

    type of the policy documents. Here, the form of the policy bond was

    standardized & as most of the conditions & privileges were similar, pre-

    printed stationary was prepared. The only work left was to fill up the

    details of each individual policy, viz., policy number , plan & period of

    assurance , sum assured , mode of payment of premiums, instalment

    premiums , date of last payment of premium, date of maturity of the

    policy , age & whether admitted or not, name & address of the

    policyholder , name of nominee, etc. IN order to complete the schedule

    of the policy bond with these particulars, addressograph machines were

    introduced. Policy particulars were embossed on zinc or aluminium

    plates & these plates were used to print the particulars in the schedule

    part of the pre-printed policy bonds. These plates were then used to print

    advanced premium & default notices, premium receipts with counterfoils

    intimation sent to the policyholder. The companies also had Unit

    Record Machines, otherwise called Power Samas Machines which

    were operated using punch cards. These were parallel records in which

    the policy particulars were punched in the prescribed fields. There were

    two types of cards namely-

    1. Premium master cards

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    Premiums master cards were utilized to account for the premiums

    received & then for generating lists of lapsed policies.

    2. Valuation CardsValuation Cards were prepared to be utilized for the valuation of

    liabilities under the policies. There was one-on-one correspondence

    between the adrema plates & premium master cards.

    With the advent of the micro processors, the addressograph

    machines along with the adrema plates & the unit record machines

    along with the premium master cards became redundant & went out of

    use. Both were replaced by a new kind of record called Policy Master

    for each policy, integrating both adrema plate & premium master card.

    A part from the ease with which servicing of the policies could be

    rendered through micro processor operations, the speed with which the

    same can be undertaken. The speed was necessary because of the

    tremendous increase in the volume of the new business & much larger

    increase in the number of service operations.

    For Example

    LIC of India has about 13crore of policies. Assuming that about 20% of

    these are under salary savings scheme, i.e. about 2.4crore, & another 20%

    in paid-up condition, there remain approximately 8crore policies under

    which premiums are received by yearly, half-yearly or quarterly. Usually,

    50% are under quarterly, about 20% under yearly & 30% under half-

    yearly mode of payment, i.e. Rs.1.6crore under yearly, Rs.2.4crore under

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    requirements such as medical examinations, inspection reports &

    laboratory test results. Some can even do discrepancy processing (i.e.

    comparison of the decision based on the information on the application &

    information from other sources, noting & dealing with the discrepancies

    such as unadmitted histories).

    Fourth Generation: Knowledge based Decision Assistance Tools

    This is relatively a new system which provides underwriters

    with the knowledge-based systems to underwrite complex impairments &

    to help them to manage their administrative workload. They have been

    designed to enhance the risk selection process. Their use by the

    underwriters can help them to manage the mortality expenses by applying

    consistency to the underwriting process.

    Fifth Generation: Total Underwriting Systems

    The fifth generation of underwriting systems encompasses &

    surpasses the previous systems. They integrate all the components

    discussed above into a single system; they also include a management

    information system for the entire process. This is the essence of the

    underwriter work, which, as discussed above, would be integrated into

    the entire administrative flow for its greatest impact.

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    Components of a Total Underwriting System

    A total underwriting system needs to address the entire decision

    making process of underwriting, which starts at the time an application is

    completed & does not end until a policy is issued. The system needs

    multiple components for each of the essential functions.

    Initial Data Entry

    This is where information from the application is entered into

    the system depending upon the specifications of the company & its field

    force; data may be entered from an agents laptop computer, at a regional

    marketing office or at the home office. Information from the agents

    report, requirements ordered in the field & MIB (Medical Information

    Bureau) information could also be entered for processing.

    Screening

    The second component is screening. This involves taking

    applications & sorting them into two groups: clean ones & those in need

    of further processing. This is fairly simple. Screening checks that

    applications need no further requirements, have all medical & non-

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    medical questions answered properly, are within certain age & amount

    limits, & have acceptable finances & an appropriate beneficiary.

    Approved cases are sent directly to the administration system.

    Initial Underwriting

    A pplications that are not approved by screening flow into the

    next component are called initial underwriting. This series of

    knowledge-based systems defines underwriting problems & determines

    why the case required further processing. It checks for age & amount

    requirements & examines the financial, non-medical & medical aspects

    of the case, as well as the interaction among the. It decides if there is

    sufficient information to deal with the problems, it has defined.

    For Example

    If a proposed insured to a minor illness two years ago, the system will

    allow the case to pass through for most ages & amounts, unless the

    provider of the service was unusual. However, if there is a history of

    angina, the system will not try to approve the case but will refer it to an

    underwriter. Prior to its referral, the system determines requirements,

    identifies the appropriate underwriting guidelines. In this way the initial

    underwriting deals with cases not needing an underwriters attention &

    pre-processors those it cannot approve.

    Requirement Processing

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    Since underwriting is an iterative process with information

    from many sources being reviewed at different times, a total underwriting

    system permits information (from requirements such as the medical

    examination, blood pressure, etc.) to be entered into system directly from

    the provider or by home personnel. Processing requirements are similar

    to initial underwriting, except that discrepancy processing is done by

    comparing the details of the information from the application with those

    received later. In this way, data from different sources is compared to

    uncover new problems. If there is significant history or physical finding

    on the examination that was not admitted on the application, it is noted &

    the appropriate work-up is ordered. If no problems are discovered cases

    can be automatically approved without consulting an underwriter.

    Workflow Tools

    Underwriters need certain tools to process their cases

    administratively. A total underwriting system provides these. They

    include front-end tools, back-end tools & status functions. The front-end

    workflow tools keep track of cases, their requirements & underwriting

    problems. The in-tray function accesses cases electronically assigned to

    the underwriter. Rather than getting a stack of files, the underwriter now

    deals with an electronic stack of case. For each case there are detailed

    underwriting problems & their actions. Other tools allow the underwriter

    to manipulate, track & change the underwriting problems & requirements

    of a case. There is also an electronic notepad for the underwriter which

    can be integrated with an electronic mail system for field communication.

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    The back-end workflow tools assist in the final administrative details of a

    case: forms to be signed, post-issue requirements preparation, reporting

    of MIB codes & the process of requesting reinsurance.

    The status lets non-underwriters to review the selected case

    information. An agents status reveals the data from the application, as

    well as the requirements & whether they have been received.

    Information Display

    The information display component gives online access to

    underwriting guidelines with several types of automated searches to

    improve the access of information. It also makes available other

    underwriting references, such as medical dictionaries & drug references.

    Impairment Knowledge-based Systems

    The next component is the impairment underwriting

    knowledge-based systems. These programs deal with impairments such

    as high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, respiratory disorders, aviation &

    coronary heart disease. Their logic is patterned after the knowledge &

    thought processes of expert MDs & underwriters. Information is

    requested from the record & a rating is suggested. If underwriters choose,

    these will guide them through the detailed decisions needed to underwrite

    impaired cases.

    Management Reporting

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    This component generates administrative & other reports on the

    decisions made within the system. Reports can be created by the

    management from the database of information.

    Benefits

    Underwriting systems have many benefits. For underwriters

    they limit the number of cases that need to be received, because the

    system is able to process them without intervention. In this way the

    technology improves the work of underwriting by eliminating

    unnecessary routine cases. Several companies have developed

    knowledge-based systems for this purpose & have been very pleased with

    results. As an underwriting officer stated This gives the underwriter to

    deal with more complex & time-consuming cases which was one of the

    reasons for installing the system. Furthermore, initial underwriting

    knowledge-based systems decrease the number of times a case needs to

    be reviewed by an underwriter, because requirements are ordered &

    processed by the system prior to the underwriter seeing the case.

    For the producer, service is greatly improved. This is possible

    because some applications can be approved by the system almost

    immediately, without having to be seen by an underwriter. One company

    that has integrated this type of system with its field offices is able to

    electronically approve some applications in less than 15 minutes. Also,

    the sales process can be helped by determining all requirements (both

    those required for age & amount & those necessary for a specific cause)

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    immediately so that producers do not have to contact an applicant a

    second or third time for additional information.

    Knowledge-based systems can improve underwriter

    productivity in other ways with workflow management tools. Although

    these systems do not do any underwriting themselves, they do manage

    the paperwork in the ordering & keeping track of requirements. Such

    tools decrease the clerical work of underwriters & improve the workflow

    in underwriting departments by eliminating unnecessary paperwork.

    A part from reducing underwriters work, knowledge-based

    systems can provide decision-assistance tools in the risk classification

    process. Impairment underwriting knowledge-based system is

    sophisticated decision-support tools. They assist in the determination of

    ratings by promoting the user for information & correlating that

    information with underwriting guidelines & the programmed thought

    processes of expert underwriters. They serve as an excellent training tool

    for the junior underwriting & assist experienced underwriters in very

    complex cases.

    In addition to helping in the actual underwriting decision

    making, knowledge-based systems can assist the underwriting manager

    with the overall underwriting process. Once information has been entered

    into the knowledge-based system, it becomes available for management

    reporting & decision making. This allows underwriting managers to

    follow the screening of cases by the system, as well as the ordering of

    requirements & the rating of impairments. These decisions can be tracked

    according to agent, agency or underwriter so that underwriters can

    interact better with the producers with whom they work; underwriting

    managers can also more effectively manage the underwriters who report

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    to them. Previously unavailable management information tools are made

    readily available, as is information on specific underwriting decision

    making.

    Application of IT

    As awareness of quality began growing among policyholders in

    India also, LIC of India had to think of many applications of information

    technology was undertaken on a huge scale. All the 2050 branch offices,

    which are servicing centres, were equipped with computer systems.

    Training of employees also was organised on a large scale. Several

    software packages for different servicing operations were introduced. A

    cash module was introduced, operating which, the cashier, while sitting

    at his desk, is enabled to print & issue official receipts on the spot to the

    policy holders when they tender money towards premiums, the entire

    operation takes a few minutes. A new business module was introduced

    which enabled even underwriting operations to be computerized. It

    brought a complete integration of all activities connected with the

    processing of policy documents. Similarly, loans & surrender value

    module, policy revival module, claims module were also introduced.

    Now a revival quotation, a policy quotation, or a maturity claim

    intimation letters are generated on the computer. All these gave

    tremendous boost to the efficiency in rendering service to the policy

    holders.

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    Up gradation of technology also helped in another direction.

    Several reports, which could be used as MIS, get generated for use by

    managers at all levels. This helps management to review performance

    against prescribed indices & to take appropriate corrective actions where

    necessary.

    To bring out revolutionary changes in communication to

    policyholders, several steps were taken. Inter-Voice Response Systems

    have been introduced which help policyholders ascertain several types of

    information about their policies like policy status, premium position, loan

    amount, maturity/next survival benefit due, accumulation of bonus, etc.

    over telephone lines in the language of his choice. The policyholder can

    also get the information on fax. MAN is installed in several cities, which

    enables policyholders to pay their premiums or get their status reports,

    revival/loan/surrender quotations in any of the branch offices convenient

    to them in the cities. Now, many of the cities with MAN are connected

    by WAN which enables policyholders to pay premiums any where in the

    country. E-mail connections have been established in many of the offices

    & internet connections have been given to all divisional offices, all

    departments in all zonal offices & central office. A website

    (www.licindia.com) was setup to give information on internet about the

    organization, products & services. The web-page has been made

    interactive with features like On-line Premium Calculation, On-line

    Bonus Calculation, On-line Forms, etc. The site also includes a feature

    on Frequently Asked Questions by Non-Residents Indians. The page

    Contact Us provides all e-mail addresses of the office to aid

    communication. Information is available on the website in Hindi also.

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    The corporation has also setup interactive touch screen based multimedia

    kiosks in prime locations in the metros & major cities for dissemination

    of information on the products & services. The corporation has plans to

    redesign these kiosks to provide policy details & accept premium

    payments. All these applications have definitely brought a great amount

    of satisfaction of policyholders. The steps taken by LIC of India during

    the past 5 to 6 years are an indication of the important role that

    information technology can play in ensuring a very high quality in the

    servicing operations of a life insurance company. Several private life

    insurance companies also are utilizing the latest technology available

    including creating their own websites. A few private websites like Bima

    online also have been established.

    Technology is the most important tool in another very

    important area of a life insurers functions. It is valuation. The process by

    which the values of various policies of insurance existing at a point of

    time are obtained is called valuation of liabilities of an insurer was

    small, policy values used to be calculated for individual policies. But

    when the number of policies runs into several lakh or crore, as at present,

    it is extremely inconvenient to calculate the value of each contract

    separately. Methods have, therefore, been advised to collect data for each

    plan insurance in a form suitable for valuation in groups having some

    common characteristic like age, duration or term to run to maturity & the

    like. Grouping is done only if there is sufficient number of policies to

    make of a reasonable size. For a sufficient large life insurance

    organization, this work is possible only through application of

    technology. It is a legal requirement today in our country for a life

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    insurance company to conduct an actuarial valuation every year. This

    adds to the importance of IT applications.

    With the increasing complexity of products both life insurance

    & pension entering the market, the field force, especially the agents need

    a large support from the company represent. While discussing life

    insurance program with potential customers, agents need sophisticated

    information including benefits, comparisons, needs & matching

    products, rates & impact on the customers budget, return, etc. like in

    Japan, life insurance companies in India may also supply Palm-Tops to

    their sales force. This will be possible only through extension of the

    concepts of information technology.

    Market research is another area where information technology

    has a great role to play. Today, the customer has become the centre

    around the entire market revolves. The world is fast moving towards

    market driven economy. Organizations, which were merely based on

    sales concept, are eagerly aiming to convert themselves into marketing

    organizations. Life insurance companies which primarily deal with the

    financial needs of the people cannot ignore these realities. The life

    insurance market has become very dynamic. The needs, aspirations,

    attitudes, buying behaviour, standards & quality of life are changing. The

    perception of what constitutes standard of life is also undergoing a

    metamorphosis. Different types of products are the need of the hour. The

    demand is more for flexible rather than packaged products especially

    in the services market. To certain its share & to improve it, there is no

    alternative for any life insurance company than to have a continuous

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    market research. The company should know the demographic changes

    taking place in the society. They should know what is selling & where.

    They should know the pace of sales on day to day basis. They should not

    only know the emerging customer profile but also the size of the market.

    All these need a scientific market survey & research either done in-house

    or outsourced. A typical market survey report is appended which shows

    the enormity of the job. Without the support of technology, this will be

    an impossible task for the company.

    IT & Life Insurance

    Technology is remaking the insurance industry as companies of

    all sizes discover new ways to use web-based services to expand their

    reach & profitability. Adaptations range from online requests for a phone

    call from an agent to quote on car insurance, online agency franchises,

    and risk management for $100-million plus in the Netherlands. Even that

    list only scratches the surface.

    Forrester research estimates that at least $11 billion of the

    annual auto insurance market is expected to be researched or purchased

    online by 2007. That amount is 9% of the market, & thats just for

    personal auto insurance. The insurance industry is the perfect example of

    a good fit for technology, but insurers should avoid simply using

    technology.

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    For technologys sake technology has enabled the companies to

    save customers time & has made doing business more convenient &

    efficient. The agent is a key part of the operation, particularly in handling

    large estates, pension plans, & key-person insurance. The companies are

    trying to make the agents job easier & more efficient by taking the

    administrative duties to the internet, so the agents can devote more of

    their time & energy to selling. The companies aspire to embody the best

    skills of the (physical) agent through an internet resource to research &

    purchase insurance online. The companies also enable the customers to

    take their own decisions. If an agent doesnt add value, the internet will

    eliminate that role. So, traditional insurance agents will have to

    concentrate on the value they add. Web-based format reduces the amount

    of redundant data entry, automates the generating of reports & allows

    electronic exchange of the information. But with projects of a large size,

    the information can get quite complex. In the latest scenario, many

    people will research insurance online but not buy it, he predicted. Most of

    the people want a person to deal with, but were finding that a growing

    number of customers are more open to buying online than we might have

    expected.

    Technology & Cyber Insurance in India

    The opening of the insurance industry in India would boost

    competition, facilitate technology transfer & lead to new products, better

    customer service, deeper & wider insurance coverage & many more

    opportunities for employment. As new private sector entrants enter into

    India, opportunities in the insurance industry, which is gaining

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    prominence the world over, is the development of technology & cyber-

    insurance strategies. Cyberspace is a risky place. Companies conducting

    business over the internet are exposed to a variety of new, unpredictable

    & serious exposures such as servers crashing, computer viruses,

    destruction of data, e-mails disappearing & attack from hackers for which

    there are few precedents in terms of risk management & even less actual

    insurance coverage.

    Cyberspace presents unique challenges to risk managers for

    several reasons, the foremost being that there is no standard risk profile.

    The wide variety of internet-related businesses, such as ISPs, content

    aggregators, certification authorities, online merchants & software

    developers, all contribute to the difficulty of developing a single risk

    profile. Enacting appropriate insurance policies for ensuring cover for

    security issues & intellectual property rights issues is vital.

    For safe business transaction, what is needed is a secure legal

    environment & while legislation in India is providing this environment

    with the enacting of laws dealing with the internet, insurance companies

    in India should provide comprehensive protection policies for a business

    against web-related risks, such as hackers &viruses, credits card &

    employee fraud, business interruption losses action. Essentially, the

    policy can fill the gaps in coverage that have opened up between standard

    insurance policies due to the fact that the way business is done has

    changed. Intellectual property infringements: content providers who

    use content of others without permission can trigger these risks. Errors

    & omission liability: these risks are typically triggered by the

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    programmers, web hosts & web-designers who, through negligible in

    their work cause injury/ damage to a third party. Personal injury &

    advertising liability:As e-commerce grows, these risks can be triggered

    by worldwide web sites, & trade publishers who publish illegal content

    which may be constructed as libel. Directors liability: Directors &

    officers often face the risk of litigation due to number of factors, such as

    consumer protection laws, securities related laws & certain provisions in

    corporate laws that place additional responsibilities on directors.

    Employee liability: These risks would arise from the breach of

    confidentiality & rights of privacy arising out of confidential client

    information stored on a particular system or website. In addition,

    employees can initiate sexual harassment charges from an employee due

    to disturbing e-mail content. Legal fees: Fees incurred for litigation

    arising out of various claims, such as intellectual property. Many

    businesses on the internet mistakenly think their internet-related

    exposures are covered by their existing policies.

    Impact ofTechnology on Insures

    Any new adoption needs time to get acquainted with the users

    until they gain enough confidence & knowledge in that system. Recent

    studies reveal that consumers lack passion for insurance because of its

    complexity, but despite these push backs, a growing number of insurers

    are intrigued by the significant cost savings & customer-retention

    benefits to be gained through online self-service. Although carriers think

    that by encouraging insurers to do transactions by online services which

    would reduce operational costs vastly, they are very cynical of investing

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    in web technology with the dot-com collapse. The trick lies in educating

    insurers about the concept & benefits of e-services in this sector. Driving

    client to initial online self-services experience into something more

    interactive by call services that would involve human interaction will

    certainly have a greater impact. This balanced approach is how most

    insurers are enabling online self-service that not only make sense for

    policyholders, but also provides support for intermediaries & agents. The

    main challenge for any health companys website would be bringing all

    sections of people to view their site.

    They should show some positive incentives to bring customers

    to their websites. Online services have own advantages like accessibility

    of information 24/7, visualization of information, providing interactive

    plan finder tools, adding useful links to the website, live chat

    technologies etc. An online activity helps to give necessary knowledge to

    consumers, which is very positive, because it implies that when people

    learn more they establish a deeper relationship & a broader dialogue with

    the carrier. Agents & brokers also enjoy the efficiencies that come with

    writing new business & servicing their customers on websites. About

    55% to 60% of customers take booklets electronically. In order to enable

    efficient online self-service functions, companies typically have to update

    their legacy systems.

    Despite the current limits to online self-services, as the internet

    continues to gain acceptance, customers probably will become more open

    for using it as a conduit for insurance services.

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    Technology in Insurance

    y Introductiony Detection V/s Reviewy Approaches to Detectiony Neural network technologyy Technical Challengesy Internet & Intranet & its benefits to Agents & Policyholdersy KIOSKy Macromedia Technology for the Insurance industryy New wave of technology offers the insurance industry healthier

    future

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    Introduction

    Losses due to insurance fraud and abuse affect every business

    and every risk manager. The stakes are high: according to the Insurance

    Information Institute, 10% of claims payments are fraudulent, resulting in

    $24 billion dollars in losses each year. Workers compensation claims

    alone are responsible for about $5 billion in losses each year.

    Unfortunately, most of this fraud is never detected, or it is discovered

    after claims are paid when recovery of these lost dollars is both expensive

    to do and unlikely to happen. Insurance fraud detection has taken a giant

    step forward with the introduction of the same sophisticated technology

    already used by most banks and credit card companies to stop fraud,

    saving companies in these sectors billion of dollars each year and

    reducing fraud by as much as 50%. However, as with any new

    technology, considerable confusion exists as to which types of systems

    are effective for which purposes. Focusing on claimant fraud in

    insurance, this paper will identify types of technology utilized in fraud

    detection, their scope and limitations, to help risk managers choose

    appropriate technology for their needs. Fraud Detection and Technology

    In reality, no one technology delivers a complete solution for fraud

    detection. A complete solution is the result of the intelligent combination

    of several technologies, most of which are not particularly effective if

    used alone.

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    The challenge of addressing the fraud and abuse problem and

    the different technologies that can be used for this purpose can perhaps

    best be understood through a framework of detection and review.

    While detection is the process of identifying and prioritizing suspects

    from the available data. Review entails confirmation of

    fraudulent/abusive activity and the process of taking corrective actions

    such as blocking of payments, recoupment of paid dollars and

    prosecution. The variety of technologies that can be employed can

    perhaps be best understood by assessing their contribution in improving

    either or both of these two processes. To date, the primary emphasis has

    been on the review side, with a focus on technique for surveillance,

    investigation, and prosecution. Many technological tools, such as those

    for ad-hoc querying or viewing of activity, have been designed to aid in

    the review of potentially fraudulent claims. However, the challenging

    task of detection-effectively identifying suspects in the first place-has

    received less attention and currently offers the greatest opportunity for

    benefit if addressed in a comprehensive fashion.

    Detection versus Review

    The mission is to find insurance fraud and abuse; once we do

    that, we can take a variety of actions to recover payments already made

    and prevent future inappropriate payments. Our starting point is the

    mountain of historical transaction data (i.e., claim master-file

    information, payment transaction, medical/payment detail, policy

    information, etc.). Detection identifying suspects is the first step, and

    is complicated by a host of technical challenges. Review is the second

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    step, and requires giving human experts the information they need to

    confirm fraud and abuse. Detection is a statistical game with the global of

    improving the odds of finding the target. The process is analogous to

    fishing for a rare fish in the ocean. Without the right tools, we are left to

    fish the endless sea of legitimate claims for our rare fraudulent catch. Not

    surprisingly, a tremendous amount of time and effort can be spent to

    identify a single case of fraud.

    The job of a detection system is to filter the entire ocean and

    scoop out a small pond containing a significant fraction of the total fraud

    so that the ratio of fraud to non-fraud is much more in favour than it was

    in the ocean. Fishing in a well-stocked pond translates into substantial

    savings because we can use the system to focus expensive human

    expertise on reviewing those claims that are most likely to pay off (in

    settlements, averted future fraud and abuse or successful prosecution).

    We stop wasting effort reviewing false leads, and we prioritize effort to

    inspect the most important cases first.

    The effectiveness of a detection system can be quantified using

    the following two metrics:

    Detection-rate (the percentage of total fraud isolated in the pool of

    suspects) and false-positive-rate (the ratio of legitimate to fraudulent

    entities in pool of suspects).

    Review

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    The review process gathers the evidence that human experts

    need to confirm fraud and abuse. Because of the complexity of detecting

    provider fraud and abuse, no system can be 100% accurate in selecting

    fraudulent claims. Once the detection system has generated a pool of

    suspects, expert claims adjusters or fraud investigators are needed to

    review suspects, conducts the appropriate investigation and bring the case

    to closure. The experts may use technology to help them navigate

    through, visualize or analyze the detailed data behind a case. Detection

    can be likened to the front end of the fraud-fighting process, while

    review is analogous to the back end. Many tools offered to assist in the

    fight against fraud and abuse, such as those allowing for the reviewing of

    and ad-hoc querying of claims databases are useful for the review

    process. Other technologies, such as those involving link-analysis

    (looking at the activity of individuals coming in contact with a particular

    individual), are also most useful after a suspect has been identified.

    While these techniques can be important, for example, investigating rings

    to which given suspect may belong, the question remains: Where does

    the suspect initially come from? Furthermore, the reality is that most

    fraud and abuse is opportunistic and does not involve elaborate rings. A

    detection system is necessary to uncover suspicious activity in the first

    place.

    Most approaches to detection employ a manual process

    dependent on human intervention a claims adjuster spotting unusual

    activity in a claim or a whistle-blower (eg., a co-worker or disgruntled

    ex-spouse) calling a 1-800 fraud line. In some cases, simple red-flag rules

    are used to assist in the identification of potentially abusive activity or

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    simple statistical tools that profile peer groups and use standard

    deviations to identify outliers. These are good first steps, but there is

    much room for improvement. There is great potential for insurance

    organizations to identify more fraud and abusive and identify it closer to

    its onset. Because detection has received far less attention than review,

    this paper will focus on the application of technology to the detection

    problem.

    Detection Review

    Finds suspicious behaviour Finds out what is suspiciousIdentifies the suspects Identifies suspicious information

    Pools the suspects Compiles the evidence

    Rank orders suspects by level of

    suspicion

    Provides an action plan based on the

    evidence

    Provides reasons for the suspicion Confirms the suspects

    Approaches to Detection

    Two fundamental approaches to detection are rule-based and

    model-based. The nature of fraud and a comparison of these two

    approaches can be better understood by using the analogy of the amoeba.

    Using Rules to Detect Fraud and Abuse

    Rules (or red-flags) are often developed to identify suspect

    claims. For example, neck injuries are more likely to be fraudulent than

    head injuries. Hence, a rule may identify neck injury claims as suspect.

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    However, even though neck claims have a higher risk of fraud than head

    claims, it is still the case that far more neck claims are valid than are

    fraudulent, so the rule may be refined to further restrict the claims

    identified as suspect (e.g., an employee on the job for less than one year).

    In terms of the amoeba analogy, the boundaries of the regions defined by

    rules (shown as squares in the diagram below) are very simple compared

    to the boundaries of the amoeba. Usually, a rule has some overlap with

    the amoeba but also has some area outside the amoeba. A tremendous

    number of rules are required to cover the amoeba and fill its multi-

    dimensional space.

    In actually, rules-based systems are most beneficial to find

    evidence, not detect suspicious claims. This means rule-based technology

    is effective as a tool for review, but not effective enough for pure

    detection to summarize rule-based technology.

    Pros Cons

    Used in decision support systems to

    identify claims that depart from

    normal behaviour in predictable

    ways

    Rigid ifthen statements (if the

    rule is lenient, it detects few

    suspicious claims; if strict, it

    identifies too many false-positives)

    Increases adjuster efficiency by

    making some decisions automatically

    Time-consuming and expensive to

    maintain and evolve

    Improves consistency applies the

    same rules to all incoming claims

    Detects fraud and abuse narrowly

    Good initial results when rules On an on-going basis, detection rates

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    applied to a pool of claims gathered

    over a period of time

    typically diminish rapidly

    Neural Network Technology

    Within supervised or unsupervised models, a variety of

    technologies are available. Amongst the most powerful are neural

    networks. Humans cannot simultaneously consider more than a handfullarge amount of data to identity those patterns- comprised of interactions

    involving multiple variables- most indicative of fraud. In a supervised

    model setting, a neural net model can consider hundred of variables in

    developing a score through a learning process of looking at known

    historical example of good and bad pattern of behaviour in an

    unsupervised setting, a neural network can characterize complex

    behaviour pattern to identify those claim that are most similar to each, as

    well as claims that are most unusual.

    Traditional statistical method (for example, regression) can, in

    theory, produce models that are just as accurate as those produced using

    neural network technology. However, because such methods rely upon

    human experts (typically statisticians) to explicitly determine the

    complex predictive power of a neural network model. Furthermore,

    maintenance of traditional statistical models is costly.

    Technical challenges

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    The task of insurance fraud and abuse detection is accompanied

    by a host of technical challenges. An effective solution to the problem

    requires a comprehensive approach, enabled by a variety of technologies

    that addresses these technical challenges head-on. Some of these design

    issues include:

    y On-going reassessment of fraud riskBecause fraud may not exist at the time the claim is

    submitted, or because evidence of abuse may not yet be

    apparent, a system must reassess each claim over and over onan on-going basis.

    y Understanding raw dataThe starting point the raw mounting of data. A through

    understanding of this data requires careful analysis and

    domain expertise. Furthermore, regardless of what

    technologies are employed, careful engineering is requires

    addressing issues of data being messy, missing or non-

    standardized.

    y Behaviour from ongoing transaction dataCharacterizing claim activity involves the summarization of

    all transactional data (e.g., payments or medical service

    details). This summarization must not lose key aspects of

    activity.

    y Complex pattern in data

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    Identifying which claims are most suspicious requires a

    comprehensive analysis of many different features

    characterizing the claim and its activity. A detection system

    must be able recognised those patterns of behaviour most

    indicative of fraud.

    y Limited examples of confirmed fraudulent claimsIn many cases, only a small number of known examples of

    fraud may exist in the historical data. One must be to handle

    such situation when developing the detection system.

    y Prioritization of suspectsIn order to match work levels to staffing constraints, which

    may be different customers and may vary over time, a

    detection system must allow for prioritization of suspects.

    Scoring models provide a rank-ordering of all suspects so that

    attention can be focused on those deemed most suspicious.

    y Effective use of detection resultsIn order to effectively use the detection systems explanations

    for what makes a claim look suspicious should be provided,

    strategies for effective workflow assignment should be

    determined ( e.g., match resources with suspects that are most

    beneficial to review ) and tools to review the results should be

    available (these may already exists).

    y System maintenance

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    The system performance must not deteriorate due to changing

    patterns of activity over time. Because neural network models

    are built from data and automatically learn complex patterns

    within the data, they can be efficiently redeveloped. Indeed, as

    more examples of abuse become known, model performance

    can be expected to improve over time. The complexity of

    integrating these technologies into a single product is

    immense, but so is the benefit. These features make such an

    integrated product a truly powerful tool in the fraud detection

    process and also help to integrate it with the review process.

    Internet & Intranet

    The internet is a worldwide system, accessible

    through computers. Information travels through the internet at

    incredible speeds. It cuts across national & international

    boundaries. While the internet allows access for anybody

    from anywhere, the internet is an in-house network, working

    on the same principal. The difference is similar to the

    difference between a national newspaper & in-house news

    magazine, which is for private circulation. If an insurer has an

    intranet system, the information in the intranet will be

    available only to its offices & personnel. The policyholders

    will not be able to access the data in the intranet. Circulars

    meant for internal circulation can be posted on the intranet, &

    everybody will have immediate access to it, however far away

    he may be located. In the intranet also, it is possible to restrict

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    some information to certain categories of persons, who will be

    identified through passwords.

    Both internet & intranet enables users to do the

    following at any time (24 hours, 365 days)

    y Send & receive letters, which are called e-mail. Every personwill have an e-mail id, which is his address in the net.

    y Search, read & receive data, files, and pictures.y Buy & sell of policy.

    Benefits to Agents

    If the insurer has an intranet, the agent can, sitting at his

    place of work, be attending the insurers office, making enquiries

    about status of proposals or claims or discussing with any other

    agent, for clarification or advice, whenever he wants to do it. The

    physical distance between the agent & the office will not be of any

    consequence at all. The benefits to agents will be

    y He can receive all circulars & instructions issued by anyoffice. All delays on account of postal transmission, being

    forwarded from one level to another, dispatch department,

    absence of peons, wrong addresses, misplaced through

    oversight, lost in transit etc. are avoided.

    y Any doubts with regard to proposal, benefits, premium, andtaxation, medical examination, insurability etc., can be

    discussed & got clarified directly from the person concerned.

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    y Communications to & from the office will be immediatethrough e-mail & at a low cost.

    Benefits to Policyholder/Prospects

    Prospects can get benefit through the internet in the following ways-

    y They can get details of the various policies, the benefits thereunder, the premiums payable etc.,

    y Prospects can get advice on the suitable insurance plan forthemselves.

    y Policyholders can get information with regards to the status ofthe policy, the premiums due, the bonuses attached, the

    surrender values or loans available, revival possibilities,

    nearest office for any further transactions.

    y Details can also be had about housing loans or other benefitsavailable to policyholder.

    y Premiums can be paid without having to go the office of theinsurer, by direct debit to the policyholder credit cards or bank

    accounts.

    The LIC has included in its websites, for the benefit of the prospects

    & the policyholder, information relating to health issues.

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    KIOSKS

    Kiosks are unmanned information centres, placed

    strategically at public places. They are called Interactive Touch

    screen kiosks. A kiosk is a self-contained hardware & software to

    blend all current media including graphics, video, text & quality

    sound. It consists of a touch sensor & a monitor on which the sensor

    can be fitted. The user is expected t touch the relevant sensors,

    according to the choices offered by the kiosk visually on the

    monitor. The kiosk then takes him the required information or to

    transact the required business.

    The LIC has installed kiosks in more than 100 locations

    covering its divisional headquarters. The kiosks provide information

    on policy status, product information about all products including

    group insurance products. These can be used by persons, who do not

    have their own computers & cannot access the internet. They can be

    operated 24 hours a day & do not require any supervision like the

    ATMs of banks.

    Macromedia technology for the insurance industry

    The insurance industry faces tough challenges; increasing

    complexity, the push for profitability, a growing demand for

    business intelligence, and evermore governance, all of which

    requires providers to think differently in order to grow. Macromedia

    can help. Our technology enables leading firms to deliver powerful

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    online experience that simplify business processes and automate

    workflows, improves analysis, and make it easy for agents and

    customers to collaborate with providers. We understand that to

    thrive in todays competitive marketplace, businesses must

    differentiate themselves through better experiences and operational

    efficiencies.

    Macromedia has a history of enabling rich productive digital

    experiences that drive satisfaction and growth while improving the

    bottom line. An effective user experience can enable straight-

    through processing; allow for more thorough, real-time analysis;

    make systems easier for agents to use; and improves employee

    productivity . We believe great experiences build great businesses.

    The most widely deployed client software in the world macromedia

    is the industry leader in empowering businesses to create and deliver

    effective and compelling user experiences. Were providing

    technology to deliver great digital experiences across browsers,

    operating systems, and devices, online and offline, to turn often

    frustrating experiences into useful and engaging ones.

    Indeed, leaders in insurance and financial services have embraced

    our technology. The Macromedia flash platform is an enterprise-

    class solution that provides a robust, end-to-end architecture for

    deploying rich and engaging content, application and

    expressiveness. The ubiquitous flash player software-deployed on

    more than 98% of the worlds computers and on the majority of

    mobile and electronics devices-enables rapid and efficient reach. Its

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    also supported by the flash ecosystem, which includes more than

    one million developers worldwide.

    Macromedia provides the tools you need to:

    y Differentiate your company with effective online interactiontailored to your customer, agents, and employees needs.

    y Increase efficiency by reducing manual, complex processes,multiple hand-offs, and the cost to provide services.

    y Improve decisions and speed transactions with advancedreporting and monitoring features that enable users to

    visualize real-time information from multiple data sources.

    y Sell more and improve agent satisfaction with easy-to-useinterfaces, rich web collaboration, and e-learning that takes

    training and service to a new level.

    New wave ofTechnology Offers the Insurance Industry a

    Healthier Future

    For the last 30 years, the insurance industry has invested

    heavily in technologies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness

    of claims processing. In many cases, insurers feel that there is little

    room for step change improvements in their performance. They are

    mistaken. The next wave of computing promises to secure benefits

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    outside individual enterprises, and connect whole markets, allowing

    new levels of service and cost effectiveness to be achieved. This

    article examines the drivers behind this new opportunity and shows

    how some insurers are already reaping the benefits on offer.

    Driven by Claims

    The insurance industry is driven by claims. For example,

    in the property and casualty market in Europe, the average

    underwriting ratio (total cost of claims divided by total premiums)

    has been running above 90% for last decade. Many insurers have

    been scraping by solely on their investment income. This cannot

    continue when interest rates are at 40 year lows, and stock markets

    are still 50% down from their peak in March 2001.

    Technology has historically been used to improve

    internal efficiency. Every insurer has installed automated claims

    processing systems to speed up claims handling and reduce costs.

    Typical claims expense ratios have been coming down by a few

    percentage points each year, as the cost of hardware and software

    drops. But for the most insurers there is not much more to squeeze.

    More recently, technology has also been used for customer

    interaction. With the mass market adoption of Internet access, many

    insurers now allow their customers to send in claims details online,

    thereby cutting call centre costs, and reducing expensive errors in

    capturing the policy and claim data.

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    At first glance this sounds great, but 90% of claims will

    still end up needing manual intervention, because the claim data

    needs to be shared across an unpredictable array of partners. For

    auto claims this includes vehicle repair shops, claims adjusters,

    lawyers, the police, natural auto databases, rental car companies,

    and more.

    Nothing keeps insurance leaders up at night like the high

    cost of claims processing. Numerous attempts to reduce costs have

    failed to provide significant results. The industry is still looking for

    ways to fight fraud, increase predictability, improve reserves

    management, streamline workflow related to claims adjustment and

    settlement, and manage litigation. Insurance leaders agree that the

    industry needs a comprehensive cost-cutting strategy one

    featuring both technical platform modernization and business

    process improvement.

    By offering powerful personal and organizational

    productivity solutions, Microsoft and its partner offer insurance

    companies tools to cut costs and improve productivity.

    The following partners offer claims processing solution built on the

    Microsoft platform:

    y Process ClaimsProcess Claims, a leading software provider for the insurance

    industry, delivers solutions that automate communication and

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    information flow, and yield rapid return on investment. By

    harnessing the power of the Microsoft. NET Framework and

    their own data transformation technology and industry

    expertise, Process Claims offers solutions that provide data

    translation and mining, business intelligence, workflow

    management, assignment automation, appraisal management,

    and trading partner integration.

    y InsurityInsurity offers end-to-end software solutions and services for

    property and casualty policy administration, claims, business

    analytics, and reporting. More than 125 insurance and

    financial services companies, including more than half of the

    nations top 20 carriers, use these solutions. The Insurity suite

    of integrated solutions uses Microsoft technologies, such as

    Microsoft Visual Basic, Active Server Page (ASP)

    technology, Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ), and

    Microsoft SQL Server.

    y VisibilityVisibility, Inc. is a leading provider of collaborative litigation

    management solutions for the insurance industry. These

    solutions focus on simplifying the processes that add

    complexity to everyday routines. The products and services

    have evolved from the feedback of customers and needs of

    the industry, resulting in targeted and intuitive solutions.

    Visibility is more than a software company it is a

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    networked community dedicated to improving the business of

    insurance.

    y Decision ResearchDecision Research created VISTA Decision Maker, a Web-

    based insurance management system that does business the

    way companies do business. Built on Microsoft .NET

    technology, VISTA offers insurance carriers a solution for

    easily managing the entire policy life cycle from quotingand insurance to claims and billing. Using Microsoft products

    and technologies such as Microsoft SQL Server, Internet

    Information Service (IIS), and Microsoft Excel, VISTA

    product modules provide a user-friendly environment and are

    fully scaleable to support businesses from start ups to Fortune

    500 companies.

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    Technology in Insurance

    y Microsofts contribution to the insurance industry

    y Challenges for Technology in insurance

    y Neural network technology

    y Insurance & E-Commerce

    y Benefits of E-Insurance

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    Microsofts Contribution to Insurance Industry

    For many drivers, the seemingly endless round of phone

    messages and paperwork that follow a traffic accident can make the

    job of resolving an insurance claim feel as damaging as the accident

    itself. For insurance carriers, auto claims processing which

    involves handling estimates, adjustments, repairs, building, and

    more is no less time-consuming, expensive, and frustrating.

    Today, innovative technologies from Microsoft are

    transforming the way auto insurance claims are processed. Based on

    the power of the Microsoft .NET Framework, these technologies

    open door to integrated IT systems that link programs and

    applications built on any platform and written in any language,

    streamlining the flow of data and bringing new levels of efficiency

    to the business of claims processing.

    Process Claims is a leading software provider to the

    insurance industry, offering a broad range of property and casualty

    solutions that span heavy equipment, commercial, personal, and

    speciality lines. A Microsoft Certified Partner, Process Claims

    delivers solutions that automate communication and information

    flow, and yield rapid return on investment. By harnessing the power

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    of the Microsoft .NET Framework and its own data transformation

    technology and industry expertise, Process Claims solutions provide

    data translation and mining, business intelligence, workflow

    management, assignment automation, appraisal management, and

    trading partner integration.

    Last year, Process Claims facilitated settlement of $4

    billion in claims. The issue of data integration is critical for all

    parties involved in resolving auto insurance claims. In addition to

    insurance companies, there are companies that depend on data to

    provide rental car services, supply parts, facilitate salvage

    processing, determine vehicle valuation, and more.

    Process Claims end-to-end material damage

    management systems provide the vital link between all of these

    parties. Utilizing Microsoft Visual Studio .NET, XML, and Web

    services programmable application components that can be

    accessed over the Internet with standard Web protocols Process

    Claims enables its clients to conduct business with greater speed

    and efficiency. Typically, when a driver reports an accident, the

    carrier assigns an adjuster or refers the driver to an authorized body

    shop. Because Process Claims uses XML, it can take information

    from any claims systems and instantly route the assignment to the

    most appropriate appraiser. After receiving the claim, the appraiser

    downloads it to an estimating application, writes the estimate, adds

    digital photos, and sends the package back to the carrier through the

    Process Claims browser-based application suite.

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    This ability to utilize XML and Web services has

    established Process Claims as a marketplace leader. Not only does

    the solution streamline claims processes, it also extends and

    enhances the value of existing legacy systems functionality through

    seamless integration with outside services. And because legacy

    systems can access this new functionality transparently, training and

    support costs are minimal. Process Claims Claims Port systems

    focus on areas of material damage to reduce loss-adjustment

    expenses, increase efficiencies, and improve customer satisfaction,

    and they are configured to meet the specific business requirements

    of individual insurers. Today, innovators are taking advantage of

    technologies like this to automate business processes and transform

    insurance claims processing.

    Challenges for Technology in Insurance

    The Insurance industry is facing a challenging situation.

    In the midst of a global economic slowdown and severe earning

    pressures, the industry is going through a phase of consolidation

    and integration. Increased Merger and Acquisition activity has

    brought about the need for IT departments to unify systems built on

    diverse platforms. Systems need to be more customer-centric. IT

    will need to drive and support revenue-producing initiatives,

    harness knowledge for speedy decision-making and help enhance

    the effectiveness of channel for IT in Insurance, with the twin focus

    of providing greater ROI on IT investments while cutting budgets.

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    There is need to outsource many traditional activities and integrate

    new technologies.

    Solutions and Services

    Management Consulting

    Utilizing an industry-tested methodology, we leverage

    our knowledge of the insurance industry in combination with our

    wide-ranging technology expertise to provide strategic business

    planning services. Our management consultants have a proven track

    record in developing practical plans that are focused on optimizing

    resources, managing cost and achieving long-range goals. Some of

    the areas where our consultants can help you include:

    y Insurance Researchy Business Planningy Technology Planningy Business and Technology Alignmenty Process Assessmenty RFI/RFP VendorAnalysisy Offshore Application Maintenance Readinessy Offshore BPO Readinessy Unit Cost/Best Practice Analysis

    Systems Consulting

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    The insurance industry is facing increased trading

    volumes and regulatory pressures to decrease settlement cycles and

    the need to reduce clearing and settlement costs. Straight through

    Processing (STP) is seen as a solution to face this challenge. We

    will help you re-engineer technical and business processes and

    operational architectures to realize the ultimate goal of STP. We

    offer our systems consulting services in the areas of

    ySTP framework

    y Legacy Consultingy Client-ServerConsulting

    Legacy Maintenance and Modernization

    In the Insurance industry, legacy systems play a key role

    in supporting large-scale business operations. With our help, you

    can maintain and modernize your legacy systems efficiently. We

    have proven experience in managing legacy systems in insurance

    process areas such as:

    y Life Insurance Administrative Systemsy Annuity Systemsy Investment Systems

    Custom Application Development

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    Custom-built applications are developed to address the

    unique business requirements of your organization in e-Business,

    web-based and client-server applications. We will help you

    implement solutions across diverse platforms and technologies. Our

    insurance specialists have development expertise in a wide range of

    insurance process areas.

    We provide services that help integrate information technology with

    business processes using Web Services, IBM MQ Series, MS

    BizTalk Server 2000 and BEA Integration Suite among others.

    As part of our service offerings we also provide

    A pplication Testing Services that cater to the customers needs

    centred on failsafe application deployment.

    Information Technology

    The computing technology, networking technology and

    advanced electronics together make todays I.T. The convergence of

    electronics and telecommunications created by devices like telex,

    fax which the business world-wide has been using extensively over

    last three decades. The convergence of computers and

    telecommunications has generated various computer networks

    making the business data transfer feasible. The computers with

    advanced electronics has provided the multimedia facilities i.e.

    apart from data in electronic format voice (audio) and image (video)

    also can be a controlling input to and output from a computer

    device.

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    Hardware

    Development in Information Technology have been

    characterized by miniaturization and reducing cost with improved

    performance and better reliability combined with shortened product

    developments cycles, due to advances in chip technology.

    The early use of huge computers during World War II

    was for military purpose. The computer technology went hand in

    hand with advances in electronics. The computers for commercial

    use in 1960s made use of transistors instead of vacuum tubes in the

    earlier computers. The integrated circuit (IC) technology of 1970s

    forms the backbone of latest computers. With the feasibility of

    circuits having large scale integration (LSI) and very large scale

    laptops (Micro computers) and then to laptops and now to palmtops.

    Software

    Like the hardware, the computer languages (software)

    have also undergone change. The software transitions from very

    hard to use machine level language (MLL) through Symbolic

    Assembly Level Language (ALL), High Level Language (HLL like

    Cobol, Basic, etc.), fourth generation (4GLs like relational

    databases) have today reached to expert systems. This has brought

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    the computer closer to business managers who may not be

    necessarily computer professionals. With complicated operating

    systems for mainframes and mini computers then personal

    computers came handy with operating systems like DOS, UNIX.

    Mapping

    Mapping technology can be used by insurers to meet

    different needs, such as identifying loss prone areas or geographic

    claim analysis. It helps the insurer to analyze the extent of its

    network i.e. the insurer can determine whether it has too many or

    few agency force in a particular area. Mapping is a very convenient

    way to layer disparate information from databases to create pictures.

    Maps can illustrate how many buildings are located in flood plain,

    or whether two buildings are covered bye the same insurers fire

    policies are close by each other and thus present a potential double

    loss if fire breaks out in one of them.

    Call Centre Technology

    Good customer service is a crucial element in gaining,

    maintaining and retaining profitable customer. Call centre concept

    based on Interactive Voice Response Service (IVRS) is gaining

    importance in this aspect. The primitive concept ofCall Centre was

    based on an enquiry system providing information services to

    customers through telephone line answered by employees. The

    totally automated Call Centre concept provides better service

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    through automated computerized exchange but lacks in flexibility

    i.e. only predefined queries are serviced.

    The insurance companies worldwide are accepting the

    auto manual Call Centres as one of the important strategies for

    Customer Relationship Management.

    Video linking

    A video linking facility between two remote units of an

    insurance company or between an insurer and a broker allows

    underwriters at one place and brokers at other unit to discuss risk

    face to face. The video link helps maintain the personal

    relationships between brokers and underwriters which is very

    valued for insurance business and in turn would help to draw

    business it would not have seen if people use telephone or fax alone

    for contacting.

    Cat Models

    Catastrophic models use data from the recent spate of

    natural disasters which help develop more predictions of insurers

    property exposures in future disasters. Using this data curious

    What-if scenarios of probable maximum loss (PML) using the

    best estimate available at an insurers exposures are tested. Finally

    an underwriting policy that limits the company exposure to

    catastrophic losses is implemented. Other information such as

    where the faults are, construction specification, soil type, amount of

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    ground motion likely to occur at a given site is also used in the

    models.

    This new technology is helping insurance companies to

    better understand their exposure to Mother Nature perils with more

    accurate computer models providing precise information on

    catastrophic exposures. This helps insurers and reinsures to better

    access their catastrophic exposures and as a result, raise rates in

    certain areas. This could mean that fewer insurance companies

    would be seriously hurt or driven out of the market by a single

    catastrophic event and the buyer will benefit from a stronger

    insurance industry. The technology may show insurers that a given

    type of property or a specific area is so susceptible to catastrophes

    that they will refuse to underwrite such risks at all.

    Insurance and Electronic Commerce

    Enormous opportunities are being created by the

    Internets new connectivity such as improving customer service,

    reducing cycle time, becoming more cost effective, and selling

    goods, services, or information to an expanded global customer

    base. As entire industries are being reshaped and the rules for

    competition are changing, enterprises need to re-think the strategic

    fundamentals of their business in order to be successful. E-business

    is first about business, rather than technology. Technology, while

    important, is the less difficult part. The difficult part is managing

    the changes in business strategies and institutional processes that

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    are needed for enterprises to take advantage of e-business, or to

    avoid out to competitors who do so.

    E-insurance Benefits

    E-insurance will derive multiple benefits to the insurer like,

    Information collection will be better and cheaper Insurance of policy and settlement of claims will be fasterNew Ways of doing Business in a competitive market Flexible Pricing and Customized Service Global Accessibility i.e. Lapse of Physical Boundaries Increased Sales without additional sales force Immediate Premium Collection and Funds Transfer Reduced cost per transaction 24*7 Availability Improved Service Real Time Knowledge Base Building

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    Conclusion

    The Technology in Insurance has grown through their

    performance, restructuring policy and their efficiency in providing

    the large amount of insurance services with the help of technology

    as their tool.

    The supporting technology require will be a real time,

    rather than batch, longitudinal rather than episode; will require

    connectivity rather than be self-contained; will rely on large

    relational databases.

    Todays consumers do not like to wait. Insurance

    companies that are unable to react to their customers demands will

    lose market share to their competitors that can. The question now

    facing insurance companies is no longer if they should take

    advantage of the internet, but how should they do it. Should you

    adapt your existing products or create internet specific insurance

    products and brands? Do you focus your efforts on distribution or

    service?

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    List of Acronyms

    MIS Management Information System

    MAN Metropolitan Area Network

    WAN Wide Area Network

    ISPs Internet Service Providers

    LAN Local Area Network

    XML Extensible Mark-up Language

    Protocols Used for communication purpose

    COBOL Common Business Oriented Language

    UML Unified Modelling Language

    VB.NET Visual Basic.Net

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    Bibliography

    www.Technology & Insurance.org

    www.ITinsurance.com

    www.microsoft.org

    www.ICFAIpress.org

    www.macromedia.com