Sessions

8:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Registration

8:15 AM - 9:30 AM
ACORD Messaging Service With Attachments
Presenter(s): David Platt, Rolling Thunder Computing, Inc.
This session will give an overview of the architecture of the ACORD Messaging Service (AMS). Specific topics include: schema and namespaces; inboxes and outboxes; request-response architecture; and synchronous and asynchronous responses. There will also be some discussion of SOAP-based implementation conventions, the use of Work Folders as attachments, and the use of WSDL in AMS.

8:15 AM - 9:30 AM
Introduction to Document Repository Interface
Presenter(s): Serge Cayron, ACORD
The ACORD Document Repository Interface (DRI) standard allows for the autonomous exchange of free-format documents between trading partners' or service providers' repositories. This session will introduce the concepts, mechanisms and data structures of the standard and present usage scenarios.

8:15 AM - 9:30 AM
Managers XML 101 Part 1
Presenter(s): Dan Vint, ACORD
This session is a manager’s level introduction to W3C's XML and XML schema technologies. The session will examine what they are, what they do, what they look like, and why you should use them. There will also be Q&A so participants are encouraged to bring their questions.

8:15 AM - 9:30 AM
ACORD Reinsurance/Large Commercial Introduction
Presenter(s): Phil Brown, ACORD
This session will introduce you to the RLC standard as it stands today and provide some feedback on the future of the standards.

9:45 AM - 11:00 AM
ACORD Messaging Service and Future Technologies
Presenter(s): David Platt, Rolling Thunder Computing, Inc.
This session focuses on the new platform from Microsoft codenamed Indigo — the next-generation platform for web service infrastructure. The platform provides easy access to capabilities such as MTOM formatting — something ACORD XML has long desired. The basics of Indigo will be discussed and a working sample using ACORD XML will be demonstrated.

9:45 AM - 11:00 AM
ACORD Property & Casualty/Surety
Presenter(s): Ed Voyek, ACORD
The session will discuss ACORD's Property & Casualty standards area … from its beginning in 1970 with Forms to the 1980's with AL3, and most recently XML in the late 1990's. This session will provide a brief history and overview of ACORD's P&C standards for the P&C/Surety domain, including current activities.

9:45 AM - 11:00 AM
Manager's XML 101 Part 2
Presenter(s): Dan Vint, ACORD
This session focuses on the XML family of standards including XSL, XSLT, XPath, DOM/SAX, and XQuery. Attendance at Manager's XML 101 Part 1 is not required as examines additional parts of XML.

9:45 AM - 11:00 AM
ACORD Life & Annuity Introduction
Presenter(s): Cliff Chaney, ACORD
This session provides an overview of ACORD's role, mission and process as well as an introduction to resources available to members, best practices for learning and implementing the Life & Annuity model and a high-level overview of the standard. In addition, there will be an introduction to the breadth of the Life & Annuity Standard as well as a brief introduction to its core components.

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
» Select: Town Hall Meeting: Digging Deeper -- An Industry Analysts Debate
Presenter(s): Kimberly H. Harris, Gartner, Inc.; Matthew Josefowicz, Celent Communications; Todd Eyler, Gartner, Inc.; Denise Garth, ACORD; Cynthia Saccocia, TowerGroup
Presentation(s): Resarch_Analysts.pdf
Hear from the leading industry analysts on the industry challenges, opportunities, and trends as they relate to the business success for each participant in the industry -- carrier, reinsurer, agent/broker, distributor, solution provider or other financial services firm. Identify the real differentiators, key business strategies, technologies and business process opportunities that companies must consider in order to succeed in this complex industry.

4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Opening Reception in the Exhibit Hall

6:00 AM -
5K Waddle

7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Networking Continental Breakfast

7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Registration

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
» General: Opening General Session and Keynote Address
Presenter(s): Don Tapscott; Gregory A. Maciag, ACORD; Thomas P. Donaldson, LOMA
Transparency is triggering dramatic change across the corporate world. Are you ready for the new business revolution? Best-selling author and futurist, Don Tapscott is a leading authority on business strategy and he will share how firms that embrace transparency enhance their reputation, build trusting relationships with their staff, partners, shareholders and the public, and achieve competitive advantage. Tapscott, co-author of The Naked Corporation, will engage and enlighten as he provokes you to consider the impact of transparency on the future of the corporate world - and your own firm. [Sponsored by CSC]

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM
What a Difference a New Claim Center Makes
Presenter(s): Jerome Reynolds, CNA Information Technology
Claim processing was never the same at CNA after the launch of their new CNA Claim Center in 2004. Some enhancements the new system offers include conversion of paper based forms into electronic format, better data quality through consistent data entry, easier navigation for tracking claims, and more. These enhancements have streamlined claims processing, lowered costs and given CNA improved accuracy and the ability to automate the process on an ongoing basis. Find out more about how they made the switch and implemented it throughout their organization.

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM
Strategic View of P&C Underwriting: Positioning for Competitive Survival or Advantage
Presenter(s): Mark Gorman, TowerGroup
See underwriting in a whole new light once you’ve heard the findings from TowerGroup’s extensive research project on P&C underwriting for both personal and commercial lines. Gain insight into opportunities for automating and streamlining the underwriting and rating process as well as improving the analytics and risk segmentation processes to drive a more profitable book of business. This session will also provide an overview of the technology tools and solutions available in the marketplace that could leverage technology to improve underwriter performance.

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM
Changing Processing Challenges into Winning Strategies
Presenter(s): John Albanese, CSC Financial Services Group; Keith F. Johnson, Accenture; Walt Wojcik, Infosys Technologies, Ltd.
Panelists explore alternatives to process the lion’s share of policy and claims processing, realizing it is no easy decision. There is a storm building in regard to the alternatives that cannot be ignored. In this presentation, panelists outline the thought process that leads to an outsourcing decision: the pressures insurers face, the options they explore, the perceived pros and cons of divesting themselves of essential, traditionally in-house functions, and their evaluation and selection of partners to assist with the process.

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM
Managing Technology Change in Today's Insurance Environment
Presenter(s): Mike Byam, The Hartford Financial Services Group
Presentation(s): Byam_M.pdf
Are changes in technology an opportunity or a hindrance? Is it an advantage or a disadvantage? Many insurance companies today are struggling with how to direct change while benefiting from it. Companies must first identify the drivers of change, attempt to define what the response will be, decide who will manage the change process and solidify a way to measure the results. This session provides guidelines for managing any technology change in today’s insurance environment.

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM
From Risk Manager to Carrier and Back -- STP and Its Benefits
Presenter(s): Patrick Vice, Frank Cowan Company Ltd.; Jo Conway Roberts, CS Stars; Elizabeth Morrell, Southern Company
Presentation(s): Morrell_Vice_Roberts.pdf
Straight through processing is saving considerable time and money. In this session you’ll hear how standards are taking hold in the risk management community and how that is translating into direct benefits for risk managers. You will also hear how the carriers/TPAs and brokers have bought-in to the processing change.

10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
» Select: Patents and Insurance: Learn Now Or Pay Later
Presenter(s): Tom Bakos, Tom Bakos Consulting; Kim Chotkowski, InterDigital Communications Corp; Phillip Hargrove, GE Insurance Solutions; Mark Nowotarski, Patents & Alliances LLC; Donat Bischof, Swiss Re
Intellectual property patents are big business and they are now having a direct impact on the development and deployment of products and technologies in the insurance industry. Patenting of processes and systems is in stark contrast to the development of voluntary consensus standards such as those produced by ACORD. Recently a carrier paid out $80 million in a IP lawsuit. But there are steps you can take to avoid problems and reduce your risk of lawsuit. Learn who is patenting what and why and what it all means for your company.

10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
» Select: What Do Experts Say About Administration Systems?
Presenter(s): Mike Key, Fiserv, Inc.; Mike Risley, CSC Financial Services Group; Keith S. Macbeath, Unisys
Policy administration systems continue to be a top corporate priority in meeting the emerging needs of the industry. Hear top industry experts discuss the future of administration systems, how the legacy systems are evolving using current and emerging technology, Web services, componentizing and more.

10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
» Select: XBRL and Data Standards for Financial and Business Reporting -- What You Need to Know
Presenter(s): Mike Willis, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Presentation(s): willis_m.pdf
Sarbanes-Oxley, BASEL II, transparency, corporate governance ... these may all sound too familiar as each continues to affect sweeping changes in the regulatory and reporting environment. Find out how the accounting and auditing industries are using XML to meet growing ledger and business reporting demands around the world. XBRL is the financial and business reporting XML standard used by organizations looking to streamline financial reporting and regulatory compliance.

12:00 PM - 2:30 AM
Networking Lunch

2:45 PM - 3:30 PM
Seamlessly Deliver Productivity and Collaboration
Presenter(s): Ron Dudley, ACORD; Kevin Kelly, Microsoft; Beth Harris, Seitlin; Michael Frechette, Hartford Ventures
The repeated promise of insurance technology has long-been to deliver productivity and collaboration in a seamless environment. To date, small successes have been achieved but no one has been able to demonstrate a "cradle-to-grave" application; rate/quote, issuance, servicing and reinsurance of risks, without dealing with technical or workflow "blockages" that prevent a true straight-through process. Panelists discuss their solutions to solve that disconnect and deliver pre-integrated solutions, built on Web services and ACORD standards.

2:45 PM - 3:30 PM
Where Does Awareness Fit into Information Security Programs?
Presenter(s): Steve Attias, New York Life Insurance Company
Presentation(s): Attias_S.pdf
Most technology professionals know the basics -- a good security program holistically must address three domains -- people, process and technology. The question is how do those domains each fit into information security programs? This session will focus on the people aspect of security programs, as driven through security awareness. Hear how awareness impacts a program's success and what techniques are useful in making the "people" part of the equation more effective.

2:45 PM - 3:30 PM
Strategically Improve Operations Starting with the Customer
Presenter(s): Chris Chartrand, Genworth Financial
Presentation(s): chartrand_c.pdf
What do customers want from a service center? How have their expectations changed the operations and technology of the customer service center? How does using standards help IT and Operations achieve their goals? Hear from a leading company that has transformed their service center in order to improve operations.

2:45 PM - 3:30 PM
Reality Check: London Market Reform and Update View from Lloyds, Company Market, and Brokers
Presenter(s): Trevor Maddison, Marsh, Inc.; Chris Rawson, Lloyd's; Benita Gayton, ACORD
Presentation(s): Foord_Rawson_Maddison.pdf
Do you place business in the London Market? Hear from all of the key market participants -- Lloyd’s, company markets and brokers -- with regard to the many changes taking place. We have read about the reform, but now you can hear it right from those leading the effort. Learn about the successes, challenges and opportunities facing the London Market and its participants worldwide.

2:45 PM - 3:30 PM
Driving Standardization in your Organization
Presenter(s): Laila Beane, Allstate Financial; Joe Tomalavage, Allstate Financial
Is your organization ready to embrace industry standards? Are you leveraging standards across your strategic initiatives? Building the corporate mindset toward acceptance and implementation of insurance industry standards is a challenge. By sharing our experiences, insights and adoption strategies, we will provide you with the direction to drive standards within your organizations.

2:45 PM - 3:30 PM
Easier Commissions Processing Between Trading Partners
Presenter(s): Curt Rynties, M Financial Group
Presentation(s): Rynties_C.pdf
The breakdown in commissions processing was costing M Financial millions. See how they identified the breakdown and implemented a solution through their vision of the ideal commission tracking and reconciliation solution. Learn how M Financial is using advanced technology to streamline commissions processing and recapture lost commissions, and how they are sharing data among distribution partners using ACORD standards.

3:45 PM - 4:30 PM
Using Real-Time Online Rating and Quoting For Competitive Advantage
Presenter(s): Arron Lamp, Liberty Regional Agency Markets
Imagine a world where agents can get real-time quote information with the touch of a button. To Liberty RAM this is the real world thanks to their Internet-based rating system. Liberty RAM and their individual companies wanted to improve their agents' workflow. They turned to an online rating solution that provided all of the functionality of a proprietary point-of-sale rating system, allowed their agents to stay in a comparative quoting environment, and ultimately made them an easy carrier to do business with. Find out more about how technology is getting results for this company.

3:45 PM - 4:30 PM
Proactive vs. Reactive: Critical Success Factors for Insurance Success
Presenter(s): Kimberly H. Harris, Gartner, Inc.
Industry change is driving insurers to reinvent themselves by building new strategies and deploying new technologies. But it isn't easy in the tight economic market to fund new projects while prioritizing investments. It is more crucial than ever to know when to be an early adopter, and when to be a fast follower. This presentation will discuss opportunities to achieve a first mover advantage, and others where it is acceptable to follow the crowd. New technologies and strategies are reviewed and put into context of their role in insurance transformation.

3:45 PM - 4:30 PM
To Conform to Forms ... or Not
Presenter(s): Donna Barr, Marsh USA, Inc.; Jo Ann Litwin, Litwin, Castle & Christ, Inc.
Presentation(s): Barr_Litwin.pdf
Carrier use of forms has experienced a movement from standardized to proprietary. This session will discuss the benefits and the importance of using ACORD standard forms and it will also cover benefits for agents and carriers when these forms are utilized.

3:45 PM - 4:30 PM
Accelerating New Product Rollout: A Case Study
Presenter(s): Rick Crittenden, MetLife
Presentation(s): Crittenden_R.pdf
In early 2004, MetLife decided to rollout a major new product initiative for Critical Illness Insurance, but there was one caveat. The CEO challenged the product team to bring the product to market quickly while creating a new infrastructure for the product and integrating that infrastructure with the individual and institutional MetLife platforms. Sound impossible? Get the inside story about how the product was conceived, the challenges that were faced in execution, and the lessons learned during the process. Learn techniques for accelerating product rollout and approaches to rapid integration with complex, multi-channel operational platforms.

3:45 PM - 4:30 PM
Challenge the Base: Technology Investments Pay Off
Presenter(s): Jeff Stein, Nationwide Financial; Mike D’Ippolito, Nationwide Financial
Presentation(s): DIppolito_Stein.pdf
Nationwide Financial realized major cost reductions when it implemented the “Challenge the Base” program. The plan consisted of investing in imaging and Web environments to gain efficiencies and maintain systems to lower costs. Nationwide adopted some new techniques to run the projects within this program, which resulted in a great partnership between IT and business departments.

3:45 PM - 4:30 PM
Improving Sales and Operational Efficiencies: A Case Study
Presenter(s): Tim Foy, Merrill Lynch Insurance Group
Presentation(s): Foy_T.pdf
Merrill Lynch Insurance Group reaped the benefits and got the results they wanted through the implementation of a fully mobile point-of-sale illustration tool -- customers benefited too. This case study will outline the business challenges of the carrier, the technical solutions they needed to solve their problems and ROI of the technical implementation.

3:45 PM - 4:30 PM
Making Bancassurance Work
Presenter(s): John Gies, Hartford Life; Craig Weber, Celent Communications; Marc Kermisch, Hartford Life
Presentation(s): Gies_Kermisch.pdf
Bancassurance has enormous potential to affect sales of personal lines insurance products in the life, health, and property and casualty segments. But so far that potential has failed to bloom in the U.S. as it has thrived in Europe, despite years of effort by many banks and carriers. This session will discuss technology and business strategies to help jump-start the bank channel, the latest trends in product design, single-carrier versus multi-carrier tools to manage bank business and the advent of next-generation tools to improve business processes in a way that fits the unique culture of banks.

3:45 PM - 4:30 PM
Hubs, Exchanges, and Gateways: New Approaches and Strategic Opportunities for P&C/Reinsurance
Presenter(s): Igor Best-Devereux, eReinsure; Toby Davies, Kinnect; Robin Merttens, RI3K Limited; Marc Codispoti, ACORD
Presentation(s): Best-Devereux_I.pdf; Davies_T.pdf; Merttens_R.pdf
Hubs, exchanges, and gateways are solutions that have historically provided value to the industry. How do they "reinvent" themselves to create strategic value, leverage opportunities and address challenges within the industry? Learn from the experience of these leaders and their views on the industry. Hear why these solutions are strategically important in this new age of cross border trading and connectivity.

3:45 PM - 4:30 PM
Middle Market New Business Interface Improves Efficiency for Both Carrier & Agents
Presenter(s): Mike Lang, Wausau Insurance; Joan Kiburz, Wausau Insurance
Presentation(s): Lang_Mike.pdf
Automated new business submissions are no longer limited to personal lines and small commercial business. Wausau Insurance Company receives full ACORD submissions and attachments, real time, directly from agency management systems for middle market P&C business. The XML data is mapped to Wausau’s internal workflow and rating systems. This new process improves quote response time and accuracy for larger more complex submissions.

4:40 PM - 5:30 PM
» General: Gaining Momentum in the Business Race
Presenter(s): Jeff Galloway
On your mark, get set, go! We all want to maintain our enthusiasm while facing complex business issues on a daily basis. Get inspired and reach new heights in business hearing from U.S. Olympian and author, Jeff Galloway. Galloway has coached more than 150,000 individuals to transform themselves from couch potato to competitor leading them to finish marathons and embrace personal and professional challenges. His principles go far beyond the physical and this session will infuse you with more energy, stamina, and creativity! [Sponsored by Duck Creek Technologies]

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Reception in the Exhibit Hall

7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Networking Continental Breakfast

7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Registration

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
» General: Confidently Meeting an Uncertain Future: A CIO Panel
Presenter(s): Barbara Koster, Prudential Financial; Charles McCaig, Chubb; Gregory A. Maciag, ACORD; Ann M. Purr, LOMA; Robert Gorski, XL Reinsurance
Terrorism. Hackers. Viruses. Regulations. Economic downtowns and up ticks on a dime. Today’s business climate is fraught with uncertainty, and in every area of the organization IT is being asked to do more to effectively cope with these challenges. Hear from influential financial services CIOs as they discuss IT’s critical role in the organization and the ways they see business and technology partnering to meet the demands of an uncertain future.

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM
Straight Through Processing: Transforming Ceded Reinsurance
Presenter(s): John Cunningham, AIG; Richard Ruggiano, AIG
True STP involves completely automated transactions from end-to-end. While many firms are striving to achieve STP, most are far behind in their approach and therefore, losing competitive advantage. Find out how AIG stayed in the game by using an STP system which allowed them to automate operations, reduce costs, and eliminate processing errors -- ultimately positioning them as a leader through cutting-edge technology.

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM
Connecting the Dots: Transforming Legacy
Presenter(s): BA Scott, New York Life
Hear how New York Life uses ACORD’s Life Standards as part of the overall portfolio management strategy and how business processes are analyzed against a model driven framework to identify and act on improvement opportunities.

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM
Tangible Benefits of Enterprise Web-based CRM
Presenter(s): Mary Anne Smith, Securian Financial Group
Come hear how Securian Financial Network, the distribution arm of Securian Financial Group (formerly Minnesota Life), is using enterprise, Web-based CRM to achieve tangible benefits across the organization. The value of migrating to the Web will be discussed, along with the importance of selecting a CRM solution built specifically for financial services, rather than pieced together to fit the needs of this unique industry

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM
Implementing a Secure Wireless/Mobile Strategy
Presenter(s): Marty Iverson, The Hartford
Presentation(s): Iverson_M.pdf
For years, coverage, bandwidth, security and cost prevented the widespread implementation of wireless/mobile technologies in the insurance industry. Recent research indicates that these technologies will begin to be implemented on a widespread basis within the next few years. Can these tools increase the effectiveness of your sales force, improve claim processing times, and improve your bottom-line? Attend this session to hear more about the basic steps involved in implementing a wireless/mobile solution strategy, the security concerns that cannot be sacrificed, and the real-life opportunities and challenges that one insurer faced.

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM
BPM: Strategic Innovation
Presenter(s): Todd Eyler, Gartner, Inc.
Behind every company is a foundation ... its business process. Business processes are the way insurance companies get things done. The question then is whether how to fit your IT assets with your business processes for greater success. This session will examine look at how insurers should examine their business processes for overhaul and consider all their options in order to optimize success.

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM
Transaction Cost Economics: How Do You Stand Up to the Competition?
Presenter(s): John L. Johnsen, TCi Consulting & Research
Presentation(s): Johnson_J.pdf
Have you ever wondered about the effect technology has on the financial and operational functions within an insurance company? Get the facts from a series of benchmarking studies of life and annuity carriers. This session will highlight useful findings from the study to show how companies are differentiating themselves by using technology strategically in order to increase bottom line results. Understand what the cost drivers are for transactions and come away with industry cost averages for various key transactions, such as new business distribution and customer service.

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM
Strategic Technology Program Updates Enterprise
Presenter(s): James P. McAdaragh, Sammons Financial Group
Presentation(s): McAdaragh_J.pdf
Sammons Financial Group launched a multi-year strategic program in 2003 to update technology across the enterprise. The program includes upgrading and converting from five legacy platforms to one state-of-the-art policy administration system that will leverage such important new technologies as XML, ACORD standards, browsers, and a common calculation engine. The Program Director will share Sammons approach to this challenging initiative, the benefits they expect to achieve, and the program’s keys to success.

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM
Getting Partner Expectations and Your Business Plans On The Same Page
Presenter(s): Donna Barr, Marsh USA, Inc.; Keith Savino, National Association of Professional Insurance Agents; Linda Dodson, Chubb; Neil Nelson, Encompass Insurance
Presentation(s): Savino_Barr_Nelson_Dodson.pdf
Learn how ACORD and industry involvement results in improved production, efficiency and customer service, and how agents are taking advantage of these benefits. Is your agency on the road to ever-better productivity and exceeding business goals? With the changing marketplace, there is a whole new era of competition and expectation on how we do business. Automation provides the tools and ACORD helps companies do business better using standards. Hear from a panel of leading agents on how technology choices, standards, and workflow go straight to your agency’s bottom line!

10:45 AM - 11:30 AM
Commercial Download: The New Frontier
Presenter(s): Donna Barr, Marsh USA, Inc.; Irv Kantar, The Main Street America Group; Lisa Parry Becker, William B. Parry & Sons, LTD Insurance; Jim Rogers, The Hartford; Cyndy Smith, Haylor Freyer & Coon Inc.; Jane Green, JMG/IC Insurance Agency, Inc.
Agents have been quite vocal about the need to improve commercial download in order to remain in sync with carrier systems and maintain adequate productivity levels. As a result, ACORD, ACT (IIABA's Agent's Council for Technology), and AUGIE (ACORD User Group Information Exchange) and have teamed up with a group of agents to provide implementation and educational guidance to industry professionals on compliance. Despite their efforts, there are still challenges facing agents and carriers in regards to their use of commercial download. Carriers are still reluctant to implement it and agents are still reluctant to use it. Join this discussion with agents and carrier panelists as they share their views, both good and bad, on the topic.

10:45 AM - 11:30 AM
Life Reinsurance: The Silent Implementations
Presenter(s): Lloyd Chumbley, ACORD; Chris Murumets, RI3K Inc.; Richard Nolle, Reinsurance Group of America, Inc.; Leroy McCarty, Transamerica Occidental Life Insurance Company; Brian Wilkinson, Sun Life Reinsurance
Presentation(s): Johnson_McCarty_Murumets_Wilkinson_Chumbley.pdf
In 2003, ACORD completed a substantial amount of work on the Life Reinsurance Standard at ACORD. Since then, there has been little publicity around the reinsurance area, but don’t misinterpret that silence. In this session, we will hear about active implementations of substantial business processes which are using the ACORD standards from key carriers in the industry. The panel discussion will include what has been done, where the industry is today with standards, and what would be logical next steps.

10:45 AM - 11:30 AM
When Legislation Affects the Bottom Line -- Lessons Learned from Worker’s Comp Reform
Presenter(s): Stephen Bennett, Marsh, Inc.
Presentation(s): Bennett_Stephen.pdf
Skyrocketing, unpredictable workers’ compensation costs continue to plague CFOs and risk managers. Nowhere has that problem been more acute than in California, which became the poster child for out-of-control costs and failing workers’ compensation systems. A package of legislation intended to "reform" the California workers’ compensation system and reduce the insurance premiums and costs paid by California employers went into effect in 2004. Many observers questioned how much employers would actually save, but the new law has clearly made a significant impact on healthcare providers who treat worker’s compensation patients. This session will describe the classic behaviors and common mistakes in workers’ compensation as well as how "engaged employers" can take control of their workers’ compensation costs now and in the future.

10:45 AM - 11:30 AM
STP and Document Repository Strategic Opportunities: A Case Study
Presenter(s): Robert Gorski, XL Reinsurance; Tom Neff, Aon Re-US
Hear from a leading reinsurer who is enabling straight-through processing for their business using ACORD Data Standards and ACORD Document Repository Standard. Hear how they are sharing structured data and unstructured information with trading partners to enhance the timeliness and quality of the information necessary in the new environment of access and transparency. Find out how a message sender and a message receiver have been able to reach the goal of eliminating paper using ACORD RLC XML.

10:45 AM - 11:30 AM
It's All About The Customer
Presenter(s): Gary W. Kirkham, American National Insurance Company
Presentation(s): kirkham_g.pdf
Some good advice…think customer first and let the business rules and optimized business processes deliver the data. Attendees will learn how to involve the business unit, in a partnership with IT, to achieve new levels of performance. Kirkham will also explore how American National utilized BPM and business rules to drive significant process improvement across the company's contact centers; controlled staff increases; reduced training time; and delivered improved business results in their contact centers with a forward-looking, customer-centric architecture.

10:45 AM - 11:30 AM
User Experience -- Are Your Applications Designed With The User In Mind?
Presenter(s): Neil Nelson, Encompass Insurance
Allstate and Encompass Insurance are interested in developing applications that are extremely intuitive and easy for their agents to use. To achieve this, they have started incorporating user experience as part of their systems analysis. They believe user experience is a critical and often overlooked aspect of the development lifecycle and meeting the users’ needs by applying user centered design principles into the development of Web sites translates into organizational success. See examples of how user experience helped Allstate and Encompass uncover what was and was not working for their agents and what to consider when undertaking similar efforts.

10:45 AM - 11:30 AM
Breaking Down the Barriers: Using Standard Forms for Life, Annuity and Health
Presenter(s): Laila Beane, Allstate Financial; Alex Varghese, Merrill Lynch Insurance Services; Chris Chartrand, Genworth Financial; Brian Marable, ACORD
Presentation(s): Beane_Chartrand_Varghese_Marable.pdf
Learn how some leading Insurance carriers broke down the internal barriers within their companies regarding use of standard forms for Life, Annuity and Health Hear how they are leading the industry in standard forms adoption and implementation. This panel discussion will include an in-depth overview of the challenges of getting buy-in and signed filing authorizations. Also, panelists will discuss strategic benefits, marketing opportunities, implementation options, forms adoption strategies and other critical success factors.

11:45 AM - 1:45 PM
Lunch and Networking

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
» Select: SWIFT: Expanding Worldwide Communications Capabilities
Presenter(s): Johan Kestens, SWIFT; Cynthia Saccocia, TowerGroup; Sylvia Steinmann, Swiss Re
Presentation(s): Kestens_J.pdf; Saccocia_C_SWIFT.pdf; Steinmann_S.pdf
Join representatives from SWIFT, TowerGroup, and Swiss Re as they show how the banking and securities segments of financial services have leveraged their co-operative network provider, SWIFT, to address similar issues facing the insurance industry. Combining standards and IP-based technology, SWIFT is an industry-owned infrastructure used by its members to securely move payments, securities, treasury, and trade transactions worldwide. Panelists will demonstrate how SWIFT can be a source of inspiration for the insurance industry by presenting case studies of SWIFT members benefiting from their common infrastructure.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
» Select: Regulatory Update: Privacy and Security in Light of NAIC Initiatives and Sarbanes Oxley
Presenter(s): Patrick J. Hatfield, Lord Bissell & Brook LLP; Jon Neiditz, Lord, Bissell and Brook
Presentation(s): Hatfield_Neiditz.pdf
Recent events have caused regulators and carriers to re-examine the types of information exchanged between carriers and the various consumer reporting agencies, including ChoicePoint. Regulators and carriers are likely to be surprised at what they find. Regulators may be compelled to regulate the flow and security of such information even more and carriers may be surprised to find inadequate procedures governing such uses of the information. This panel will provide an update on the regulatory landscape in the area of privacy and security against the backdrop of Sarbanes-Oxley and related legislation. Topics addressed will include HIPAA, GLBA, FCRA, FACTA, and various state initiatives such as the California law requiring disclosures of security breaches. The discussion will cover an overview of the laws and practical pointers in the procurement process to obligate a carrier’s suppliers to maintain adequate privacy procedures and security safeguards.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
» Select: IBM, Microsoft and Sun -- What do they Say?
Presenter(s): Paul Dolbec, Sun Microsystems, Inc.; Bill Hartnett, Microsoft Corporation; William Pieroni, IBM; Matthew Josefowicz, Celent Communications
Hear from a panel of influential vendors as they discuss how the insurance industry can best use technology ... both more strategically and more effectively. Get insight from these companies who have created some of the platforms many insurance carriers use today in order to stay ahead of the competition.

3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
Operations Excellence: Drive Change to Extract Value
Presenter(s): Steve Discher, Robert E. Nolan Company
Presentation(s): stein_discher.pdf
Marketplace challenges are putting more pressure than ever on insurer's bottom lines. Learn how to squeeze more from your operations to reduce costs, improve service, raise performance and add value. Take away real-world knowledge and ideas that you can quickly begin to implement to drive benefits.

3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
Collaboration to Enable Improvements: AUGIE and ACT
Presenter(s): Jerry D. Fox, James M. King & Associates, Inc.; Jeff Yates, Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, Inc.; Bob Slocum, The Slocum Agency, Inc.; Carolyn "Cal" Durland, ACORD
ACT and AUGIE are two organizations that are exploring how to use technology to streamline and improve workflow for independent agents and brokers operating in the property-casualty, life, and employee benefits markets. Hear from the panel about the initiatives of each of the two groups and how, collectively, they are collaborating to enable improvements.

3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
Standards for a Nonstandard Business: Surplus Lines
Presenter(s): Jason Hodson, Alea London; Mark Wilson, Scottsdale Insurance Company; Donna Barr, Marsh USA, Inc.; Tap Johnson III, TAPCO
Presentation(s): Hodson_Johsnson_Barr_Wilson.pdf
Industry leaders discuss the information exchanges between retail agents and brokers, MGA’s, and surplus lines carriers in London and the United States. Hear how progress is being made in standardizing communications while retaining the nonstandard nature of the surplus lines business.

3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
Business Strategy: STP for Agency Distribution
Presenter(s): Robert V. Kirkland, RBC Liberty Insurance
Presentation(s): kirkland_r.pdf
When RBC Liberty Insurance introduced a proprietary automated application system to speed its new business issue process, it slashed its policy issue costs 25% to 40%. Learn how the five-part integrated system converted the agent’s laptop into a mobile office. As a result, agents were able to incorporate contact management into their daily functions. They were also able to access illustrations and intelligent forms, an automated underwriting system and electronic signature capture, and an administration system.

3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
ACORD P&C Version 2
Presenter(s): Mele Fuller, SAFECO Insurance Company of America; Donna Gilbert, Applied Systems, Inc.; Mark Orlandi, ACORD; Kevin Schipani, Aon
Presentation(s): Fuller_Gilbert_Schipani_Orlandi.pdf
This session will provide an overview and update on ACORD’s P&C/Surety XML V2 work-in-progress. A panel discussion will provide background including why a V2 effort was initiated, design principles, status of work-to-date and work-in progress. This will be an interactive session with the panel fielding questions throughout. This is a great opportunity to get acquainted with the future direction of ACORD’s P&C/Surety XML.

3:15 PM - 4:00 PM
Interoperability Between Partners, Systems, and Operations
Presenter(s): Mark Gorman, TowerGroup; Cynthia Maike, IBM Software Group for Insurance; Jim Rogers, The Hartford; Will Wilbrink, MapInfo Corporation
This panel will address the importance of interoperability for insurance systems and processes, including an overview of how interoperability is beneficial to enabling new technology for the industry. In addition, the panel members will discuss the ways in which ACORD, XML and other standards are helping to pave the way for enhanced interoperability.

4:15 PM - 5:00 PM
» General: Closing General Session: Looking Back and Looking Ahead
Presenter(s): Bill Hartnett, Microsoft Corporation
In 1995, Microsoft showed a film at the ACORD Conference entitled “Information at Your Fingertips 2005” predicting where they thought technology would be in the next decade. 2005 is here and now you have the chance to see, discuss and vote on the accuracy of those predictions…and tell us what you think the next 10 years will bring. Be a part of this special session and use the Audience Response System to place your predictions of where technology will be when we are all back here in 2015.

6:00 PM - 9:30 PM
Closing Night Party
This promises to be another fun-filled event from Microsoft with food, festivities and networking opportunities you’ll remember for a long time to come. Be sure to join us! Dress is casual.