A whole new world: E-Fusion participants explore innovative technologies and new uses for old ones.

Insurers now are dealing with customers who spend an average of 14 hours a week online and are more comfortable than ever with buying over the Internet, said Jaimie Pickles, executive vice president for InsWeb Corp. and a speaker at A.M. Best Co.'s Insurance & Technology Conference, E-Fusion 2006, in Boston.

The dot-com boom may have come and gone, but the Web is here to stay, and Pickles said it's clear that online buying of insurance has come of age. But what insurers may not be aware of are some of the myths attached. For one, Internet buying isn't relegated to the youthful or the techno geeks, he said. There's also the misconception that potential buyers wind up buying once logged into an insurer's Web site. That's untrue, he said, as fewer than 2% of visitors actually finish the process.

But the Web is just part of the equation. Speakers and E-Fusion award finalists shared other new technology realms that insurers are venturing into--everything from video on demand and podcasts to wireless technologies.

In addition to what's in store for the industry, other sessions touched on nuts and bolts surrounding today's technology, including product development, catastrophe modeling, enterprise performance management and service-oriented architecture.

Another highlight of the conference was the presentation of the E-Fusion Awards, which recognize innovative, business-focused applications of technology in actual use by insurers. "The presentations were insightful; they represented the ongoing work insurance organizations are putting into technology to leverage business value," said Paul Tinnirello, A.M. Best executive vice president, chief information officer and conference chairman. The emphasis in the awards was on the business reasoning that gave birth to each project and results that were generated.

Award recipients and finalists, as well as highlights of conference sessions, appear on the following pages.

About the E-Fusion Award

The E-Fusion Award recognizes outstanding, resourceful uses of Internet technology by insurance organizations. Awards are offered in six categories: agent/broker--life/health, agent/broker--property/casualty, claims management, customer management, productivity management, and underwriting and pricing.

Who Can Enter: Insurers, reinsurers, third-party technology providers working with an insurer or brokerage, or related financial services engaged in insurance.

Judging Criteria: The criteria were divided into two categories: business and technology. The business category included assessments of return on investment, return on relationship and return on recognition. The technical category assessed technical complexity and technical innovation.

Judging: Judges were Bruce Arbonies, e-business development group with Prudential Financial; William K. Austin, principal, Austin & Stanovich Risk Managers LLC; William B. Jenkins, vice president, chief information officer, for Penn National Insurance; Steven Landberg, managing partner with Claymore Partners LLC; Gates Ouimette, senior business solutions consultant, Verizon Business; and John Pogas, vice president, Internet, e-commerce, Aon.

Highlights from E-Fusion 2006

IN THE E-FUSION SPIRIT: Alex Letts, RI3K Ltd., above left, spoke to attendees about electronic exchanges. Clinton Libbey, HDM, and Kristina Smith, First American, above center; and David Briggs, Carroll Enterprises, above right, enjoyed both the social and educational aspects of E-Fusion 2006. Barry Rabkin, Financial Insights, below left, spoke at a session, and Kent Hendrickson, BISYS Commercial Insurance Services, below right, networked with other attendees. Paul Tinnirello, A.M. Best executive vice president and chief information officer, immediate right, served as conference chairman.

SPEAKING AND LEARNING: Mike Bondura, Robert E. Nolan Co.; Gates Ouimette, Verizon Business, Todd Christy, Pyxis Mobile; and Ted Wheatley, John Hancock Financial Services, top left, led a discussion about using wireless. Niki Arena, E-Claim.com, and Steve Landberg, Claymore Partners, bottom left, shared conference ideas. Rick Gilman, ACORD, above center, spoke about harnessing the new media. Pat Saporito, Business Objects America, upper right, spoke at a session about building tomorrow's results on today's information. Lee McDonald, A.M. Best vice president of communications, lower right, served as conference program chairman.