Stephen A. Bruno, President and Chief Executive Officer, Computer Solutions & Software International

“I’d encourage every insurer to consider the valuable asset they have in the producer channel and provide them with the right tools to maximize their selling time. It’s never been easier.”

Welcome Stephen. What was done right last year in integrating data and improving straight-through processing?

Integration has always been the most complicated part of implementations, but there has been a positive trend toward simplification. SOA and Web services have made this process much more straightforward and are standard components of most modern systems. With the technical details out of the way, the defining factor is really data quality. Systems with poor data validation still pose the greatest challenges and risks to a project timeline. This should be addressed early in the project to try to mitigate this issue.

Some critical next steps for 2008?

The market overall is becoming more competitive, but especially for the attention of sales talent in independent producers and captive agents/brokers. Top talent has always had options, but they’re not just looking for greater compensation, they also want the barriers removed in doing business with brokers and carriers. This is one of the most important areas of focus in the near-term.

Exciting advancements?

Mobility has long been a hot area, but much of the hype in the past was tough to realize in real-world scenarios. That is changing now. Mobility as a platform and a new world of devices and ubiquitous Internet are making it practical to be productive from anywhere, with an experience that can rival working from the office. There’s no doubt that connecting this mobile experience with a rich producer toolset is a key goal for insurers.

Your one message to insurance companies?

Technology has just gotten much easier. There are more deployment options, pricing models, and greater certainty in the success of projects than ever before. Systems that used to take years to implement can now be done in a few months. Web technologies have eliminated so many of the challenges that used to be associated with large software projects. I’d encourage every insurer to consider the valuable asset they have in the producer channel and provide them with the right tools to maximize their selling time. It’s never been easier.