Insurance Networking News and Celent Announce INN's 2008 Vanguards in Insurance Practices...

Insurance Networking News and Celent Announce INN's 2008 Vanguards in Insurance Practices Award Winners

Reader Recognition of Insurance Business and Technology Solution
Visionaries
CHICAGO & BOSTON--(Business Wire)--
Insurance Networking News (INN) and Celent released INN's second
annual technology solution provider ranking for the insurance industry
today at a black-tie awards event held at the ACORD LOMA Insurance
Systems Forum in Las Vegas.

In the 2008 Vanguards in Insurance Practices (VIP) ranking,
insurance carriers in the United States and Canada ranked the top
insurance technology providers across several categories, including
integrated systems, platform technology, point solutions, IT services
and enterprise technologies. Insurers were asked to name the
technology firms that represent the "best of the best" in terms of
delivering value.

In partnership with Insurance Networking News, Celent, the most
respected source of independent insurance technology and business
research and advisory services, led the survey development, data
collection and analysis for the rankings.

"Celent's research and advisory professionals represent
exceptional industry acumen, which means our readers and the industry
at large are being given direct access to the knowledge and expertise
generated as part of our collective research efforts," said Pat Speer,
INN's Editor in Chief.

"Our collective experience suggests that when it comes to
evaluating vendors, there is nothing decision makers appreciate more
than insight from their peers," said Craig Weber, Senior Vice
President responsible for Celent's insurance practice. "So we based
the INN 2008 Vanguards in Insurance program on empirical data gleaned
purely from the results of a survey of insurance carriers and
brokers."

The top-ranked solution providers are as follows:

PHASE I - INN 2008 VIP Awards - Top Solutions Provider

-0-
*T

INTEGRATED SYSTEMS:
First Place: Computer Sciences Corp.
2nd Place: Guidewire Software Inc.
3rd Place: Fiserv

PLATFORM TECHNOLOGIES:
First place: IBM/Microsoft *
2nd Place: Dell
3rd Place: HP
* Tie

POINT SOLUTIONS:
First Place: Guidewire Software Inc.
2nd Place: Computer Sciences Corp.
3rd Place: Fiserv

IT SERVICES:
First Place: Computer Sciences Corp.
2nd Place: Sircon
3rd Place: Fiserv

ENTERPRISE TECHNOLOGIES:
First Place: ImageRight
2nd Place: IBM
3rd Place: Hyland Software
*T

"This year's enhanced program reflects, through the eyes of
insurance company readers and the honest and factual assessment
provided by Celent, an unadulterated and unmatched view of the
technology solution provider landscape," said Holli Gronset, INN's
Associate Publisher. "These hardware, software or services companies
have proven that they deserve special recognition for delivering
outstanding value to the marketplace."

For Phase II of the INN 2008 VIP Awards program, the top-ranked
solution providers were offered an opportunity to nominate an
insurance carrier customer as a "visionary" for its use of a specific
technology, and encouraged to illustrate the role, if feasible, that
ACORD data standards played as part of their business and technology
success story. INN's readers, its Editorial Advisory Board, and
Celent's top insurance research analysts determined the top-ranked
technology best practice in action. The winners of the INN 2008 VIP
Best Practices Awards are:

First Place:

Accident Fund Insurance - Computer Sciences Corp.

Second Place:

Canal Insurance - Guidewire Software Inc.

Third Place:

WGV - HP

Honorable Mention:

State Auto Insurance Companies - Computer Sciences Corp.

RLI Corp. - Fiserv

Great American Financial Resources Inc. - Hyland Software

"The enhanced INN 2008 VIP Awards program evokes the necessary
discussion of the 'why' behind the ranking," Speer said. "By including
a critical educational component, such as how ACORD standards have
helped facilitate the leading technology's application achievements,
insurers can map to their own success."

The INN 2008 VIP Best Practices Award winners were formally
recognized by John Kellington, Senior Vice President of ACORD,
responsible for all ACORD Standards, including forms, participation &
membership, standards technology support and information technology.

"Our goal at ACORD is to provide all members in the industry with
the data standards and best practices to share data ... increase
efficiency and accuracy ... and, of course, improve their bottom
line," Kellington said. "This award embodies that philosophy both in
its vision and in its action--and represents the 'best of the best' as
chosen by a body of seasoned insurance industry professionals."

In a special segment of the INN 2008 VIP Awards program, Skywire
Software was recognized for creating sustainable value through its
acquisition efforts, and was named the 2008 INN VIP "Company to
Watch."

"Celent's view is that vendor solutions are good and getting
better all the time, and it is clear that the bar is being raised on
vendor performance. The insurers who participated in the VIP program
confirm this," said Weber. "We would like to congratulate the INN 2008
VIP Award winners in each category, who are clearly striking a chord
with their clients."

About Insurance Networking News and SourceMedia, Inc.

Insurance Networking News is a trusted source for information on
how technology is being implemented to support insurers' strategic
business objectives, providing insightful analysis of - and
best-practice case studies on - how technology is being innovatively
utilized to automate critical processes. Every issue of Insurance
Networking News is written to help senior insurance executives bypass
the hype and get to the heart of resolving industry challenges.
Readers rely on carefully researched content that is both engaging and
analytical. SourceMedia, an Investcorp company, is the pre-eminent
provider of timely and essential market information - including
industry news, analysis, research and insights - for members of the
financial services community, as well as related fields such as
accounting and technology. Through its comprehensive library of
professional publications, suite of industry-standard data
applications, and in-depth seminars and conferences, SourceMedia
(www.sourcemedia.com) offers its clients and subscribers a valuable
and sophisticated range of products and services.

About Celent

Celent is a research and advisory firm dedicated to helping
financial institutions formulate comprehensive business and technology
strategies. Celent publishes reports identifying trends and best
practices in financial services technology and conducts consulting
engagements for financial institutions looking to use technology to
enhance existing business processes or launch new business strategies.
With a team of internationally experienced analysts, Celent is
uniquely positioned to offer strategic advice and market insights on a
global basis. More information about Celent's insurance practice is
available online at www.celent.com/insurance.asp

Celent
Dana Lautin, 212-269-7549
PR Manager
cweber@celent.com
or
Insurance Networking News
Holli Gronset, 312-983-6178
Associate Publisher
holli.gronset@sourcemedia.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008