A.M. Best's E-Fusion Podcast Examines Cutting Edge Use of Wireless Technology with Mike Bondura of R.E. Nolan

Business Wire, Sept 29, 2006

OLDWICK, N.J. -- The latest edition of A.M. Best's E-Fusion Podcast explores how insurers are using wireless technology, with Mike Bondura of the Robert E. Nolan Co.

Wireless technology was first adopted within the insurance industry for executive communications, but has spread dramatically, Bondura explains in the interview.

"In the P/C industry, auto damage appraising and adjusting is one area where many of the large carriers, and now even many of the mid-sized and smaller players are going wireless," he said, noting that wireless is also important in the life, as well as other sectors of the insurance industry. "Keeping the sales agents tied in is another area we are seeing."

Insurers are quickly moving beyond mainstream uses of wireless, Bondura said. "It's all about customer response. We know of one company that's using satellite and wireless in smaller events to deploy adjusters to customer locations and those customers may not have even reported a property claim yet."

Bondura will be a presenter at A.M. Best's E-Fusion Conference, set for Oct. 23-24, at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston.

Robert E. Nolan Co. is a management consulting firm that specializes in insurance, banking and health care. Bondura is a property/casualty veteran who specializes in insurance.

A.M. Best's E-Fusion Conference focuses on developments in insurance technology, insurance issues and operations. Part of the conference involves finalists making presentations for the E-Fusion Awards. The awards, which are independently judged, seek to recognize innovative uses of insurance technology.

In conjunction with the conference, A.M. Best Co. has launched a new podcast series focused on insurance technology and the E-Fusion Conference. The audio series covers technology developments, conference details and the E-Fusion Awards. Each episode includes an interview with a technology leader associated with the E-Fusion Conference.

Links to listen to and subscribe to the E-Fusion Podcast are available at http://feeds.feedburner.com/e-fusion2006. iTunes users can subscribe at: http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id= 165758578. (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)

Conference information is available at www.efusion2006.com.

A.M. Best Co., established in 1899, is the world's oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For more information, visit A.M. Best's Web site at www.ambest.com.