I’ve been fortunate in my career to be involved with two start-up magazines. It’s been
nearly 15 years since I had the first opportunity and all I can say about that experience
is that I really didn’t know much at all about what I was doing. Thankfully, that is not
the case with this, the first edition of ITA Pro magazine.
Fifteen years ago I could never imagine the possibility of writing 3,000 words on the
different aspects of predictive analytics or whether the core systems insurers are being asked
to invest in today will have the longevity of the legacy systems they all hope to retire.
But here I am, editing a new magazine and website and excited about the possibilities of what the Insurance Technology Association can do for the audience we serve.
One of the things I’m particularly excited about is the collaboration of the men and
women who make up our ITA Advisory Board. Jim Daggett, executive director of the
ITA and publisher of this magazine, and I sought out insurance IT executives who care
not just about the performance of their company, but how technology can make their
business and the entire insurance industry successful.
Never having worked with an advisory board before, I didn’t know what to expect,
but in just a few short months we managed to put together a group that believes there
is a place for the ITA in this market and want to help us provide their peers with valuable ideas and content that will enlighten and inform the insurance IT community.
Some might ask: Why is the ITA publishing a print magazine in an era where many
believe paper is akin to dinosaurs. For one, we are offering a digital edition of this magazine that many of you may be using to read this column right now. Second, in nearly 25
combined years in the market, Daggett and I believe there is still value in print.
We have spoken to insurance IT leaders, consultants to the insurance industry, and
the people who buy advertisements to reach our target audience and we came to the
conclusion that there is still value in print editions. So, four times each year our members have a reason to check with their mailman to find the latest edition of ITA Pro.
But news and ideas move much faster than print technology, which is why we encourage you to spend time each day visiting our website to find news reports that are
of interest to carriers and vendors, blogs written by me and a large stable of industry
consultants, and some feature articles written by the ITA staff and some of the most
valued partners in the software solution market.
Fifteen years ago when I tried this I was afraid that I would never understand this
whole technology thing and scared my bosses would discover I was right to be nervous. Today is a new day for me, the ITA, and hopefully for you as well. There are great
and exciting things taking place and we relish the opportunity to present them to you.
I’m looking forward to writing for you and even more, I’m looking forward to
hearing back from you. Call me or write me—my phone number and email address
are on the masthead—or join me on LinkedIn and Twitter. And if you are receiving
a complimentary edition of this magazine, be sure to visit www.itapro.org//register/
membership to sign up with the ITA. There are plenty of other benefits beyond this
magazine. We’ve got a lot to share so let’s get started. ITA
Robert Regis Hyle
It’s a New Dawn for the ITA
PRO
PRO
Tricia S. Blair
Lincoln Financial Group
Daniel Colarusso
Cypress Insurance Group
Thomas Dunbar
XL Group
Miguel Edwards
Allstate Ivantage Select
Lawrence Fortin
Millers Mutual Insurance
Judith L. Haddad
Patriot Insurance Group
Scott A. McCrae
Fireman’s Fund Insurance
Wade Rugenstein
NTA Life
Kath Sandklev
AIG
Larissa Tosch
Glatfelter Insurance Group
For Advertising contact Jim Daggett
at jim@itapro.org or 631-241-3301
For Editorial, contact Robert Regis Hyle
at bob@itapro.org or 812-747-7159
For reprints and licensing please
contact Jim Daggett at jim@itapro.org
or call 631-241-3301
ITA Pro magazine is published
quarterly in print and tablet forms
and twice more in tablet-only form.
Copyright © 2014 by the Insurance
Technology Association. All rights
reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without prior
written permission of the Insurance
Technology Association.
