An interesting dichotomy in insurance technology gradually has developed. On the one hand, many IT executives remain mired in the same questions that plagued them or their predecessors 10 or 15 years ago: What to do about legacy systems, build vs. buy, how to do data management right, etc.those old familiar evergreen issues. At the same time, with advancements in technology, the industry has been inching to technologys forefront, starting from the now ubiquitous cell phone to what (according to many of the CIOs profiled in our Automated Exec department) seemingly is a CIOs new best friend, the BlackBerry, to global positioning systems and maybe even radio frequency identification. Another dichotomy: These changes that make our lives more efficient and simple also make them more complex. Think of the newfound network strain and the demand for security.

Nevertheless, the bottom line is carriers that recognize todays IT frontier is tomorrows Main Street are the companies that will dominate. Of course, this doesnt mean chasing a new technology is the key to success or without risk. Furthermore, this march forward increases the pressure on insurers as their size and resources decrease, but its a fact of competitiononly the strongest survive.

The strongest not only comprehend new technology developments but are able to leverage them as such new tools prove themselves. This applies equally to IT and business, which means business needs to be part of the education process.