I recently returned from the 2nd annual ACORD/LOMA Insurance Systems Forum. The emphasis of these meetings is technology, and they provide a good, solid overview of what is available to the industry and the direction those technologies are taking. There seemed to be less evangelism about standards and more of a focus on how all aspects of technology can be leveraged to create lean, mean insurance providers. This is a good thing. Of course, we couldn't escape the standards mantra altogether. We were informed about ACORD standards in a variety of ways–most obviously through the distribution of a new book, The Business Information Revolution, by ACORD CEO Greg Maciag, which was released at the conference. Maciag "draws upon his many years in the insurance industry and with data standards to help readers understand not only what standards are but how they are crucial to remain competitive," according to an ACORD press release. All in all, it is a good introduction to standards in the industry and the role ACORD has played in those standards. The conference working sessions seemed to be less about pure technology and more about business and technology. And that makes perfect sense as the role of the CIO has evolved into that of a tech-savvy business adviser to the CEO.

There were two keynote presentations on the second day of the conference, and they both were a welcome change from the typical keynoters. I am a little tired of the self-promoters who spend 90 minutes telling us what a great job they did when they were in charge and how, when things went south, it wasn't their fault. I am equally tired of the rah-rah to be the best you can be. Norman Vincent Peale covered that adequately more than 50 years ago in The Power of Positive Thinking. So, we had two keynotes on day number two. In the morning, we listened to Don Tapscott discuss his latest co-authored book, The Naked Corporation (http://www.nakedcorporation.com). Tapscott bills himself as a futurist, and while I am not quite sure what that is exactly, he is an entertaining speaker who provided a logical foundation for adapting the philosophy that a corporation that embraces transparency is one that will enhance its reputation and gain competitive advantages. The second keynote was a real surprise. Jeff Galloway, an Olympic runner and running coach, ostensibly talked about "Gaining Momentum in the Business Race." What he really talked about was his career and physical fitness.

Don't Be a Couch Potato