Across the country, insurers' IT departments are waging battles on many fronts. Rapidly changing business needs, new regulatory demands, and aging legacy systems all require time and personnel. And let's not forget the challenges of a struggling economy and a competitive insurance market.

The way to win this battle, according to Mike Sciol?, is not to pull back and retrench; it is to go forward and innovate. "We're still using old ways to solve new problems, and many of the supposedly 'innovative' ideas being proposed today simply are repackaging of old ideas," says Sciol?, CIO of Burlington Insurance Group and Guilford Specialty Group and panelist at the 2009 IT Town Hall this morning at 9:30 a.m.

Exploring innovative and emerging technologies and the best ways to leverage systems for competitive advantage is the focus of this year's Town Hall. Moderating the panel discussion will be Rod Travers, senior vice president of technology at Robert E. Nolan Company, who explains the goal of session organizers was to bring together a cross-section of backgrounds and experience for attendees.