The Real-Time World:Enabled by ACORD Standards [Paperback]

Gregory A. Maciag (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 17, 2009

Drawing on his years of experience in insurance technology, ACORD's President & CEO Gregory A. Maciag has released his second book - The Real-Time World: Enabled by ACORD Standards. In it, Maciag addresses today's pressing technological and economic issues while illustrating the role that standards play in supporting business through good times and bad. Maciag provides new insights and perspectives on the industry, asserting that the policies and best practices established today will pay dividends over time. Maciag also stresses the strategic importance of standards and the need to get them implemented across the industry, especially in light of today's business and economy conditions. By providing information in bite-sized chunks, he creates not only a business guide but a strategy for standards implementation. Supporting this goal is an appendix replete with information on ACORD including the Standards, forms, members, and ongoing initiatives. According to his introduction ''We live in a 'real-time' world today. The global economy is not an abstraction, but a realization that we are all connected for better or worse. Barriers to open trade should not only ne national issues but corporate concerns as well. Economic islands do not exist and I have no doubt that you will 'get it'.''

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gregrory A. Maciag has 40 years of insurance industry experience. He joined ACORD in 1977 and has served as President & CEO since 1994. His vision has positioned ACORD as a world-class standards development organization serving both national and international insurance markets. Maciag is a recognized expert and columnist who authored hundreds of columns on business standards and technology. Prior to joining ACORD, he held information systems positions with the Chubb Group and the National Council on Compensation Insurance. He resides in New Jersey with his wife Carol and daughter Michelle.

Product Details

• Paperback: 350 pages
• Publisher: ACORD Corporation; First Edition edition (May 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976896710
• ISBN-13: 978-0976896715
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #265,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required Reading, August 15, 2009

By 

David Clausen "WCFL" (OKC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Real-Time World:Enabled by ACORD Standards (Paperback)

Finally someone else gets it. And he tells it like it is. The Insurance industry has done a poor job of leveraging advances in technology. Often referred to as the Dinosaur in IT circles. The author does a very good job of making the case for using standards to bring the industry into this new era.

He also spends a fair amount of time discussing alternate ways to get standards incorporated into your projects. Some will say that it is an all or nothing proposition and this is just not the case. I have been in the IT industry for over 20 years. Most of my experience is in enterprise application integration using standards. It is obvious to me that Mr. Maciag has real hands on experience and knows how to get it done. With as little risk as possible.

If you are in IT I suggest you start with the Chapter 25 and read to the end of the book. Then go back to Chapter 1. In some of the earlier chapters he downplays the IT role. However, by the end of the book it is obvious that without IT involved the standards would not be implemented.

This book should be required reading for any Insurance Executive. Or any business executive for that matter.