ADVERTORIAL

Technological innovations:

Driving Union Assurance forward

As Union Assurance (UA) repositions itself to a platform of trust, the company firmly believes that information technology (IT) has a significant role to play in delivering its brand promise.

UA will drive the promise of trust based on three key pillars of transparency, convenience and being respectful.

“Living the brand will be the challenge, but we are confident that our technological enhancements will make it achievable.” said UA General Manager - IT, Chandana Jayasooriya.

Jayasooriya believes that change creates the best opportunities, specially done at the right time. He said that “At a time our country is stepping in to a new era, hopeful of better times ahead, we believe that this is the best time to initiate change for a new brand preposition.”

Jayasooriya said, “We have always been a company driven by technological innovations and probably the benchmark in the industry. IT has been the backbone of UA from its inception.

Even the very first insurance policy was generated from a fully-fledged IT system, back in 1987. Since then, we have been continuously in line with the technological advancements to empower the business.”

Jayasooriya said “UA will be steadfast in reinforcing the changes through IT. Our unique approach to insurance business involves the use of common technologies such as email, internet, mobile phone, SMS and mobile computers in an innovative manner, which enables a customer to obtain insurance services with much convenience. UA’s IT infrastructure has improved to an extent that the state-of-the-art technologies such as video conferencing has been a day-to-day activity, which provides convenience and transparency to its business dealings. We’re making insurance simpler, faster and easier. It cuts down costs for our customers.

The fact that IT systems at UA are seamlessly integrated and can be accessed through user-friendly interfaces, which is backed by well secured, robust and time-tested technologies, speaks for itself. What’s more, it benefits customers and builds trust towards UA.

“Trust is the brand promise of UA and we will use the best of Information Technology to maintain transparency, convenience and to be respectful. As insurance is based on utmost good faith, customers primarily look for a trusted partner to work with.” Jayasooriya said.

SafeNet felicitates Epic Lanka

Epic Lanka received the Best Performing Channel Partner 2009 Award from SafeNet Inc. at the Channel Partners Conference 2010 held in Thailand last week. SafeNet Inc. is a world leader in providing transaction security with hardware and software solutions. Epic Lanka, the winner of the National Business Excellence Award in ICT sector for two consecutive years of 2008 and 2009, represents SafeNet in Sri Lanka with award winning performance.

Epic Lanka, being a responsible technology partner of the banking industry has developed a world class solution to eliminate credit card frauds. This solution named Epic Terminal Line Encryption (TLE) adheres to latest guidelines of the major global credit card operators and also conforms to highest international standards in Secure Electronic Payments. Epic Lanka is conducting a Symposium on TLE on February 18, at Cinnamon Lake Side Colombo to brief the solution to key decision-makers in banks operating in Sri Lanka.

Dettol driving hygiene habits in Sri Lanka

Dettol, the leading brand of Reckitt Benckiser, has been conducting an extensive awareness campaign across the island. “Dettol is a leading brand in the country providing world class health and hygiene solutions to consumers. However, we feel, providing a world class brand is not enough; increasing the awareness of good health and hygienic practices are equally important to have a healthy home and family. With this in mind, we have initiated the “Dettol Protects Campaign,” said Reckitt Benckiser’s Managing Director, Reazul Chowdhury.

Over the past two years, Dettol has been investing millions of Rupees to educate and increase the awareness of good health and hygienic practices in Sri Lanka. Dettol’s campaign, termed “Dettol Protects” was intensified with the onslaught of Swine Flu in 2009. ‘Dettol Protects is a multi faceted campaign to educate people and drive awareness about good hygiene practices, specially targeting people who are most vulnerable. Dettol Protects campaign includes - educating children in school, new mothers in maternity wards, and the general public - specially in crowded areas,” said Reckitt Benckiser’s Marketing Director, Zakaria Ahmed, speaking on the Company’s ‘Dettol Protects” CSR campaign.

The Dettol Protects Campaign covered over 100 locations in key towns across the island with the objective of spreading the hygiene message across Sri Lanka to protect and safeguard through proper education, empowerment and knowledge. Each location focused on the importance of general and hand cleanliness - showing the correct way of washing hands, many of the local people also experienced with the help of Dettol team the right way of hand washing at the Dettol mobile hand-washing unit.

The Dettol team also created awareness on the different ways of safeguarding against the swine flu, by distributing awareness leaflets.

Mobitel relocates Ratnapura Branch

Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel, relocated its Ratnapura branch recently to No. 227, Main Street, Rathnapura.

This complete one stop shop comprises dealer counters and skilful customer relation executives to serve the consumer.

The branch is Wi-Fi enabled to ensure ease of browser accessibility and superior service standards.

The relocation was carried out to enhance customer convenience.

NSB, New Philip Hospitals launch privilege card

Adding to the services provided by Sri Lankan Banks, for the first time in Sri Lanka, the National Savings Bank is providing its customers with a Privilege Card which will provide their customers with a better health service. NSB partnered with New Philip Hospitals (Pvt) Ltd, (NHPL) Kalutara and launched the card on 10/02/2010 at the NSB Kalutara Branch. This is a historical event in the Sri Lankan Banking and Healthcare industries.

This event was inaugurated by NSB General Manager Sunil Perera and the New Philip Hospitals Kalutara, Chairperson / Managing Directress Indrani Fernando.

New Philip Hospitals Chairman/ Medical Director Dr. Christo Fernando, NSB Senior DGM Dammika Perera, NSB DGM, Kusum Amarathunga, NSB Zonal Manager T.L.K.Wijarathna, NSB Deputy DGM, K.Ravendran, NSB Kalutara Branch Manager T.M.D.G.D.De Alwis, New Philip Hospitals, Kalutara, Manager Finance and Marketing Shiraan Fernando and NSB customers attended the event.

New Philip Hospitals provides a wide and comprehensive range of healthcare services with a team of over 30 dedicated medical specialists in various disciplines, covering almost the entire gamut of medical diagnosis and treatment. Comparable to the best in Asia, its medical expertise can draw benefits from latest advances in medical science through recourse to state-of-the-art, sophisticated equipment.

New Philip Hospital, Kalutara, has further expanded by setting up many collecting Centres over 25 across in and around Kalutara District and has been accepted as the sole health care provider by all 5 Star and other Tourist Resorts in the Western and Southern Coastal belts and other organizations viz, SriLankan Airlines, SLPA, SLT, CEB, LECO and all leading Insurance Companies etc.

NPHL is instrumental in bringing the first Mammogram and 4D Anomaly Scanner to the Southern Region. There are only three of these scanners in Sri Lanka.

A much needed Cardiology Unit with Echo and Tread Mill test (Exercise ECG) and Ophthalmology Unit (Eye) headed by a Specialist Consultant.

Intensive Care Unit with latest of ventilators, defibrillators etc. New Philip Hospital won the Gold award for the best hospital in the Kalutara district for its dedication and unparallel services.

Any NSB customer could obtain this Privilege Card. The customers could obtain various healthcare benefits at New Philip Hospitals such as discounts on medical check ups, pharmacy bill, ward bills, scans and lab tests.

Customers could call and reserve an appointment to channel a specialist. Ambulance services would be provided for emergency situations, priority would be given when serving NSB customers and many more benefits would be included in this scheme in the future.

‘Family Savari’:

Ceylinco Life selects winners

More than 2,200 people from every district of Sri Lanka celebrated last month, when they learnt that they were the winners of the third edition of Ceylinco Life Family Savari, the mega promotion conducted annually by Ceylinco Life.

Sophisticated in-house-developed information technology was deployed to choose the family that would receive an all-expenses-paid luxury ocean cruise, the 200 families that would holiday in Singapore, and the 500 families that would enjoy a day’s outing at Leisure World.

Out of the total number of policyholders, only those who sent family photographs and application forms as required by the rules of the promotion were considered. The grand prize of a luxury ocean cruise was won by a family in Kegalle.

“The Family Savari promotion has become phenomenally popular, and the response from people from all walks of life is overwhelming,” said Ceylinco Life Deputy Chief Executive Director Thushara Ranasinghe. “It is also one of the largest promotions in Sri Lanka that involve direct interaction with customers and is a good example of our affinity with our policyholder community,” he said.

The promotion covered policyholders whose policies were active as at December 31, 2009, new policyholders who purchased life insurance between October 1 and December 31, 2009, and persons who have or who opened Ceylinco Retirement Accounts (CRA) during the three months of the promotion as well as those who have or purchased investment-linked insurance during this period.

The Family Savari event is intended to generate greater awareness of and interest in life insurance in market segments as yet unprotected through insurance, reward existing policyholders for keeping their policies active and provide an incentive to others to revive and maintain their policies.

For the purpose of the promotion, a winning family is defined as the policyholder, spouse and two children.