Weblog

These are exciting times for the insurance industry, and the development of insurancetimes.co.uk continues apace.

In an attempt to reflect your needs, our ambition and my ego we bring you weblog: the almost-informative, slightly less irreverent weekly run down of what’s been happening in the industry, online and, on occasion, at my house.

With 2008 looking as though it could be a pivotal year for UK insurance plc, you can sleep soundly at night, safe in the knowledge that there will be more breaking news, more analysis and, perhaps, even a little fun courtesy of Insurance Times and insurancetimes.co.uk.

That’s because our ever-popular Backchat will be going cyber, with an expanded online section to whet your comic appetites.

We’re also looking to bring more of you on board to lighten the load on our incumbent blogger general – Biba chief, Eric Galbraith.

Watch this [cyber] space.

Either that or you’ll see even more of my ugly mug plastered over the site.

“I could end up spending most of my time thwarting audacious attempts by Russian and Chinese hackers to steal our sensitive data via botnets, drones, and various other forms of impenetrable terminology.

Meanwhile, we have launched a new monthly feature, Insurance 2.0, to reflect the role that technology has to play in the insurance space – and the growing need for editorial that can be used as a business tool, not merely a sleeping aid.

Thanks to the first instalment, it seems I could end up spending most of my time thwarting audacious attempts by Russian and Chinese hackers to steal our sensitive data via botnets, drones, and various other forms of impenetrable terminology. The price that information could fetch in Leadenhall market…

A brief taste then of what’s to come. Other than gratuitous plugging, what has been going on since the insurance world supposedly stopped spinning for a fortnight?

While our sister publications, Global Reinsurance and Strategic Risk, have produced hard-hitting analyses on the Bermuda elections and catastrophe swaps, I was delighted to stumble across the insurance blog of broker Adrian Flux, which, having promised the “hottest girls in insurance”, must be seen to be believed. Oh dear.

Ahead of my next jaunt to Val d’Isère, I also found incredibly useful tips on mountainside etiquette, courtesy of 24/7 Travel Insurance Blog. The list includes pointers on entering, starting, stopping, overtaking and above all, respect.

But enough of this tomfoolery. If you’re still reading please take a look at other elements of our new look, which kicks off with my six favourite websites – or, as it happens, six sites that make me look a lot cooler than I really am.

Please send in your choices for inclusion in later weeks to tom.flack@instimes.co.uk