What’s New: In Brief (April 09, 2008)

Aviva Canada Inc. has reached an agreement to acquire National Home Warranty Group of Companies (National Home).
The deal is expected to close within the next 90 days, an Aviva release says.
National Home provides new home warranty coverage to new home purchasers in Western Canada, the release adds.
“This acquisition will add momentum to our already strong drive for growth in Western Canada,” says Ross Betteridge, executive vice president and chief operating officer, corporate partnerships and emerging markets, Aviva Canada Inc., said in a press release. “It will also leverage Aviva Canada’s expertise in both construction insurance and surety along with our unique specialty lines and warranty products.”

CGI Group Inc. has launched a service that helps government agencies and policing organizations in Canada identify vehicles that do not have insurance.
CGI teamed up with the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario to refine its Insurance Validation Service through a number of pilot projects in Ontario and Atlantic Canada in 2007, a CGI release says.
These pilot projects and field trials included an evaluation conducted by RCMP National Traffic Service.
By helping the authorities to identify uninsured drivers, the system is designed to minimize the number of incidents involving uninsured drivers, which results in the consumer paying higher insurance premiums and registration fees.
“Now that we have shown that the solution helps address this serious concern, we look forward to working with all parties to make this service available coast-to-coast,” said Wayne Beck, vice president, Consulting Services, CGI.