NEW YORK, Aug. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The editors of Insurance & Technology, part of the InformationWeek Business Technology Network, have released their special report, The Top 11 Schools for Insurance Technology Talent, a ranking of the top insurance technology schools across the United States.

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Insurance carriers provide outstanding career opportunities for IT professionals with a variety of talents and training, but the industry remains something of a "best-kept secret." Graduates from the top technology programs often aim at industries that are perceived to be higher tech, and at vanguard technology companies such as Google and Facebook.

But the insurance industry "is building an impressive array of technology," according to Mark Clark, CIO at Lansing, Michigan-based Jackson National Life.

"Working here," Clark told Insurance & Technology, "you can program in a variety of languages and use any of the major database technologies on a variety of hardware platforms. We have two state-of-the-art data centers with thousands of servers. Both established professionals and people contemplating entering the field would find Jackson a fascinating place to work."

To compile its inaugural list, in addition to Clark, Insurance & Technology editors asked other industry experts — including executives from The Hanover (Worcester, MA), Prudential Financial (Newark, NJ) and Torus Insurance (London) — to identify the best schools for finding tomorrow's highly skilled insurance IT workforce. Insurance & Technology has identified 11 institutions of higher learning that multiple carriers rate as outstanding institutions to tap for highly qualified IT talent.

According to the InformationWeek 2012 U.S. IT Salary Survey: Insurance, median total cash compensation for IT staff in the insurance industry is $96,000 annually. "The insurance industry offers an excellent opportunity for technologists to build an exciting and rewarding career," says Insurance & Technology Editorial Director Katherine Burger. "And a degree from any of these schools makes a great first impression on our insurance experts."

The Insurance & Technology Top 11 Schools for Insurance Technology Talent are, in alphabetical order:  Clemson University (Clemson, SC); Michigan State University; Michigan Technological University (Houghton, MI); Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY); Stephens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, NJ); Tennessee Tech University (Cookeville, TN); the University of Florida (Gainesville, FL); the University of Wisconsin (Madison, WI); Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA) and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester, MA).

The report can be accessed here: http://www.insurancetech.com/top-schools/?cid=ist_prn_release

About Insurance & Technology (www.insurancetech.com)

Insurance & Technology's editorial mission is to provide insurance company technology and business executives with the targeted and timely information and analysis they need to get a return on the technology investments required to advance business strategies and be more profitable, productive and competitive. Our content spans across multiple media platforms -- including online, digital editions, print magazine, e-newsletter, live events, virtual events, Webcasts, video, blogs and RSS feeds -- so insurance executives can access information via any channel/platform they prefer. Insurance & Technology's audience comprises the key lines of business -- life, property/casualty, reinsurance and health -- and ranges from global and multiline insurance companies to specialty lines carriers. Key ongoing areas of focus include big data/analytics, mobile, policy administration, claims, distribution, regulation/compliance, risk management/underwriting, social media, security and architecture/infrastructure.

About UBM TechWeb (www.ubmtechweb.com)

UBM TechWeb, the global leader in technology media and professional information, enables people and organizations to harness the transformative power of technology. Through its three core businesses – media solutions, marketing services and paid content – UBM TechWeb produces the most respected and consumed brands and media applications in the technology market. More than 14.5 million business and technology professionals (CIOs and IT managers, Web & Digital professionals, Software Developers, Government decision makers, and Telecom providers) actively engage in UBM TechWeb's communities and information resources monthly. UBM TechWeb brands include: global face-to-face events such as Interop, Web 2.0, Black Hat and Enterprise Connect; award-winning online resources such as InformationWeek, Light Reading, and Network Computing; and market-leading magazines InformationWeek, Wall Street & Technology and Advanced Trading. UBM TechWeb is a UBM plc company, a global provider of news distribution and specialist information services with a market capitalization of more than $2.5 billion.

Contact:

Katherine Burger
Editorial Director
Insurance & Technology
212-600-3062
kburger@techweb.com

SOURCE UBM TechWeb