Linda Zafonte, CIO of the New York State Insurance Fund, Named a Computerworld Premier 100 IT Leader - msnbc.com

NEW YORK, NY — Information Builders, a leader in business intelligence (BI), information integrity, and integration solutions, today announced that Linda B. Zafonte, chief information officer at the New York State Insurance Fund -- an Information Builders customer -- has been named a Computerworld 2012 Premier 100 IT Leader. The 2012 Premier 100 IT Leaders Awards recognizes 100 business and technology leaders for their exceptional technology leadership, innovative ideas, and effectively managed IT strategies.

Zafonte was selected for her vision, leadership, and astute stewardship of public funds. Her five-year strategic plan includes spearheading a mainframe modernization project, deploying a new data warehouse, implementing modern financial and human resources applications, creating a web portal supporting virtual desktops, and rolling out an enterprise-wide BI environment based on Information Builders' Insurance Performance Foundation. Under her direction, the state implemented a secure eBusiness platform that enables workers' compensation policyholders to enter payroll data online for the purposes of determining premiums. This online service pre-populates an e-form, manages a secure authentication process, and gathers an electronic signature. Zafonte leveraged an existing authentication service from another state agency to facilitate this process at no cost. Eliminating manual payroll processes and replacing them with secure electronic transactions will save the state millions of dollars over a five-year period.

New York State Insurance Fund selected Information Builders' technology and services after an objective and comprehensive scoring process. It worked with Information Builders Professional Services to create a BI environment that helps managers to measure goals, analyze data, and gauge how each office and operating unit is performing in support of the Insurance Fund's mission. Having a BI platform that enables "management by numbers" ensures governmental efficiency and foresight as Zafonte and her team learn to detect and respond to predictive patterns.

"Ms. Zafonte's efforts help to ensure that all New York businesses have Workers' Compensation insurance available to them at a fair price and that a solvent state insurance fund is always available to them," said Gerald Cohen, president and CEO of Information Builders, one of the state's largest software companies. "Her progressive IT roadmap fast-tracks agency objectives while mitigating costs."

The Premier 100 program was created in 2000 to spotlight individuals who have had a positive impact on their organizations through technology. Each year, 100 honorees are selected to receive this lifetime recognition award. More information is available at premier100.com.

About the New York State Insurance Fund
NYSIF, created as part of the Workers' Compensation Law of 1914, is New York's largest workers' compensation insurance carrier. By law, NYSIF is a competitive insurance carrier that sells workers' compensation and disability benefits insurance to any employer doing business in New York State. Approximately 170,000 employers hold NYSIF workers' compensation insurance policies (approximately 31 percent of the market), while 61,000 employers maintain active disability benefits policies.

About Computerworld
Computerworld is the leading source of technology news and information for IT influencers worldwide, providing peer perspective, IT leadership, and business results. Computerworld's award-winning website, bi-weekly publication, focused conference series and custom research forms the hub of the world's largest (40+ edition) global IT media network. Computerworld is published by IDG Enterprise, a subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading media, events, and research company.

About Information Builders
Information Builders helps organizations transform data into business value. Our software solutions for business intelligence and analytics, integration, and data integrity empower people to make smarter decisions, strengthen customer relationships, and drive growth. Our dedication to customer success is unmatched in the industry. That's why tens of thousands of leading organizations rely on Information Builders to be their trusted partner. Founded in 1975, Information Builders is headquartered in New York, NY, with offices around the world, and remains one of the largest independent, privately held companies in the industry. Visit us at www.informationbuilders.com, follow us on Twitter at @infobldrs, like us on Facebook and visit our LinkedIn page.

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