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Lose Your Job And Win A High Definition TV!
by Robert Franco
 | 2007/03/20 |
The ALTA Tech Forum 2007 in Denver is coming up in April. It looks like a great conference with lots of interesting topics planned. Here are a few:
The Apple Story: Entrepreneurs Spark a Revolution
A Silicon Valley icon and philanthropist for the past three decades, Steve Wozniak, Co-Founder of Apple Computer and, now, Chairman and CEO of Wheels of Zeus (wOz), helped shape the computing industry.
Microsoft Speaks! The Vista OS, Office 2007, and You!
Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007 are ready for action and may already be on your desktop.
An eRecording Tour - See How It’s Done in Douglas County, Colorado
You’ve heard about eRecording and may be seeing the reality in your market, but have you seen the process up close? Jack Arrowsmith, Douglas County Clerk and Recorder, invites you to meet the personnel and see each step of the eRecording process in Douglas County, Colorado, from document receipt to stamping, fees, storage, and retrieval.
If you are an ALTA member, the registration cost is $525 if you register before March 30. If you are not a member and you register after March 30, it will cost you $725. Room rates vary from $209 to $249. They also have some terrific door prizes, including a High Definition TV, an Apple iPOD, and a Bose Soundsystem.
While you are there, you just might learn more about where all of your abstracting work has gone. Some of the vendors who will be displaying at the Tech Forum are the same ones who want to replace the abstractor with cheaper automated title searches or out-sourced online searching from India. Here are a few examples:
Source of Title Blog ::
GATORS® Unit of Fiserv Lending Solutions Introduces On-line Title Abstracting Tool:
"GatorSearch provides GATORS users the ability to execute self-service title searches, greatly reducing the turnaround times associated with traditional examiner/courthouse abstracting. Reports can be run from the office or home computer to provide searches that are fast, comprehensive, reliable and precise."
NEXTACE GIVES TITLE INDUSTRY FIRST AUTOMATED RESALE CAPABILITY THROUGH TITLE EDGE®
"NextAce is expanding its automated title software and services offering, Title EDGE®, to deliver full resale and long-form commitments. By automating the resale process, the consumer can benefit from a faster settlement, title insurers can deliver a faster and more consistent product while reducing their associated production costs, and lenders realize process improvement and faster application-to-close turn time.
NextAce has led the title technology charge to service both large and small title insurers with Title EDGE. Founded in 2003, NextAce has processed over 300,000 preliminary title reports and commitments, and is delivering on more than 80 percent of submitted orders. Title EDGE is the nation’s leading automated title examination and report generation product".
String Real Estate Information Services:
"Online title examination – current owner to chain of title and all varieties of searches in-between using online county plants and private sources."
Also from String Real Estate Information Serivices, Outsourcing Decision Has Benefits, Chellenges:
"Another benefit of offshoring results in (sic) a 24/7 processing. Since most of the outsourcing does go to India, many processes can be completed overnight, allowing U.S. businesses come back the next day with a day’s work completed.
The more obvious benefits include lower labor cost. However, there is also the possibility of obtaining additional services."
ALTA lists, among those who should attend the Tech Forum: abstractors, searchers, and examiners. I find it a little ironic that ALTA is promoting the companies that want to put the abstractors out of work, yet encouraging them to attend. Although the vendor booths are full, I suppose an abstractor could sponsor one of the many events to promote the low-tech, thorough title search conducted in the courthouse by a skilled professional abstractor. Perhaps one of these sponsorship opportunities is still available:
- Keynote Speaker: $20,000
- General Session Speaker: $10,000
- Welcome Reception: $10,000
Still too expensive? Well maybe one of these sponsorship opportunities will fit your budget:
- Continental Breakfast: $4,000 each
- HDTV Prize Drawing: $3,000
- Bottled Water: $2,500 + the cost of water and labels
- Tech Forum Tote Bags: $6,000 + cost of tote bag & printing
- On-site Massages: $3,000
Sadly, most of the abstractors I know can't afford to attend the conference, let alone pay for a booth or sponsor an event. The industry has constantly tried to eliminate the need for the abstractors, and beat them up on prices where they are still used. But, you are invited to attend the Tech Forum; they still care about you.
So, if you are going to go to the Tech Conference, let me know how it is. I'm sure it will be interesting. I'm a techie and I'd love to see some of the events, but its not in my budget. If you do make it, see if you can get Steve Wazniak's autograph for me! And, while you are there find out where all the abstracting work is going. You might find out you are losing your job, but you could win a High Definition TV.
Robert A. Franco
SOURCE OF TITLE
rfranco@sourceoftitle.com
Categories: Abstractors, Land Title Associations, Technology
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