Insurance Software Company Selects AT&T to Support Future System Enhancements
UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill., July 2, 2008 ¾ AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) today announced a three-year contract with Insuresoft, a leading insurance software vendor for the property and casualty insurance industry. As its primary provider, AT&T will deliver a portfolio of hosting services that keeps Insuresoft connected and “always on” for its customers.
Insuresoft will take advantage of AT&T’s collocation services, housing its equipment at one of 38 AT&T global Internet Data Centers (IDCs). AT&T will provide scalable bandwidth to Insuresoft, ensuring the reliable power and connectivity that is required to support Insuresoft’s services and customers. Both cost efficient and flexible, AT&T’s solution assigns the optimal bandwidth that is needed to support network traffic and Insuresoft’s Web tools.
“From the start, we needed a collaborative provider with the power and connectivity to ensure a top-notch experience for our customers,” said Chris Blair, vice president of Product Management for Insuresoft. “AT&T has the complete set of solutions and capability to support Insuresoft’s operations and paves the way for our company to evolve applications to a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model.”
In addition to expanded bandwidth and extensive hosting services, Insuresoft will benefit from the AT&T BusinessDirect® Web portal and management tools. This online platform securely provides access to applications for convenient bill payment and network data analysis
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Buckeye Case Study
Insuresoft's Diamond Policy Processing System Shines Bright for Buckeye Insurance
What small company hasn’t found itself in Buckeye Insurance Group’s shoes? You get so caught up in the day-to-day operation of your business that you reach the point where your job is less about doing business and more about how you do business. For Chris Haines and the IT department at Buckeye, that meant spending their time keeping a legacy mainframe system—and a homegrown one at that—operating, instead of helping the company and its independent agents sell insurance policies.
Buckeye had spent 20 years enhancing the insurance software system, and its problems and limitations were becoming obvious. Haines, the P&C insurer’s manager of technical operations, said staffing (and turnover) was becoming a major issue. "We could not just take RPG programmers off the street, bring them in, and have them start maintaining this system," he said. "They needed to understand its inner workings. That only comes from experience and having your hands on the insurance software system."
From a creative standpoint, this was also hurting the IT department. Instead of luring new and talented workers with the promise of developing exciting ways to do business with its agency force (websites, agency interfaces, etc.), Haines and the staff were spending time and money on maintaining an old insurance software system. End-user training was another problem: The old insurance software system used
green screens, which meant the staff had to be trained to look closely for things such as coverage limits. Using temporary help was virtually impossible, because it took up to three months to train new personnel on the system.
Buckeye initially considered building a new policy processing system of its own, but personnel changes made that more of a stretch, according to Haines. There were starts and stops along the way, but by 1999 the company was ready for an outside solution and decided on the Diamond System. In September of 2000, Buckeye went live with Diamond 4.0. Within six months, data conversion for the personal-auto line was complete, and 10,000 policies were in the insurance software system. Haines said he was hoping to get roughly 75 percent of policy information from the data conversion, but instead got between 90 and 95 percent.
Converting to any property and casualty system has its rocky moments. "You have times when you’re holding a few policies waiting on a fix, but those are the exception, not the norm," Haines said. "The benefits greatly outweigh the stutter steps we had to take to get where we are."
Haines believes the system’s ability to do out-of-sequence endorsements and to view previous policy images are some of its biggest benefits. "With our previous system, every policy had one image. When changes were made, notes had to be taken to describe how the policy was changed, but you could never go back and look at the previous image," Haines said.
About Insuresoft:
Insurance software.Insuresoft is a Microsoft Gold-Certified independent software vendor delivering insurance software to the property and casualty insurance industry. Insuresoft offers a suite of products and services that are configured to meet the unique needs of insurance companies and managing general agents in North America. Insuresoft is a privately-held company headquartered in University Park, Illinois, with offices in Alabama and Minnesota. For additional information,
please visit http://www.insuresoft.com.
What small company hasn’t found itself in Buckeye Insurance Group’s shoes? You get so caught up in the day-to-day operation of your business that you reach the point where your job is less about doing business and more about how you do business. For Chris Haines and the IT department at Buckeye, that meant spending their time keeping a legacy mainframe system—and a homegrown one at that—operating, instead of helping the company and its independent agents sell insurance policies.
Buckeye had spent 20 years enhancing the insurance software system, and its problems and limitations were becoming obvious. Haines, the P&C insurer’s manager of technical operations, said staffing (and turnover) was becoming a major issue. "We could not just take RPG programmers off the street, bring them in, and have them start maintaining this system," he said. "They needed to understand its inner workings. That only comes from experience and having your hands on the insurance software system."
From a creative standpoint, this was also hurting the IT department. Instead of luring new and talented workers with the promise of developing exciting ways to do business with its agency force (websites, agency interfaces, etc.), Haines and the staff were spending time and money on maintaining an old insurance software system. End-user training was another problem: The old insurance software system used
green screens, which meant the staff had to be trained to look closely for things such as coverage limits. Using temporary help was virtually impossible, because it took up to three months to train new personnel on the system.
Buckeye initially considered building a new policy processing system of its own, but personnel changes made that more of a stretch, according to Haines. There were starts and stops along the way, but by 1999 the company was ready for an outside solution and decided on the Diamond System. In September of 2000, Buckeye went live with Diamond 4.0. Within six months, data conversion for the personal-auto line was complete, and 10,000 policies were in the insurance software system. Haines said he was hoping to get roughly 75 percent of policy information from the data conversion, but instead got between 90 and 95 percent.
Converting to any property and casualty system has its rocky moments. "You have times when you’re holding a few policies waiting on a fix, but those are the exception, not the norm," Haines said. "The benefits greatly outweigh the stutter steps we had to take to get where we are."
Haines believes the system’s ability to do out-of-sequence endorsements and to view previous policy images are some of its biggest benefits. "With our previous system, every policy had one image. When changes were made, notes had to be taken to describe how the policy was changed, but you could never go back and look at the previous image," Haines said.
About Insuresoft:
Insurance software.Insuresoft is a Microsoft Gold-Certified independent software vendor delivering insurance software to the property and casualty insurance industry. Insuresoft offers a suite of products and services that are configured to meet the unique needs of insurance companies and managing general agents in North America. Insuresoft is a privately-held company headquartered in University Park, Illinois, with offices in Alabama and Minnesota. For additional information,
please visit http://www.insuresoft.com.
Grange Press Release
Insuresoft Delivers Diamond 4.32x for Grange’s Auto Line of Business in Idaho
January 26, 2006 : University Park, IL
Insuresoft, a leading provider of insurance policy administration software, today announced Grange Insurance Group successfully upgraded to the latest version of the Diamond System, Diamond 4.32x for its auto line of business in the state of Idaho.
Grange was able to complete their expansion quickly and cost effectively due to their long-standing partnership with Insuresoft. Insuresoft’s dedicated Diamond team already understood the company’s business model and unique requirements, allowing the implementation to move rapidly toward a successful completion.
Grange first implemented Diamond for its Idaho auto line in 2002, and the upgrade to Diamond 4.32x was an easy one due to Insuresoft’s Perpetual Licensing Agreement. This unique licensing arrangement enables carriers to keep pace with the latest technology and to take advantage of new features and enhancements that are developed in response to changes in the marketplace. In addition, the Perpetual Licensing Agreement allows carriers to upgrade at their own pace so that the testing and implementation can be done on a schedule that works for them.
While migrating to a new system is always a daunting task, Insuresoft ensured a smooth transition. The Insuresoft team, with prior first-hand knowledge of Grange’s system, was able to turn the typically challenging process of data conversion into a simple one. "The migration process went smoothly both on our end, and for Grange," said Chuck Martin, Development Manager for Insuresoft. "Grange was well prepared to implement Diamond, and we are glad that we could provide them with a seamless transition."
Now that Grange has experienced the benefits of a fully automated policy processing system, they look forward to the day that all their lines in all their states are on the Diamond System.
"Moving our Idaho auto line to Diamond 4.32x was the first step in migrating all our states, and so far the process has been very encouraging," said Nina Latrofa, IT manager at Grange. "All our products will benefit greatly from this system, which will eliminate costly overnight batch processing, streamline our data entry process, and allow us to add new features and functionality in a quick timeframe."
About Grange:
Grange Insurance Group is the industry recognized name for Grange Insurance Association and Rocky Mountain Fire & Casualty Company of Seattle, WA. Grange has been insuring farming families in smaller western communities since 1894. Throughout the past 100 years, Grange has grown to more than $200 million in written premium, all the while, holding fast to its commitment to families in "Main Street" towns, farm communities, and suburban areas of the West.
About Insuresoft Inc.:
Insuresoft is a leading policy processing systems provider for the property and casualty insurance industry. Insuresoft offers a suite of products and services that meet the unique automation needs of managing general agents and insurance companies in North America. Insuresoft is a privately held company headquartered in University Park, Illinois, with offices in Alabama, and Minnesota.
For more information:
Contact Mike Hernandez at (866) 299-1314 ext. 35035 or via email at mhernandez@insuresoft.com.
January 26, 2006 : University Park, IL
Insuresoft, a leading provider of insurance policy administration software, today announced Grange Insurance Group successfully upgraded to the latest version of the Diamond System, Diamond 4.32x for its auto line of business in the state of Idaho.
Grange was able to complete their expansion quickly and cost effectively due to their long-standing partnership with Insuresoft. Insuresoft’s dedicated Diamond team already understood the company’s business model and unique requirements, allowing the implementation to move rapidly toward a successful completion.
Grange first implemented Diamond for its Idaho auto line in 2002, and the upgrade to Diamond 4.32x was an easy one due to Insuresoft’s Perpetual Licensing Agreement. This unique licensing arrangement enables carriers to keep pace with the latest technology and to take advantage of new features and enhancements that are developed in response to changes in the marketplace. In addition, the Perpetual Licensing Agreement allows carriers to upgrade at their own pace so that the testing and implementation can be done on a schedule that works for them.
While migrating to a new system is always a daunting task, Insuresoft ensured a smooth transition. The Insuresoft team, with prior first-hand knowledge of Grange’s system, was able to turn the typically challenging process of data conversion into a simple one. "The migration process went smoothly both on our end, and for Grange," said Chuck Martin, Development Manager for Insuresoft. "Grange was well prepared to implement Diamond, and we are glad that we could provide them with a seamless transition."
Now that Grange has experienced the benefits of a fully automated policy processing system, they look forward to the day that all their lines in all their states are on the Diamond System.
"Moving our Idaho auto line to Diamond 4.32x was the first step in migrating all our states, and so far the process has been very encouraging," said Nina Latrofa, IT manager at Grange. "All our products will benefit greatly from this system, which will eliminate costly overnight batch processing, streamline our data entry process, and allow us to add new features and functionality in a quick timeframe."
About Grange:
Grange Insurance Group is the industry recognized name for Grange Insurance Association and Rocky Mountain Fire & Casualty Company of Seattle, WA. Grange has been insuring farming families in smaller western communities since 1894. Throughout the past 100 years, Grange has grown to more than $200 million in written premium, all the while, holding fast to its commitment to families in "Main Street" towns, farm communities, and suburban areas of the West.
About Insuresoft Inc.:
Insuresoft is a leading policy processing systems provider for the property and casualty insurance industry. Insuresoft offers a suite of products and services that meet the unique automation needs of managing general agents and insurance companies in North America. Insuresoft is a privately held company headquartered in University Park, Illinois, with offices in Alabama, and Minnesota.
For more information:
Contact Mike Hernandez at (866) 299-1314 ext. 35035 or via email at mhernandez@insuresoft.com.
Buckeye Press Release
Buckeye Implements Diamond System for All Lines of Business in South Dakota
April 14, 2006 : University Park, IL
Insuresoft, a leading provider of insurance policy administration software, today announced the successful completion of the Diamond System implementation for Buckeye Insurance Group for all lines of business in the state of South Dakota. Insuresoft is proud to continue to provide insurance software solutions for Buckeye, a regional leader in farm, home and auto protection, as they grow their business with the help of the Diamond System.
The Diamond System's insurance software was first implemented for Buckeye in September of 2000 and since then the company has enjoyed the many benefits of a fully automated policy processing system. Buckeye was able to complete their recent expansion quickly and cost effectively due to their partnership with Insuresoft. Insuresoft’s dedicated Diamond team already understood the company’s business model and unique requirements, allowing the implementation to move rapidly toward a successful completion.
"Because of our history working together, Insuresoft truly understands what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and when it needs to be done," said R. Christopher Haines, Assistant Vice President of Technical Operations at Buckeye. "But, it’s not just the Insuresoft team or Buckeye’s internal systems that made this expansion successful. The implementation also went smoothly because of the Diamond product itself -- the structure of the Diamond System lends itself to easy expansion."
"Once a carrier has implemented the Diamond System, extending it to cover new states is a fast process," said Chris Blair, Vice President of Product Management at Insuresoft. "Buckeye was able to expand their business opportunities without hindrance from technological setbacks."
About Buckeye:
Buckeye Insurance Group is a progressive regional company using select, professional, independent agents who share a vision to provide policyholders with quality insurance protection at competitive, stable rates. Buckeye has its home office in Piqua, Ohio, and writes business throughout the Midwest.
About Insuresoft Inc.:
Insuresoft is a leading policy processing systems provider for the property and casualty insurance industry. Insuresoft offers a suite of products and services that meet the unique automation needs of managing general agents and insurance companies in North America. Insuresoft is a privately held company headquartered in University Park, Illinois, with offices in Alabama and Minnesota.
For more information:
Contact Mike Hernandez at (866) 299-1314 ext. 35035 or via email at mhernandez@insuresoft.com.
April 14, 2006 : University Park, IL
Insuresoft, a leading provider of insurance policy administration software, today announced the successful completion of the Diamond System implementation for Buckeye Insurance Group for all lines of business in the state of South Dakota. Insuresoft is proud to continue to provide insurance software solutions for Buckeye, a regional leader in farm, home and auto protection, as they grow their business with the help of the Diamond System.
The Diamond System's insurance software was first implemented for Buckeye in September of 2000 and since then the company has enjoyed the many benefits of a fully automated policy processing system. Buckeye was able to complete their recent expansion quickly and cost effectively due to their partnership with Insuresoft. Insuresoft’s dedicated Diamond team already understood the company’s business model and unique requirements, allowing the implementation to move rapidly toward a successful completion.
"Because of our history working together, Insuresoft truly understands what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and when it needs to be done," said R. Christopher Haines, Assistant Vice President of Technical Operations at Buckeye. "But, it’s not just the Insuresoft team or Buckeye’s internal systems that made this expansion successful. The implementation also went smoothly because of the Diamond product itself -- the structure of the Diamond System lends itself to easy expansion."
"Once a carrier has implemented the Diamond System, extending it to cover new states is a fast process," said Chris Blair, Vice President of Product Management at Insuresoft. "Buckeye was able to expand their business opportunities without hindrance from technological setbacks."
About Buckeye:
Buckeye Insurance Group is a progressive regional company using select, professional, independent agents who share a vision to provide policyholders with quality insurance protection at competitive, stable rates. Buckeye has its home office in Piqua, Ohio, and writes business throughout the Midwest.
About Insuresoft Inc.:
Insuresoft is a leading policy processing systems provider for the property and casualty insurance industry. Insuresoft offers a suite of products and services that meet the unique automation needs of managing general agents and insurance companies in North America. Insuresoft is a privately held company headquartered in University Park, Illinois, with offices in Alabama and Minnesota.
For more information:
Contact Mike Hernandez at (866) 299-1314 ext. 35035 or via email at mhernandez@insuresoft.com.
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