Insuresoft, a long-time sponsor of the IT Conference, is adding a new twist to our golf event this year. They will be offering participants the chance to win $25,000, a 7-day cruise, golf clubs and a $500 golf shop gift certificate for simply sinking a hole-in-one on several par 3 holes during our Golf Outing on October 6. If you plan on attending this event, good luck to you!
Insuresoft will also be providing an overview of their product offerings on Monday, October 5 at 2:30 PM in the Aster 1 meeting room.
Hope to see you on the course and wish you safe travel to Tucson!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
The New Rules for Implementing a Policy Admin System
As seen in the July/August issue of Insurance Networking News by Mike Hernandez, Marketing Director of Insuresoft.
Insuresoft, a leading provider of insurance software, understands that insurance carriers of all sizes are facing IT decisions with a strange, unfamiliar set of rules attached-a budget. With this in mind, Insuresoft has positioned its product and service offerings to reflect this paradigm shift. While highly customizable systems can still be developed for any size carrier, the decision between going with an out-of-the-box system vs. creating an expensive, customized, lengthy in-house system has been trending toward implementing a pre-configured system especially during these budget conscious econmic times we are facing. Insuresoft has had implementations of its flagship policy admin system, The Diamond System, take as little as 90 days, resulting in the delivery of a fully functional policy administration system that includes underwriting, billing, rating, and claims.
GHS Property and Casualty Insurance Company based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma recently faced a similar situation and successfully implemented Insuresoft's Diamond System.
The Diamond System is a fully automated and integrated policy processing system for both personal and commercial insurance carriers. It is a scalable, reliable, and cost-effective solution for carrying out all business-critical insurance processing functions. Its out-of-the-box approach to policy administration makes it an attractive and cost appealing option for carriers of all sizes.
"At the end of the day, the out-of-the-box offering that The Diamond System provided made the most sense for us," said GHS Accounting Manager Brandye McCart, "Diamond turned out to be one of the most complete policy admin systems available on the market."
In addition to GHS realizing the economic benefits that Diamond provided during implementation, GHS also rolled out the The Diamond System in a hosted environment through Insuresoft's collocation services agreement with AT&T. A cost effective and flexible option for customers, Insuresoft's hosted solution (ASP) assigns the optimal bandwidth that is needed to support network traffic and provides the optimal environment for the use of Insuresoft's Web tools.
"Diamond addressed all of our key requirements by demonstrating configurable product design and intuitive policyholder self-service options. Additionally we were impressed by Insuresoft's commitment to delivering the solution using the software as a service (SaaS) in a safe, hosted model," said McCart.
So far, GHS has implemented The Diamond System for one line of business in one state. The goal is to have 4 lines of business up and running by the end of 2009.
"We feel that The Diamond System's inherent functionality is well aligned with the business and technology needs expressed by GHS," stated Chris Blair, Vice President Product Management for Insuresoft. "We are delighted to refer to GHS as our newest Diamond partner running on our ASP."
Out-of-the-box does not mean out-of-the-way. Insuresoft business analysts and developers work hand in hand with customers to make sure implementations go smoothly every step of the way.
"The teams worked together to configure the system according to the requirements provided by GHS," stated Terry Brown, Vice President of Implementation Services for Insuresoft, "There was a lot of interaction that needed to take place between Insuresoft and GHS to make this happen. GHS committed to this initiative and as a result, the implementation went extremely well," continued Brown. And that makes everyone happy!
About GHS: GHS Property & Casualty Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company. Based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, GHS derived its name from their parent company's corporate name, Group Health Care Service Corporation, A Mutual Legal Reserve Company.
GHS has its own board of directors and management, as well as separate marketing, sales, underwriting and claims departments. The arrangement coupled with the financial stability and longevity of Health Care Service Corporation provides customers with the confidence of knowing their policy is being serviced by an experienced property and casualty staff.
GHS Property and Casualty provides resident of Oklahoma and Texas with a wide range of individual, affinity and work site insurance products in addition to traditional auto and homeowners insurance.
Insuresoft, a leading provider of insurance software, understands that insurance carriers of all sizes are facing IT decisions with a strange, unfamiliar set of rules attached-a budget. With this in mind, Insuresoft has positioned its product and service offerings to reflect this paradigm shift. While highly customizable systems can still be developed for any size carrier, the decision between going with an out-of-the-box system vs. creating an expensive, customized, lengthy in-house system has been trending toward implementing a pre-configured system especially during these budget conscious econmic times we are facing. Insuresoft has had implementations of its flagship policy admin system, The Diamond System, take as little as 90 days, resulting in the delivery of a fully functional policy administration system that includes underwriting, billing, rating, and claims.
GHS Property and Casualty Insurance Company based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma recently faced a similar situation and successfully implemented Insuresoft's Diamond System.
The Diamond System is a fully automated and integrated policy processing system for both personal and commercial insurance carriers. It is a scalable, reliable, and cost-effective solution for carrying out all business-critical insurance processing functions. Its out-of-the-box approach to policy administration makes it an attractive and cost appealing option for carriers of all sizes.
"At the end of the day, the out-of-the-box offering that The Diamond System provided made the most sense for us," said GHS Accounting Manager Brandye McCart, "Diamond turned out to be one of the most complete policy admin systems available on the market."
In addition to GHS realizing the economic benefits that Diamond provided during implementation, GHS also rolled out the The Diamond System in a hosted environment through Insuresoft's collocation services agreement with AT&T. A cost effective and flexible option for customers, Insuresoft's hosted solution (ASP) assigns the optimal bandwidth that is needed to support network traffic and provides the optimal environment for the use of Insuresoft's Web tools.
"Diamond addressed all of our key requirements by demonstrating configurable product design and intuitive policyholder self-service options. Additionally we were impressed by Insuresoft's commitment to delivering the solution using the software as a service (SaaS) in a safe, hosted model," said McCart.
So far, GHS has implemented The Diamond System for one line of business in one state. The goal is to have 4 lines of business up and running by the end of 2009.
"We feel that The Diamond System's inherent functionality is well aligned with the business and technology needs expressed by GHS," stated Chris Blair, Vice President Product Management for Insuresoft. "We are delighted to refer to GHS as our newest Diamond partner running on our ASP."
Out-of-the-box does not mean out-of-the-way. Insuresoft business analysts and developers work hand in hand with customers to make sure implementations go smoothly every step of the way.
"The teams worked together to configure the system according to the requirements provided by GHS," stated Terry Brown, Vice President of Implementation Services for Insuresoft, "There was a lot of interaction that needed to take place between Insuresoft and GHS to make this happen. GHS committed to this initiative and as a result, the implementation went extremely well," continued Brown. And that makes everyone happy!
About GHS: GHS Property & Casualty Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company. Based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, GHS derived its name from their parent company's corporate name, Group Health Care Service Corporation, A Mutual Legal Reserve Company.
GHS has its own board of directors and management, as well as separate marketing, sales, underwriting and claims departments. The arrangement coupled with the financial stability and longevity of Health Care Service Corporation provides customers with the confidence of knowing their policy is being serviced by an experienced property and casualty staff.
GHS Property and Casualty provides resident of Oklahoma and Texas with a wide range of individual, affinity and work site insurance products in addition to traditional auto and homeowners insurance.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Insuresoft Recognized by Celent as a leading Vendor in Property and Casualty Core Processing
Insuresoft has been named a leading vendor in the Property and Casualty Core Processing metacategory of Celent’s 2009 Insurance Software Deal Trends report.
“We would like to extend our congratulations to Insuresoft for being named as a leading vendor,” says Craig Weber, senior vice president of the Celent insurance practice. “We believe that carriers value partners who know the insurance vertical well, and who demonstrate their commitment to it. Insuresoft’s success in insurance puts them in that category.”
"Insuresoft is proud to have been named a leading policy administration system vendor and we would like to thank all of our Diamond System carrier partners who helped make this award possible," states Tony Villa, president and CEO of Insuresoft. "We believe that by providing our carrier partners with increased visibility and participation into our product development process, Diamond has become one of the most feature rich applications in the insurance software space."
Insuresoft’s core product, The Diamond System, is a leading policy, billing and claims system that is easy to implement, easy to use and affordable to carriers of all sizes. Its out-of-the-box approach to implementation is quickly becoming the benchmark for carriers looking to automate their policy administration functions without costly and time consuming customization.
About Insuresoft, Inc.:
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, and has offices in Alabama and Minnesota.
“We would like to extend our congratulations to Insuresoft for being named as a leading vendor,” says Craig Weber, senior vice president of the Celent insurance practice. “We believe that carriers value partners who know the insurance vertical well, and who demonstrate their commitment to it. Insuresoft’s success in insurance puts them in that category.”
"Insuresoft is proud to have been named a leading policy administration system vendor and we would like to thank all of our Diamond System carrier partners who helped make this award possible," states Tony Villa, president and CEO of Insuresoft. "We believe that by providing our carrier partners with increased visibility and participation into our product development process, Diamond has become one of the most feature rich applications in the insurance software space."
Insuresoft’s core product, The Diamond System, is a leading policy, billing and claims system that is easy to implement, easy to use and affordable to carriers of all sizes. Its out-of-the-box approach to implementation is quickly becoming the benchmark for carriers looking to automate their policy administration functions without costly and time consuming customization.
About Insuresoft, Inc.:
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, and has offices in Alabama and Minnesota.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Insurance: Strategic IT Investments Critical to Competitive Edge
As seen in Windows in Financial Services Magazine - Spring 2009. Interview with Sedhu Krishnamurth, Director of Architecture for insurance software at Insuresoft.
Welcome Sedhu. How important are strategic IT investments right now?
Targeted, business-driven IT investments are more important than ever. What we hear from our insurance carrier customers is that the challenging macroeconomic conditions are providing them with the opportunity to reassess their IT priorities rather than simply eliminating all new projects. That reassessment is leading to more focused investments and better overall alignment with business objectives.
What do you recommend companies focus on?
First and foremost IT leaders must continue to demonstrate and measure the value of IT investments. Our current customers are doing this by leveraging their core policy processing technology assets to seize new market opportunities. Leveraging scalable technologies and best practices has provided them with shortened implementation timeframes, improved underwriting profitability and a greater return on their original systems investment.
What should they avoid doing?
Companies should resist the temptation to dramatically reduce their IT spending by eliminating all new projects from consideration. To be clear, I am not suggesting that carriers should increase their IT spend but instead look for opportunities to come up with creative solutions to extend the capabilities of their current assets. For example, actively partnering or performing co-development work with carriers’ core systems vendors can lead to not only reduced costs but also a broader sense of teamwork and product advancement.
New capabilities?
There are a few things that I feel will excite P&C carriers in the coming years. First, solutions that promote strategic pricing and configurability are poised to become an integral part of a carrier’s technology portfolio. Advancements in technologies like AJAX and Silverlight will further enable carriers to rapidly introduce new products while delivering the same rich user experience. Second, Software as a Service will gain acceptance with P&C carriers that value lower start-up cost and speed-to-market. The SaaS model will reduce carriers’ infrastructure and maintenance spending thereby lowering the TCO. Third, virtualization – carriers’ aspiring to lower overall IT costs will reap the benefits of virtualization through server consolidation, space and energy savings.
About Insuresoft, Inc.:
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, and has offices in Alabama and Minnesota.
Welcome Sedhu. How important are strategic IT investments right now?
Targeted, business-driven IT investments are more important than ever. What we hear from our insurance carrier customers is that the challenging macroeconomic conditions are providing them with the opportunity to reassess their IT priorities rather than simply eliminating all new projects. That reassessment is leading to more focused investments and better overall alignment with business objectives.
What do you recommend companies focus on?
First and foremost IT leaders must continue to demonstrate and measure the value of IT investments. Our current customers are doing this by leveraging their core policy processing technology assets to seize new market opportunities. Leveraging scalable technologies and best practices has provided them with shortened implementation timeframes, improved underwriting profitability and a greater return on their original systems investment.
What should they avoid doing?
Companies should resist the temptation to dramatically reduce their IT spending by eliminating all new projects from consideration. To be clear, I am not suggesting that carriers should increase their IT spend but instead look for opportunities to come up with creative solutions to extend the capabilities of their current assets. For example, actively partnering or performing co-development work with carriers’ core systems vendors can lead to not only reduced costs but also a broader sense of teamwork and product advancement.
New capabilities?
There are a few things that I feel will excite P&C carriers in the coming years. First, solutions that promote strategic pricing and configurability are poised to become an integral part of a carrier’s technology portfolio. Advancements in technologies like AJAX and Silverlight will further enable carriers to rapidly introduce new products while delivering the same rich user experience. Second, Software as a Service will gain acceptance with P&C carriers that value lower start-up cost and speed-to-market. The SaaS model will reduce carriers’ infrastructure and maintenance spending thereby lowering the TCO. Third, virtualization – carriers’ aspiring to lower overall IT costs will reap the benefits of virtualization through server consolidation, space and energy savings.
About Insuresoft, Inc.:
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, and has offices in Alabama and Minnesota.
Friday, April 17, 2009
High-Risk Auto Insurer Races to Implement New Policy Management System
As seen in Windows in Finacial Services Magazine
April 10, 2009
With competition increasing for nonstandard auto risks, companies such as Chicago-based Unique Insurance are realizing that they must step up their efforts to retain their customers. For Unique Insurance, that means new policy management software. “Our representatives will become more efficient in handling claims, our customers will be more satisfied, and, in turn, more of them will renew their policies with us,” says Unique Insurance president Matthew Dutkanych. “The software will also help us to move more quickly into other states, and into other LOBs (lines of business).”
Founded in 1996, Unique Insurance specializes in auto insurance for high-risk drivers – typically, people who have experienced several accidents in a short period of time or drive sports cars or other vehicles that don’t qualify as standard risks.
Because of advancements in assessing risk and assigning price rates, this LOB has attracted new practitioners in recent years, making customer retention all the more important to Unique.
Unique first started moving toward a Windows-based policy processing solution six years ago, using software from a different vendor. “Unfortunately, the earlier implementation didn’t meet our expectations,” Dutkanych explains. “A long, dragged out deployment wasn’t going to achieve our goals. But the lessons learned from doing this exercise led us to Insuresoft.”
The company was looking for an out-of-the-box approach, with minimal customization, that would get the company quickly up-and-running with an easy-to-use and efficient policy management system.
In Insuresoft’s .NET-enabled software, the master data objects and user interface (UI) controls are developed and maintained in the core product, while the look and feel is user-configurable, using visual inheritance on the Winforms side and cascading stylesheets on the Web application side.
“This architecture lets Diamond support a new level of business model polymorphism by forging an all-encompassing LOB model into a customized visual presentation for each client,” says Karen Zarobsky, a project manager at Insuresoft who is handling the implementation at Unique.
The Diamond System also uses Microsoft’s Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) as the basis for its client/business communications. “As a result, Diamond is able to handle countless client Internet and intranet topologies and to implement multiple models of user authentication and security protocols ‘out of the box,’” according to Zarobsky.
Like Unique, some of Insuresoft’s other customers are also on the automotive side of the insurance industry. Ohio-based Buckeye Insurance Group, for instance, began implementing the Diamond System in 2000. Unlike Unique, which is already a Windows shop, Buckeye needed to convert data from an IBM AS/400 midrange environment.
By the fourth quarter of 2000, Buckeye had used the 4.x release of the Diamond System to implement one LOB in three states, with four LOBs implemented during the next two years. Then, in 2007, Buckeye started utilizing the claims and billings functionality and entered four additional states. Meanwhile, it took first place for “billing” in an Ohio and Indiana PIA agent satisfaction survey as well as fifth place for “ease of doing business” and “turnaround time.” Buckeye is now implementing release 5.x – the same release being used at Unique – which adds agent browser-based Web functionality and support for Microsoft’s .NET 3.0 Framework.
Unique Insurance likes Insuresoft’s modular approach. “The Diamond System presents a viable .NET policy processing solution that will allow us to implement as many or as few components as we like. This gives us the ability to maintain a relatively low cost of ownership while closely monitoring our need for future technology investments,” Dutkanych says.
The system is also expected to give Unique the flexibility to make quick pricing changes which reflect risk while providing highly competitive rates, Zarobsky says.
While larger insurance firms often deploy Insuresoft’s software on their own, or together with an outside systems integrator, Insuresoft usually carries out the implementation for smaller customers such as Unique. The first phase of implementation at Unique began early this year and and was completed in February.
Unique is using the Diamond Agency Web Portal, along with the Diamond policy, user-configured rating and underwriting, and billing and claims modules. The agency Web portal can be used with either the Diamond rating and underwriting module or an existing legacy system, according to Zarobsky.
The agency home page provides a display for the agent of all policies and quotes available to a specific user. Agents can sort by policy status, last name, first name, or policy or quote ID. Another Web page, the vehicle page, can be used to collect data about vehicles, and to add new vehicles to a particular policy.
The portal also uses XML and Web services for integration with company-specific data and business results. After enough information has been captured at Unique, the next step is to deploy Insuresoft’s SQL Server-based Diamond Data Warehouse, Zarobsky says. Ultimately, the upcoming warehouse will be used for advanced management and financial reporting.
About Insuresoft, Inc.:
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, and has offices in Alabama and Minnesota.
April 10, 2009
With competition increasing for nonstandard auto risks, companies such as Chicago-based Unique Insurance are realizing that they must step up their efforts to retain their customers. For Unique Insurance, that means new policy management software. “Our representatives will become more efficient in handling claims, our customers will be more satisfied, and, in turn, more of them will renew their policies with us,” says Unique Insurance president Matthew Dutkanych. “The software will also help us to move more quickly into other states, and into other LOBs (lines of business).”
Founded in 1996, Unique Insurance specializes in auto insurance for high-risk drivers – typically, people who have experienced several accidents in a short period of time or drive sports cars or other vehicles that don’t qualify as standard risks.
Because of advancements in assessing risk and assigning price rates, this LOB has attracted new practitioners in recent years, making customer retention all the more important to Unique.
Unique first started moving toward a Windows-based policy processing solution six years ago, using software from a different vendor. “Unfortunately, the earlier implementation didn’t meet our expectations,” Dutkanych explains. “A long, dragged out deployment wasn’t going to achieve our goals. But the lessons learned from doing this exercise led us to Insuresoft.”
The company was looking for an out-of-the-box approach, with minimal customization, that would get the company quickly up-and-running with an easy-to-use and efficient policy management system.
In Insuresoft’s .NET-enabled software, the master data objects and user interface (UI) controls are developed and maintained in the core product, while the look and feel is user-configurable, using visual inheritance on the Winforms side and cascading stylesheets on the Web application side.
“This architecture lets Diamond support a new level of business model polymorphism by forging an all-encompassing LOB model into a customized visual presentation for each client,” says Karen Zarobsky, a project manager at Insuresoft who is handling the implementation at Unique.
The Diamond System also uses Microsoft’s Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) as the basis for its client/business communications. “As a result, Diamond is able to handle countless client Internet and intranet topologies and to implement multiple models of user authentication and security protocols ‘out of the box,’” according to Zarobsky.
Like Unique, some of Insuresoft’s other customers are also on the automotive side of the insurance industry. Ohio-based Buckeye Insurance Group, for instance, began implementing the Diamond System in 2000. Unlike Unique, which is already a Windows shop, Buckeye needed to convert data from an IBM AS/400 midrange environment.
By the fourth quarter of 2000, Buckeye had used the 4.x release of the Diamond System to implement one LOB in three states, with four LOBs implemented during the next two years. Then, in 2007, Buckeye started utilizing the claims and billings functionality and entered four additional states. Meanwhile, it took first place for “billing” in an Ohio and Indiana PIA agent satisfaction survey as well as fifth place for “ease of doing business” and “turnaround time.” Buckeye is now implementing release 5.x – the same release being used at Unique – which adds agent browser-based Web functionality and support for Microsoft’s .NET 3.0 Framework.
Unique Insurance likes Insuresoft’s modular approach. “The Diamond System presents a viable .NET policy processing solution that will allow us to implement as many or as few components as we like. This gives us the ability to maintain a relatively low cost of ownership while closely monitoring our need for future technology investments,” Dutkanych says.
The system is also expected to give Unique the flexibility to make quick pricing changes which reflect risk while providing highly competitive rates, Zarobsky says.
While larger insurance firms often deploy Insuresoft’s software on their own, or together with an outside systems integrator, Insuresoft usually carries out the implementation for smaller customers such as Unique. The first phase of implementation at Unique began early this year and and was completed in February.
Unique is using the Diamond Agency Web Portal, along with the Diamond policy, user-configured rating and underwriting, and billing and claims modules. The agency Web portal can be used with either the Diamond rating and underwriting module or an existing legacy system, according to Zarobsky.
The agency home page provides a display for the agent of all policies and quotes available to a specific user. Agents can sort by policy status, last name, first name, or policy or quote ID. Another Web page, the vehicle page, can be used to collect data about vehicles, and to add new vehicles to a particular policy.
The portal also uses XML and Web services for integration with company-specific data and business results. After enough information has been captured at Unique, the next step is to deploy Insuresoft’s SQL Server-based Diamond Data Warehouse, Zarobsky says. Ultimately, the upcoming warehouse will be used for advanced management and financial reporting.
About Insuresoft, Inc.:
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, and has offices in Alabama and Minnesota.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Insuresoft's Insurance Software Technology
As the differences among firms disappear, so do profits. Insuresoft, a leader in policy processing systems, understands this iron law of strategy better than any of its competitors. At Insuresoft, we are committed to our customers’ profitable growth, delivering cutting-edge technology solutions that enable our customers to differentiate themselves in the insurance software marketplace and stay ahead of their competition.
Insuresoft is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner with core competencies in developing scalable technology solutions for property and casualty insurers. The Diamond System™ is our flagship policy processing product. Our insurance software has been in production within the property and casualty industry since 1993. Moreover, we have a track record in migrating our application platforms as software technology has advanced from DOS to Windows® and now to .NET. The latest version of Diamond is 100 percent .NET.
Speed to market and reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) are the key drivers in selecting a suitable policy administration system. Our comprehensive insurance software solution is highly flexible and scalable, and it tackles head-on the classic challenges of speed to market and reduced TCO. The advent of Microsoft’s .NET technology has provided another opportunity for us to create even more accessible, extensible and quickly implementable applications. Our solution is firmly grounded in Service Oriented Architecture (SOA); and the Software as a Service (SaaS ) model enables our customers to quickly deploy rating, underwriting, submission management, and policy processing services in multiple configurations.
Our holistic approach to Diamond.NET development has resulted in a very flexible, scalable, reliable, robust and loosely coupled architecture that offers a well-developed .NET technology solution as well as solid processes and documentation for quicker development and deployment of applications. We provide a Diamond SDK repository for all services that our customers could consume to build their own applications. The SDK comes with code samples. One of our main objectives in developing SDK is to provide our customers necessary and sufficient documentation to allow faster development and deployment.
Diamond’s Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) service layer has been architected to fully exploit the power of WCF. By developing applications against our WCF service layer, customers are relieved of the burden of dealing with multiple underlying communication technologies like .NET remoting, ASP.NET Web Services and Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ). Moreover, Diamond WCF services are built to promote interoperability with other platforms as well as other pre-WCF Microsoft technologies. Diamond WCF services make for seamless development of multiple user interfaces vis-à-vis thin client, thick client, smart client and mobile, thereby fostering a simplified programming model to ensure reduced maintenance and TCO.
The best way to illustrate the flexibility of our current architecture is to describe some of the different ways Diamond is being leveraged by our customers. Several clients have independently developed an agency Web portal front end to the Diamond System. For example, one client has developed a front end that enables an agent to provide a client in his or her office with an accurate quote from the portal. If a customer decides to bind coverage, the agent is able to issue the policy in real time and print a declarations page and ID cards on the spot.
The agency Web portal was developed in ASP.NET, AJAX, and it interfaces with the Diamond System through our Web Services layer. This abstracts the portal from the back end and allows the client to receive updates to the Diamond System without recompiling or redeploying the portal.
Another client has leveraged Diamond WCF services to prototype policy processing workflow on the Web. Our flexible architecture, accompanied by Diamond SDK and documentation, expedited prototype development. This ability to rapidly develop applications—combined with our fidelity to the architecture fundamentals of security, scalability and performance—has motivated our client to embark on a large-scale Web implementation effort that will be rolled out to more than 700 personal lines agencies.
In addition to WCF services, our product offering also includes Diamond thick client. The Diamond thick client UI ((Figure 2) architecture is greatly influenced by the notion of ease of use. Fewer mouse clicks mean shorter application processing time and higher throughput, translating to higher top-line growth for our clients. Our thick client and thin client consume the same set of WCF services. Diamond thick client has a very intuitive user interface. Traditionally, training users on new applications/UI has been a time-consuming and resource-intensive exercise. By its highly intuitive UI layout, Diamond thick client UI attempts to minimize time and resources associated with training.
Our meticulous selection and adoption of platform, technology and architecture has propelled us to deliver an industry leading policy administration solution unparalleled in breadth of functionality and cutting-edge technology. We believe our solution helps to better position our customers to meet the changing demands and perpetual growing needs of the property and casualty marketplace.
Insuresoft is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner with core competencies in developing scalable technology solutions for property and casualty insurers. The Diamond System™ is our flagship policy processing product. Our insurance software has been in production within the property and casualty industry since 1993. Moreover, we have a track record in migrating our application platforms as software technology has advanced from DOS to Windows® and now to .NET. The latest version of Diamond is 100 percent .NET.
Speed to market and reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) are the key drivers in selecting a suitable policy administration system. Our comprehensive insurance software solution is highly flexible and scalable, and it tackles head-on the classic challenges of speed to market and reduced TCO. The advent of Microsoft’s .NET technology has provided another opportunity for us to create even more accessible, extensible and quickly implementable applications. Our solution is firmly grounded in Service Oriented Architecture (SOA); and the Software as a Service (SaaS ) model enables our customers to quickly deploy rating, underwriting, submission management, and policy processing services in multiple configurations.
Our holistic approach to Diamond.NET development has resulted in a very flexible, scalable, reliable, robust and loosely coupled architecture that offers a well-developed .NET technology solution as well as solid processes and documentation for quicker development and deployment of applications. We provide a Diamond SDK repository for all services that our customers could consume to build their own applications. The SDK comes with code samples. One of our main objectives in developing SDK is to provide our customers necessary and sufficient documentation to allow faster development and deployment.
Diamond’s Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) service layer has been architected to fully exploit the power of WCF. By developing applications against our WCF service layer, customers are relieved of the burden of dealing with multiple underlying communication technologies like .NET remoting, ASP.NET Web Services and Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ). Moreover, Diamond WCF services are built to promote interoperability with other platforms as well as other pre-WCF Microsoft technologies. Diamond WCF services make for seamless development of multiple user interfaces vis-à-vis thin client, thick client, smart client and mobile, thereby fostering a simplified programming model to ensure reduced maintenance and TCO.
The best way to illustrate the flexibility of our current architecture is to describe some of the different ways Diamond is being leveraged by our customers. Several clients have independently developed an agency Web portal front end to the Diamond System. For example, one client has developed a front end that enables an agent to provide a client in his or her office with an accurate quote from the portal. If a customer decides to bind coverage, the agent is able to issue the policy in real time and print a declarations page and ID cards on the spot.
The agency Web portal was developed in ASP.NET, AJAX, and it interfaces with the Diamond System through our Web Services layer. This abstracts the portal from the back end and allows the client to receive updates to the Diamond System without recompiling or redeploying the portal.
Another client has leveraged Diamond WCF services to prototype policy processing workflow on the Web. Our flexible architecture, accompanied by Diamond SDK and documentation, expedited prototype development. This ability to rapidly develop applications—combined with our fidelity to the architecture fundamentals of security, scalability and performance—has motivated our client to embark on a large-scale Web implementation effort that will be rolled out to more than 700 personal lines agencies.
In addition to WCF services, our product offering also includes Diamond thick client. The Diamond thick client UI ((Figure 2) architecture is greatly influenced by the notion of ease of use. Fewer mouse clicks mean shorter application processing time and higher throughput, translating to higher top-line growth for our clients. Our thick client and thin client consume the same set of WCF services. Diamond thick client has a very intuitive user interface. Traditionally, training users on new applications/UI has been a time-consuming and resource-intensive exercise. By its highly intuitive UI layout, Diamond thick client UI attempts to minimize time and resources associated with training.
Our meticulous selection and adoption of platform, technology and architecture has propelled us to deliver an industry leading policy administration solution unparalleled in breadth of functionality and cutting-edge technology. We believe our solution helps to better position our customers to meet the changing demands and perpetual growing needs of the property and casualty marketplace.
Insuresoft Insurance Software Policy Processing
Assess, Plan, Implement, & Monitor – structured and flexible, we have our four-phased methodology down to a science. Our process is structured to ensure success, yet flexible to meet your unique business demands.
Assess
Our process begins with assessment. We send our qualified specialists out to investigate every aspect of your business process – including how you hope your future operations will run. Next, we develop a Gap Assessment document ensuring our solution is tailored flawlessly for your specific needs.
Plan
During planning we develop a clear comprehension of the project delivered through the Gap Assessment, Project Plan Framework, and Scope of Work. These documents then become part of the contract to insure the delivery of the project.
Implement
The implementation stage can be broken down into three crucial steps: construction, testing, and refinement. In development we actually build the product that will drive your future business. Careful testing and refinement allow us to implement your new system with confidence.
Monitor
At Insuresoft we are first and foremost committed to our customers; we don’t disappear after implementation, but make support and maintenance our top priority. Our unique Perpetual Licensing Agreement provides you with countless maintenance and servicing options to properly support your unique needs. We make it simple and affordable to get enhancements and updates as our products and your needs evolve.
Assess
Our process begins with assessment. We send our qualified specialists out to investigate every aspect of your business process – including how you hope your future operations will run. Next, we develop a Gap Assessment document ensuring our solution is tailored flawlessly for your specific needs.
Plan
During planning we develop a clear comprehension of the project delivered through the Gap Assessment, Project Plan Framework, and Scope of Work. These documents then become part of the contract to insure the delivery of the project.
Implement
The implementation stage can be broken down into three crucial steps: construction, testing, and refinement. In development we actually build the product that will drive your future business. Careful testing and refinement allow us to implement your new system with confidence.
Monitor
At Insuresoft we are first and foremost committed to our customers; we don’t disappear after implementation, but make support and maintenance our top priority. Our unique Perpetual Licensing Agreement provides you with countless maintenance and servicing options to properly support your unique needs. We make it simple and affordable to get enhancements and updates as our products and your needs evolve.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Insuresoft's Diamond System Enables Safeway's Insurance Software
Insuresoft’s Diamond System Enables Safeway
Property Insurance Company to Issue Homeowner’s
Policies in Florida
April 1, 2009:University Park, IL
Insuresoft, a leading provider of insurance software for the property and casualty insurance industry, announced today that its flagship policy processing system, The Diamond System, insurance software has enabled Safeway Property Insurance Company to begin issuing homeowner policies in the State of Florida.
“The expansion of our homeowners line of business in the state of Florida is of great significance to us as we continue to move forward with our growth goals at Safeway Property,” states Rob Wilson, Chief Operating Officer at
Safeway Property, “The Diamond System from Insuresoft has truly evolved with us since we partnered with them back in 1997 and continues to be one of our core technology assets.”
In addition to this recent expansion, Safeway Property has implemented Diamond’s Agency Web Portal which provide Safeway Property’s appointed agents with the ability to provide new business quotes, issue new business policies, print policyholder information as well as perform billing inquiries through an easy to use web user interface. “The agents are very pleased with The Diamond Agency Web Portal and have indicated that it is intuitive and easy to use,” notes Renee Chatt, Vice President at Safeway Property. “Using Diamond on the web will greatly improve our ability to service our agents and policyholders.”
“We congratulate Safeway Property on their business expansion within the state of Florida,” said Michael Kellner, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Insuresoft. “It is truly rewarding to see Insuresoft’s technology enabling
our partners and helping them meet their business objectives.”
About Safeway Property Insurance Company:
Safeway Property Insurance Company of Gainesville, Florida is a member of the Safeway Insurance Group of Westmont, Illinois and has been successfully insuring manufactured homes in Florida since 1997.
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.
Property Insurance Company to Issue Homeowner’s
Policies in Florida
April 1, 2009:University Park, IL
Insuresoft, a leading provider of insurance software for the property and casualty insurance industry, announced today that its flagship policy processing system, The Diamond System, insurance software has enabled Safeway Property Insurance Company to begin issuing homeowner policies in the State of Florida.
“The expansion of our homeowners line of business in the state of Florida is of great significance to us as we continue to move forward with our growth goals at Safeway Property,” states Rob Wilson, Chief Operating Officer at
Safeway Property, “The Diamond System from Insuresoft has truly evolved with us since we partnered with them back in 1997 and continues to be one of our core technology assets.”
In addition to this recent expansion, Safeway Property has implemented Diamond’s Agency Web Portal which provide Safeway Property’s appointed agents with the ability to provide new business quotes, issue new business policies, print policyholder information as well as perform billing inquiries through an easy to use web user interface. “The agents are very pleased with The Diamond Agency Web Portal and have indicated that it is intuitive and easy to use,” notes Renee Chatt, Vice President at Safeway Property. “Using Diamond on the web will greatly improve our ability to service our agents and policyholders.”
“We congratulate Safeway Property on their business expansion within the state of Florida,” said Michael Kellner, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Insuresoft. “It is truly rewarding to see Insuresoft’s technology enabling
our partners and helping them meet their business objectives.”
About Safeway Property Insurance Company:
Safeway Property Insurance Company of Gainesville, Florida is a member of the Safeway Insurance Group of Westmont, Illinois and has been successfully insuring manufactured homes in Florida since 1997.
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.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Insuresoft 2009 Convention Schedule
Insuresoft 2009 Convention Schedule
Visit Insuresoft and view a demo of The Diamond System, insurance software.
Event Location Date
IASA Orlando, FL June 7-10 Booth #725*prize giveaways*
NAMIC Atlanta, GA September 20-23
PCIAA Tuscon, AZ October 4-7
The Diamond System from Insuresoft
Insurance software. Policy Processing System. Insurance Software Redefined. Insuresoft is a leading insurance software provider for the property and casualty insurance industry. Insuresoft offers a suite of products and services that meet the unique automation needs of insurance companies in and managing general agents in North America. Insuresoft is a privately held company headquartered in University Park, Illinois, with an offices in Alabama and Minnesota.
Visit Insuresoft and view a demo of The Diamond System, insurance software.
Event Location Date
IASA Orlando, FL June 7-10 Booth #725*prize giveaways*
NAMIC Atlanta, GA September 20-23
PCIAA Tuscon, AZ October 4-7
The Diamond System from Insuresoft
Insurance software. Policy Processing System. Insurance Software Redefined. Insuresoft is a leading insurance software provider for the property and casualty insurance industry. Insuresoft offers a suite of products and services that meet the unique automation needs of insurance companies in and managing general agents in North America. Insuresoft is a privately held company headquartered in University Park, Illinois, with an offices in Alabama and Minnesota.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Succeding With Out-of-the-Box Insurance Software
Succeeding With Out-of-the-Box Solutions
Insurers will utilize out-of-the-box solutions to extend processing and servicing capabilities.
By Terry Brown, VP of Implementation Services, Insuresoft
As seen in Insurance & Technology December 16, 2008
As with most industries, insurers will need to do more with less in 2009. Carriers will continue to look for ways to increase productivity and efficiency by extending more of the processing and servicing capabilities out to their agents and policyholders. An emphasis on underwriting for profit and an adequate rate structure will force carriers to come up with creative ways to attract
more new business and to retain the good business they already have on their books. This means IT strategies will need to be reprioritized and focus instead on projects that deliver speed to market, ease of doing business and improved data analysis.
Speed to market insurance software is critical in order to take advantage of new markets or make rating or underwriting adjustments in current markets.
Insurers are finding themselves drawn to out-of-the-box software solutions that enable them to take a proven solution and rapidly deploy it for new products or state expansion. Similarly, when a carrier identifies a class of business in a given region that
offers excellent potential for underwriting profit, it needs the power to tweak products and pricing quickly to get the changes on the street before the competition catches up to them. Look for carriers to forego highly custom solutions and move to more of an out-of-the-box system that enables them to achieve their speed-to-market goals.
Most carriers have already introduced agency portals and/or consumer access to policy information. In 2009, those portals will be expanded to enable agents to process more types of transactions online, to print and distribute their own policies, and to do more
front-line underwriting before business is submitted to the carrier. IT strategies will include building more underwriting rules and analysis into the point-of-sale process so that agents can issue transactions and insurers can opt to review only certain classes of
business. Agents will appreciate the ease with which they can get their new policies issued, and carriers will benefit from the ability to write more good business without an increase in staffing.
In support of these strategies, we'll also see a renewed emphasis on data mastery. Carriers need to be able to analyze their data in order to identify niche markets or to respond quickly to changing market conditions.
Data warehouses and analysis tools play an instrumental role in supporting carriers' growth and profitability goals. While highly customizable systems can still be developed for any size carrier, the balance between going with an out-of-the-box insurance software policy processing system versus creating a customized, lengthy and expensive system has been trending toward speed-to-market decisions, especially
during these trying economic times hindering insurance software decisions.
Insurers will utilize out-of-the-box solutions to extend processing and servicing capabilities.
By Terry Brown, VP of Implementation Services, Insuresoft
As seen in Insurance & Technology December 16, 2008
As with most industries, insurers will need to do more with less in 2009. Carriers will continue to look for ways to increase productivity and efficiency by extending more of the processing and servicing capabilities out to their agents and policyholders. An emphasis on underwriting for profit and an adequate rate structure will force carriers to come up with creative ways to attract
more new business and to retain the good business they already have on their books. This means IT strategies will need to be reprioritized and focus instead on projects that deliver speed to market, ease of doing business and improved data analysis.
Speed to market insurance software is critical in order to take advantage of new markets or make rating or underwriting adjustments in current markets.
Insurers are finding themselves drawn to out-of-the-box software solutions that enable them to take a proven solution and rapidly deploy it for new products or state expansion. Similarly, when a carrier identifies a class of business in a given region that
offers excellent potential for underwriting profit, it needs the power to tweak products and pricing quickly to get the changes on the street before the competition catches up to them. Look for carriers to forego highly custom solutions and move to more of an out-of-the-box system that enables them to achieve their speed-to-market goals.
Most carriers have already introduced agency portals and/or consumer access to policy information. In 2009, those portals will be expanded to enable agents to process more types of transactions online, to print and distribute their own policies, and to do more
front-line underwriting before business is submitted to the carrier. IT strategies will include building more underwriting rules and analysis into the point-of-sale process so that agents can issue transactions and insurers can opt to review only certain classes of
business. Agents will appreciate the ease with which they can get their new policies issued, and carriers will benefit from the ability to write more good business without an increase in staffing.
In support of these strategies, we'll also see a renewed emphasis on data mastery. Carriers need to be able to analyze their data in order to identify niche markets or to respond quickly to changing market conditions.
Data warehouses and analysis tools play an instrumental role in supporting carriers' growth and profitability goals. While highly customizable systems can still be developed for any size carrier, the balance between going with an out-of-the-box insurance software policy processing system versus creating a customized, lengthy and expensive system has been trending toward speed-to-market decisions, especially
during these trying economic times hindering insurance software decisions.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
The Diamond System Insurance Software Features
Policy Processing MADE EASY
Insurance Software Redefined.
Insuresoft's Diamond System, insurance software v5.0 is a fully functional policy processing, billing, and claims solution built entirely on the .NET platform.
Success through Insurance Automation.
THE DIAMOND SYSTEM
Fully functional, policy processing system features:
Out-Of-Sequence (OOS) transactions
The Diamond System can streamline oos transatction in one step.
Enter an deffective date and the changes are applied to all subsequent policy images.
All policy history is maintained. View how the policy looked before the out-of-sequence transaction was processed, as well as how it looked after the changes apply. Written, earned, and full term premiums are updated for each policy image. Once invoice is generated for the revised amount due. Simple, effective and secure handling of out-of-sequence transactions.
Diamond Data Warehouse - Real-Time Analytics in a snap. Create fast, easy, real-time, web-based reports. Rapid access to the information you need when you need it. Provides real-time analytics so you can make important decisions accuratley and quickly. Useful data that works for you. Flexible reporting options allow you to evaluate your products.Create historical and predictive reports in virtually any format you want using Microsoft SQL and Office applications.
User Configured Rating Tool - Policy processing and rate modeling made easy. Another Insuresoft value added product for an insurance company's most valued tool for leveraging technology. With the User Configured Rating tool, companies experience ease of intuitive configuration, and accurate market analysis, faster implementations. Adds flexibility and ease in handling policy changes.
Claims - The Diamond System's claims module supports multiple lines of coverage that can be set up from a single screen. Supports split transactions for payments, reserves and recoveries. Real time coverage verification and litigation managment, Configurable data capture, Salvage and subrogration.
Billing - The Diamond System's Billing module provides real-time billing capabilities including midterm pay plan change, flexible pay plans,credit Card/EFT, and configurable data capture.
Data Warehouse - SQL Analytical Services as well as SQL Reports to provide actuaries with robust and flexible managment. Provides "sandbox" modeling cpabilities to analyze rate changes across a book of business.
Agency and Cosumer Web Portals - Enables internet based inquiry, quoting, rating, underwriting, transactions and policy issuance to carrier's apointed independent insurance agents and policy holders.
Diamond Publisher - Publisher provides full printing/pdfing capabilities. Output can be directed to print in any desired location/tray or order. Offers built in intergration options for third party imaging systems and other software programs.
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.
Insurance Software Redefined.
Insuresoft's Diamond System, insurance software v5.0 is a fully functional policy processing, billing, and claims solution built entirely on the .NET platform.
Success through Insurance Automation.
THE DIAMOND SYSTEM
Fully functional, policy processing system features:
Out-Of-Sequence (OOS) transactions
The Diamond System can streamline oos transatction in one step.
Enter an deffective date and the changes are applied to all subsequent policy images.
All policy history is maintained. View how the policy looked before the out-of-sequence transaction was processed, as well as how it looked after the changes apply. Written, earned, and full term premiums are updated for each policy image. Once invoice is generated for the revised amount due. Simple, effective and secure handling of out-of-sequence transactions.
Diamond Data Warehouse - Real-Time Analytics in a snap. Create fast, easy, real-time, web-based reports. Rapid access to the information you need when you need it. Provides real-time analytics so you can make important decisions accuratley and quickly. Useful data that works for you. Flexible reporting options allow you to evaluate your products.Create historical and predictive reports in virtually any format you want using Microsoft SQL and Office applications.
User Configured Rating Tool - Policy processing and rate modeling made easy. Another Insuresoft value added product for an insurance company's most valued tool for leveraging technology. With the User Configured Rating tool, companies experience ease of intuitive configuration, and accurate market analysis, faster implementations. Adds flexibility and ease in handling policy changes.
Claims - The Diamond System's claims module supports multiple lines of coverage that can be set up from a single screen. Supports split transactions for payments, reserves and recoveries. Real time coverage verification and litigation managment, Configurable data capture, Salvage and subrogration.
Billing - The Diamond System's Billing module provides real-time billing capabilities including midterm pay plan change, flexible pay plans,credit Card/EFT, and configurable data capture.
Data Warehouse - SQL Analytical Services as well as SQL Reports to provide actuaries with robust and flexible managment. Provides "sandbox" modeling cpabilities to analyze rate changes across a book of business.
Agency and Cosumer Web Portals - Enables internet based inquiry, quoting, rating, underwriting, transactions and policy issuance to carrier's apointed independent insurance agents and policy holders.
Diamond Publisher - Publisher provides full printing/pdfing capabilities. Output can be directed to print in any desired location/tray or order. Offers built in intergration options for third party imaging systems and other software programs.
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.
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