Canadian Underwriter
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WARP and CSIO Not Mutually Exclusive


July 1, 2004   by Canadian Underwriter


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Brokers should have more technology options coming their way for web-based interaction with insurers, but those systems need not be exclusive of the CSIO portal, attendees of the Toronto Applied Systems Client Network (TASCNet) conference heard recently.

While Applied Systems is building interest in its online WARP system, the CSIO also took part in the two-day educational event to help brokers understand their options. “We’re very committed to CSIO,” says Applied Systems Canada CEO Greg Purdy. He believes there is a future role for the portal in Canada, and also for WARP. “I expect the industry will have a collection of ways for brokers to interact with companies.”

CSIO acting general manager David Patrick says that future may be intertwined. Patrick maintains that if a solution arises for future stages of the portal which makes business sense, CSIO will look at it, and the organization is “seriously considering” WARP as a source for future functionality beyond the portal’s “phase-1” quoting function. Chris Gory of Insurance Portfolio has been testing the CSIO portal in his brokerage for 14 months and says it has proven easy to use, and reduces errors by ensuring all required information is provided at each step.

Advancements in broker technology have been hampered in many respects by the development of proprietary insurer websites, observes John Belyea of Creighton and Co. His office currently faces several different levels of insurer interaction. Some insurers have proprietary sites onto which brokers must logon individually with varying levels of functionality. He notes that it is sometimes easier to phone the insurer than to use their site.

Belyea stresses, however, that regardless of whatever direction online connectivity goes, he wants to maintain full functionality of his broker management system (BMS). For example, the retention of client history (phone calls, emails, etc.) in the BMS is key to defending against errors and omissions claims.


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