Gore Mutual launches ecommerce commercial insurance platform

Gore Mutual Insurance Company announced on Thursday that it has partnered with eight insurance brokers to launch uBiz, an ecommerce platform that enables brokers to offer commercial insurance through their digital channels.

uBiz leverages agile technology to enable customers to design their own insurance coverage and buy it instantly and securely online, Gore Mutual said in a press release, adding that they are also “developing new products and capability for uBiz.” The product is available nationally, except Quebec, through eight brokers: Easy Insure, Insurance Hero, isure, Mitchell & Whale, My Insurance Broker, Shaw Sabey, Surex Direct and Think!nsure.

Gore Mutual said uBiz launched with an “unbundled” product design for 2.75 million self-employed Canadians, providing coverage to 22 industry category and 122 individual classes of businesses. The product, which is both desktop and mobile device responsive, offers commercial general liability coverage, home office contents coverage and legal expense insurance.

uBiz plugs directly into the broker’s website, replicating their design palette to provide the customer with a seamless experience, explained Paul Jackson, vice president of distribution at Gore Mutual.

“The workforce is changing as more Canadians are making ‘home’ their office,” said Anna McCrindell, vice president of underwriting at Gore Mutual, in the release. “We identified that existing insurance products failed to provide the security that a home-based business needs at a price that makes sense. We’re launching uBiz with a new unbundled product that lets the customer choose what they want.”

Gore Mutual said that uBiz “leverages a host of technology advancements to get small business customers directly to the coverage they need with just a handful of simple questions.” Sean Christie, Gore Mutual CIO, noted that uBiz customers can quote, choose a payment option and then secure edocuments in real time. “Buying online couldn’t be quicker than this,” he said.

Dario Battista, president and CEO of participating uBiz broker isure, added in the release that “customers just want to get on with running their business and not be distracted with complicated, expensive products and time consuming processes. That’s why we worked with Gore Mutual to develop the simplest online buying experience in Canada, which will integrate seamlessly into our wider online business strategy.”

In the future, Gore Mutual is looking to digitize the uBiz experience with online policy change, renewals and servicing. It will also be accessible through social media – on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube – “over the coming months.”