University Park, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/27/2011 -- As more independent insurance agents accommodate customers who want direct access to their own policy information and insurance forms, a new automated function makes it easy for agents to track and report on all activities initiated by policyholders.

Artizan Internet Services today announced availability of Artizan-TAM SyncSM, the feature that automatically records activity from Artizan's customer access solution, CSR24®, into TAM®, the flagship agency management solution from insurance technology company Applied Systems. The synchronization of the two solutions results in significant efficiencies in agency operation: Agency time once spent on updating activities can now be devoted to client service.

The Sync automatically creates an activity log in TAM whenever a policyholder uses CSR24 to make a routine change request of the agency, or to obtain documentation including a certificate of insurance or an auto ID card.

"The synchronization of the two systems helps our staff automate processes and reduce the amount of data entry, and to get things done more efficiently," said Judy Dzwigal, automation coordinator for Lutgert Insurance in Naples, Fla. The agency is a long-time user of TAM and CSR24.

"Best of all, the Sync feature increases our capacity to service our clients," Dzwigal said. "This feature is a huge time saver to our account managers when processing more complex certificates. As a result, our account managers spend less time updating activities and more time attending to our clients' needs."

TAM and CSR24 have integrated for some time, decreasing agencies' data entry time and E & O exposure. The new Sync facilitates an even higher rate of internal efficiency, according to Richard H. Roy, president of Artizan Internet Services, an Applied Systems company.

"Ways to increase internal efficiencies within their businesses is always a hot topic for the agents and brokers we work with," Roy said. "Those agents using Artizan's CSR24 understand the positive impact of online customer service. Now, those who use CSR24 along with TAM will appreciate the decrease in internal processing time and the ability to re-focus their newfound time on customer service."

Ultimately, the Sync helps agencies achieve greater customer satisfaction, said Applied Systems Chairman and CEO James P. Kellner: "The synchronization of these two solutions enables agents to have consistent, faster and more cost-effective tracking of customer service activities, and that means they can satisfy customer needs with greater ease and confidence."

Artizan Internet Services, an Applied Systems company, is the leading provider of Web-based solutions for the insurance industry. Artizan's unique suite of programs provides online client access, website design, certificate compliance and electronic publishing solutions. In addition, Artizan also provides custom development services to address specific business challenges. Artizan delivers the highest level of quality, efficiency and customer satisfaction to agents and brokers http://www.artizan.com.

Applied Systems, Inc. develops, sells and supports insurance agency and broker management systems and provides services for accounting, customer, policy, claims management, and all related agent and broker functions. More than 130,000 users in 11,000 agencies of every size and complexity level use Applied Systems solutions built around insurance agency software TAM®, Epic™, Vision®, and DORIS™. In addition, Applied Systems is recognized as a pioneer in advancing agent-carrier communication, continuing its longstanding work to promote download and real-time technology. http://www.appliedsystems.com

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Report says agents appreciate allies in ‘war on keystrokes’

University Park, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/28/2011 -- Innovative insurance companies are reaping the benefits of providing something agents want: A streamlined policy rating process that gathers multiple real-time quotes from a single standard data entry.

A white paper published this week describes real-time, round-trip rating as the "new paradigm" for policy rating. Quoting carriers and agents, the paper highlights the advantages of the new process and summarizes the limitations that all agents and brokers faced before some carriers began re-thinking the process from their agents' perspective.

The paper cites EMC Insurance Companies of Des Moines, Iowa, with a success rate above 90 percent for its new rating process that provides a quote in five to ten seconds.

"Developing our real-time, round-trip rating system was a complex task," EMC Business Technology Analyst Teresa Addy says in the white paper. "But when agents see the difference between our system and their bridging systems, they want to start using real-time round trip as soon as they can."

"Real-Time Rating: The most powerful change carriers are making to help agents market, quote and write new business," was published this week by insurance technology company Applied Systems, Inc. In conjunction with developing insurance agency management software, Applied Systems is an innovator in developing and promoting state-of-the art agency-carrier communication technologies based on insurance industry standards set forth by ACORD (Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development) and CSIO (Centre for Studies in Insurance Operations).

The white paper, published by insurance technology company Applied Systems, is available at http://www.appliedsystems.com/PDF/Round-Triprating.pdf.

Applied Systems Inc. develops, sells and supports insurance agency and broker management systems and provides services for accounting, customer, policy, claims management, and all related agent and broker functions. More than 130,000 users in 11,000 agencies of every size and complexity level use Applied Systems solutions built around core systems TAM, Epic, Vision and DORIS. In addition, the company leads the industry in agency-carrier real-time and batch communication solutions. http://www.appliedsystems.com

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University Park, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/22/2011 -- In four short years, Kelly S. Whitener jumped from shuffling papers as a customer service representative in an unautomated insurance agency to garnering national acclaim as the 2010 Outstanding CSR of the Year for her work at an agency on Inc. Magazine's 2009 list of fastest-growing privately held companies.

Whitener's award came from the National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research, an industry organization that promotes continuing education and research. There's a common denominator for national winner Whitener and three of the four national finalists for this year's Outstanding CSR of the Year: They do their award-winning work every day in agencies run with Applied Systems agency management solutions.

Whitener, CIC, CISR, is commercial accounts manager at Senn Dunn Insurance in Greensboro, North Carolina, which has used Applied Systems' flagship system, TAM®, since 1993. Senn Dunn is a Best Practices Agency in the prestigious study conducted by the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers Association and Reagan Consulting.

Along with Whitener, the National Alliance recognized these national finalists for their contributions and commitment to serving insurance clients:

• Barbara J. Golden, CIC, CPCU, AAI, AU, McConkey Insurance & Benefits, York, Pennsylvania
• Tammy K. Harris, CISR, Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company, Fort Wayne, Indiana
• Amanda M. Williams, CISR, CPIA,AAI, AU,AIS, AINS,PRIS, Maverick Insurance Agency, Cold Spring, Kentucky
• Kristina E. Donaldson, CISR, CPIW, AINS, Messer-Bowers Company, Enid, Oklahoma

Like Whitener, Golden, Harris and Williams all work at agencies that use Applied Systems agency management solutions. All five winners first won their respective state competitions before being selected for national honors.

"To a degree, your positive attitude has to come from within," Whitener said in response to her award. "But I think creating the atmosphere—a positive environment—pushes you to have the necessary drive. Being in the environment that I am here at Senn Dunn, it's very upbeat. It allows me to remain optimistic. Even though you may be having a bad day, the positive atmosphere is still there."

Applied Systems develops, sells and supports insurance agency and broker management solutions and provides services for accounting, customer, policy, claims management and all related agent and broker functions. More than 130,000 users in 11,000 agencies of every size and complexity level use Applied Systems solutions built around core systems Epic, TAM, Vision and DORIS. In addition, the company leads the industry in agency-carrier real-time and batch communication solutions. http://www.appliedsystems.com

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CEOs of technology company, user group on list of 100

University Park, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/22/2011 -- The annual list of North America's most powerful insurance people once again includes the chief executives of insurance technology company Applied Systems and the international user group for Applied Systems solutions.

For the eighth consecutive year, Applied Systems Chairman and CEO James P. Kellner is on the list of the 100 Most Powerful People in the Insurance Industry in North America, identified by media organization Insurance Broadcasting and the Insurance Media Association. Sponsors of the 2011 list call the group "the insurance dream team" of individuals who control or have the greatest influence on people, capital, intellectual knowledge, technology and other industry resources.

Also named to the list is Steve Johnson, new CEO of Applied Systems Client Network (ASCnet), the association of agents, brokers and other insurance professionals who use Applied Systems solutions. While 2011 marks the first time Johnson's name appears among insurance's most powerful, this is the second consecutive year the list includes an ASCnet CEO. In 2010, the list included Rick J. Morgan, then serving as ASCnet's interim CEO.

Applied Systems is the only agency and broker management system company represented on the list, and ASCnet is the only technology user group. Also on the list are representatives of organizations that use Applied Systems solutions. They include J. Powell Brown of Brown & Brown Insurance, Joseph Plumeri of Willis Group Holdings, J. Patrick Gallagher Jr. of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Martin P. Hughes of HUB International Ltd., and David Lockton of Lockton Companies.

"To have the leaders of Applied Systems and ASCnet recognized for the influence our organizations have in the industry demonstrates where the true power is—with every insurance professional who uses Applied Systems technology," said Kellner, who has made the list every year since its inception. "Steve and I get our names on the list, but the true recognition is for the collective influence of the Applied Systems community. To be acknowledged this way underscores the responsibility we have as industry stewards."

Johnson, a veteran association executive, became ASCnet CEO in June 2010. He said he understands why ASCnet is so powerful. "In addition to working at and heading up top-performing agencies, ASCnet members are engaged at every level," Johnson said. "They're active in state and local agent associations. In industry-wide initiatives, such as the Real Time/Download Campaign, AUGIE, ACT and others. And as leaders in their local communities."

In the Insurance Technology category, others on the "100 Most Powerful" list represent authoritative industry organizations: Gregory A. Maciag, president and CEO, ACORD; Clare DeNicola, president and CEO, IVANS; and Jeff Yates, executive director, Agents Council for Technology.

Applied Systems Inc. develops, sells and supports insurance agency and broker management systems and provides services for accounting, customer, policy, claims management, and all related agent and broker functions. More than 130,000 users in 11,000 agencies of every size and complexity level use Applied Systems solutions built around insurance agency software—TAM®, Epic®, Vision® and DORIS®. In addition, the company leads the industry in agency-carrier real-time and batch communication solutions. http://www.appliedsystems.com

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Support funds Big I’s prominent benchmark program

University Park, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/22/2011 -- Applied Systems is among four insurance industry vendors and 12 insurance companies recognized recently for sponsoring the 2010 Best Practices Study conducted by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) and Reagan Consulting.

Sponsors were recognized at a banquet held during the Best Practices symposium at the Westin Mission Hills Resort in Rancho Mirage, California. The banquet honored the 224 agencies who earned Best Practices distinction in the 2010 study.

Applied Systems Chairman and CEO James P. Kellner accepted the sponsorship award for his company, which develops and supports insurance agency management systems and services. Applied Systems is the only agency management software company to sponsor the study.

In recognizing Applied Systems, Shirley Lukens, vice president of Reagan Consulting, noted that the insurance technology company was the first vendor to sponsor the study, beginning in 2003. Lukens explained that sponsors' financial support funded research and development of the 2010 study, which will be updated in 2011 and 2012.

"Their support also allowed us to maintain the Best Practices Gateway Web site and to provide each Best Practices Study participant with an individualized agency performance analysis report," Lukens said. "I can't overemphasize how critical these people, and the companies they represent, are to the Best Practices Study. Quite simply, were it not for their support, the study would not exist."

In addition to Applied Systems, other 2010 vendor sponsors are Addis Intellectual Capital, Imperial Credit Corporation and InsurBanc.

Carrier sponsors are Central Insurance Companies, Chubb, EMC Insurance Companies, Encompass Insurance, Erie Insurance, Great American Insurance Group, The Hanover Insurance Group, Harleysville Insurance, Kemper, Liberty Mutual, MetLife Auto & Home and Zurich North America.

The Best Practices Study is an annual benchmark of the top independent agents and brokers in the United States. The highly regarded survey provides a basis for agents and brokers to measure and improve their performance.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm