Dateline: 27/03/2008
Schaumburg, Ill., March 27, 2008 – Zurich, one of the world’s largest property-casualty insurance companies, announced today that its small commercial business agents in the U.S. now will be able to access real-time quoting via Zurich’s new interface platform – ZPass.
ZPass allows agents to conduct their commercial lines business more efficiently in real-time without duplicate data entry. Through a single transaction, agents have the ability to process quotes and proposals directly from their agency management systems without the need to re-key the data into a point-of-sale system. Agents can electronically upload client data, obtain quotes, generate proposals and issue policies in real-time for their customers purchasing a business owner’s policy (BOP), and commercial auto, commercial umbrella and workers’ compensation coverage.
“Zurich is committed to providing ease-of-doing-business for our agents,” said Laurie Kimmel, director of distributor and customer interface solutions for North America Commercial. “ZPass is part of our real-time services strategy to assist agency profitable growth by maximizing the workflow efficiency and productivity of our agents. We are listening to what our agents need, and we are delivering it.”
With the addition of quoting to its existing real-time inquiry and commercial download capabilities, Zurich is providing its agents with the ability to support their workflow from quote to policy issuance and from download to inquiry transactions. Zurich plans to continue adding transactions to its real-time platform.
ZPass is delivered by the SeaPass Hub™ technology platform that leverages existing systems and enables them to interact automatically with one another. Zurich’s addition to the SeaPass Hub provides users with the ability to conduct successful transactions and easily market total solutions to clients.
“We are working with SeaPass to deliver real-time quoting capabilities that can help our agents address the changing needs of small business commercial clients and agents who demand real-time service,” said Kimmel. “Adding the SeaPass Hub interface to eZSB (Zurich’s small business Web-based policy processing system) enables our agencies to further shift their focus from duplicating data entry to growing their books of business profitably.”
ZPass will be available starting in April 2008 to Zurich-appointed agents who are subscribers to the SeaPass Hub. Agents using TransactNOW or IVANS Transformation Station will have access to ZPass during the second quarter of 2008 and will be notified by their Zurich representatives.
“The SeaPass Hub fortifies Zurich’s leadership position as an ease-of-doing-business carrier and addresses the demand by commercial lines clients for quick turnaround on quotes and proposals,” said Eric Gewirtzman, CEO of SeaPass. “Quoting with the SeaPass Hub technology adds value among Zurich’s appointed independent agents. Zurich is helping to position them with real-time solutions to increase the opportunity for higher revenues and to raise service standards for their clients – making them more attractive in what most view as a highly competitive business environment.”
Agents interested in learning more about Zurich should visit the company’s Web site at http://www.zurichna.com.
For more information about Zurich’s real-time and download capabilities, visit http://zis.zurichna.com/zis/aboutus.nsf/pages/3EA7256D628C336D8525732B0045B9A5.
For more information on the SeaPass Hub, agents can contact SeaPass Solutions Inc. or visit http://www.seapass.com.
About Zurich Financial Services
Zurich Financial Services Group (Zurich) is an insurance-based financial services provider with a global network of subsidiaries and offices in North America and Europe as well as in Asia Pacific, Latin America and other markets. Founded in 1872, the Group is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. It employs approximately 60,000 people serving customers in more than 170 countries. In North America, Zurich (www.zurichna.com) is a leading commercial property-casualty insurance provider serving the global corporate, large corporate, middle market, small business, specialties and programs sectors.
About SeaPass Solutions
SeaPass Solutions, founded in 2000, is headquartered in New York City. The company develops and markets solutions that enable insurance carriers, agents, brokers and wholesalers to transmit and receive data in real time.
The SeaPass Hub Solution leverages existing systems to interact automatically with one another, leading to reduced costs, better new business and successful transactions. Since 2001, SeaPass has been implementing IT solutions at national insurance carriers, regional carriers, banks, large agencies and brokers.
SeaPass is a privately-held company. Its shareholders include Hyperion, a world-renowned merchant banking fund specializing in investments in financial services-related companies and pioneering technologies, and Platinum Neurone Ventures, a fund backed by global investors such as Bank of America, the Inter Atlantic Group and Dolphin Equity Partners, both NY based investment firms.
Media contacts:
Zurich
Susan Levine
(847) 762-7386
susan.levine@zurichna.com
SeaPass Solutions Inc.
David Lentz
(212) 608-4646
davidl@seapass.com