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Applied Systems honors insurance carriers for communication excellence

Companies cited for efficient, cost-effective agent/broker interface

ASCnet TENCon Special – Orlando – September 20, 2011 – Insurance technology company Applied Systems today continued its tradition of honoring insurance carriers for excellence in communications with agencies and brokerages.

Ten carriers received the Applied Systems Interface Partner and Innovation Leadership Awards. Recipients are Allied Insurance, EMC Insurance Companies, Fremont Insurance Company, Harleysville Insurance, Liberty Mutual Agency Corporation, National Farmers Union, New York Central Mutual Fire Insurance Company, Penn National Insurance, The Cincinnati Insurance Company and The Hanover Insurance Group.

The awards recognize companies’ efforts to advance insurance automation through policy download and real-time rating. These carriers fully rate a transaction without directing an agent to a carrier Web site.

In addition, 53 U.S. insurance companies and seven from Canada received Interface Partner Awards for offering policy download and real-time bridge rating. This process takes agents to a carrier Web site to complete the rating transaction.

Carriers received the awards at a ceremony in Orlando during 2011 TENCon, the Technology, Education & Networking Conference hosted by the Applied Systems Client Network (ASCnet).

“This year’s winners exhibit a commitment to agency interface with a full complement of policy lifecycle interfaces ranging from real-time policy rating and real-time inquiries to overnight download and data synchronization for policy, billing, claims and carrier alert updates,” said Doug Johnston, vice president of Partner Relations & Product Innovation at Applied Systems.

“These interfaces offer tremendous gains in agency operational efficiency, as well as dramatically reduce the agency's cost of doing business,” Johnston continued. “We are proud of our partnerships with our carriers and want to recognize those who continue to set the bar for interface achievement.”

2011 Interface Partner Award winners are:

Canada Partners

• Aviva Canada, Inc.
• AXA Insurance (Canada)
• The Economical Insurance Group
• Intact Insurance
• Pembridge
• RSA Canada
• York Fire & Casualty Insurance Company

U.S. Partners

• Accident Fund Insurance Company of America
• ACUITY
• Alfa Alliance Insurance Corporation
• Arbella Insurance Group
• Auto Club Group – AAA
• Auto-Owners Insurance
• Berkley Mid-Atlantic Group, LLC
• Celina Insurance Group
• Central Insurance Companies
• Chartis
• Chubb Group of Insurance Companies
• CNA
• Co-operative Insurance Companies
• Continental Western Group
• Donegal Insurance Group
• Encompass Insurance Company
• Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company
• Foremost Insurance Group
• Frankenmuth Insurance
• General Casualty
• Goodville Mutual Casualty Company
• Grange Insurance
• Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company
• Hastings Mutual Insurance Company
• ICW Group
• Injured Workers’ Insurance Fund
• Kemper Preferred
• MEMIC
• MMG Insurance Company Motorists Mutual Insurance Company
• Mutual Benefit Group
• New London County Mutual Insurance Company
• Preferred Employers Insurance Company
• Preferred Mutual Insurance Company
• Progressive
• Republic Group of Companies
• Selective Insurance Company of America
• State Auto Insurance Companies
• Stonetrust Commercial Insurance Company
• The Hartford
• The IMT Group
• The Norfolk & Dedham Group
• The Travelers Companies, Inc.
• Tower Group Companies
• Tuscarora Wayne Group of Companies
• Union Mutual of Vermont Companies
• United Fire Group
• Utica National Insurance Group
• Vermont Mutual Insurance Group
• West Bend Mutual Insurance Company
• Western Reserve Group
• Westfield Insurance
• Zurich in North America

About Applied Systems Inc.

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. www.appliedsystems.com

ASCnet (Applied Systems Client Network, Inc.) is an international association representing more than 80,000 insurance professionals in 11 countries and territories. The only authorized user group for Applied Systems software, ASCnet promotes successful technology and business practices through communication, education and advocacy. Founded in 1985, ASCnet is based in Des Plaines, Ill. www.ascnet.org