TAMPA, FLA., May 13, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IVANS Insurance Solutions today announced that Merchants Insurance Group, Buffalo, N.Y., has selected IVANS to deliver policy and commission information to its independent agent network. With IVANS Download, Merchants' independent agents will receive policy and direct bill commission information for home, auto (personal and commercial), business owner policy (BOP) and workers' compensation lines, as well as direct bill commission statement information, through one agency mailbox.
IVANS Download is the leading insurance data exchange for the delivery of insurance transactions from carriers to their independent agencies. More insurance carriers choose IVANS as their standard platform for insurance information exchange than any other system for download.
"We needed to streamline information exchange with our independent agents and make it easier to conduct business together," said Peter Balisteri, CIO, Merchants Insurance Group. "As the industry standard, our agents are familiar with IVANS workflows, so it was a natural progression for us to consolidate other lines of business into the IVANS platform."
Previously, Merchants was managing many translation processes to download policy and direct bill commission statement data to their agents. Using IVANS Download, Merchants will have a single, fully managed solution to translate and deliver all of the policy and commission data downstream to their agency partners.
"As the business of insurance becomes more competitive, it is critical for carriers to ensure their agents have access to the most up-to-date policy information and provide technology that strengthens carrier-agent relationships," said Paul Warga, vice president of product management, IVANS Insurance Solutions. "IVANS open platform provides the industry a single, trusted source of insurance information exchange between carriers and their agents. As the industry standard, we are committed to making insurance business more efficient with innovative data exchange solutions for our industry."
About IVANS Insurance Solutions
IVANS Insurance Solutions, an Applied Systems business unit, is the trusted leader for insurance information exchange to drive growth and deliver better customer service. The company provides advanced carrier-agency interface, electronic data interchange and managed network solutions that enable businesses to more efficiently manage complex business processes, while reducing their operating costs. A forerunner in ACORD data standards, IVANS Insurance Solutions provides data extraction, translations and transport through an open industry platform. More companies rely on the company's secure, reliable and proven platform than any other to create more value from data and information exchanged throughout the insurance lifecycle. To learn more, please visit www.ivansinsurance.com.
About Merchants Insurance Group
Merchants Insurance Group offers personal and commercial insurance through a network of more than 650 independent insurance agents throughout the Northeast and North Central United States. With corporate headquarters and regional operations located in Buffalo, N.Y., Merchants also operates offices in Hauppauge, N.Y.; Mount Laurel, N.J.; and Bedford, N.H. For more information, visit www.merchantsgroup.com.