SMA Releases Comprehensive Research Report on Agency Management System Functionality, Solution Availability and Market Trends

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - August 31, 2009) - SMA Strategy Meets Action (SMA), a leading insurance industry analyst firm, is pleased to announce the release of a new report, "Agency Management Systems: Marketplace & Vendor Analysis - Satisfying Today's Needs, Positioning for Tomorrow's Opportunities."

"This release marks the first SMA-branded research published since launching the company," said Deb Smallwood, founder of SMA and co-author of the report. "I believe this report, the first of many in the queue, is a landmark first effort that will differentiate SMA from other analyst firms in terms of its in-depth nature, breadth of survey respondents, interview subjects and insightful analysis."

This research report focuses on the business environment in the insurance agency marketplace and specifically explores the current and potential or future use of agency management systems. Additionally, insurance carriers, MGAs and agencies alike will benefit from detailed information the report contains about systems that are available today, what agency needs are not being met by current system offerings, what the business drivers are for a technology spend in this area, and analysis of how agencies are making purchasing decisions. The report also includes a detailed vendor analysis on six agency management software solutions. The details will also be beneficial to any solution provider that sells solutions in the agent market and agent-insurer connectivity marketplace as well.

"We are pleased that this research effort includes information about functionality for many of the industry's leading agency management systems," said Karen Furtado, partner at SMA and co-author of the report. "During the course of researching and writing this 38-page report, we interviewed not only agency users, but systems vendors as well. It was important to examine the issues relating to agency management system availability and functionality from all perspectives."

Some of the most significant findings and insights in the report include:

--  Over 80 percent of agencies have some level of agency management
    automation;
--  Further analysis reveals almost half of these agencies use dated, old
    technologies which are not fully integrated and, furthermore, may be quite
    difficult to integrate and connect with insurance companies;
--  The market leaders view technology spend and investments as a way to
    take control of their environment, including policyholder and carrier
    connectivity, in order to execute their aggressive growth and expense
    reduction strategies; and
--  This enables these agencies to "leap forward" in the competitive
    landscape rather than be driven by carriers. Moving forward, as the market
    leaders develop a comprehensive plan for automation, it becomes apparent
    that it is beyond a traditional agency management system.
    

The report is available for purchase immediately at a cost of $1500. Copies of the report are available through Karen Furtado. She can be reached via email at kfurtado@strategymeetsaction.com or at 978.239.2741. For more information about SMA's research or services, please visit the company website, www.strategymeetsaction.com.

About SMA Strategy Meets Action

Exclusively serving the insurance industry, SMA is a new breed of strategic advisory firm offering a unique blend of research, advisory and consulting services to both insurance companies and solution providers. By leveraging best practices from both the management consulting and research advisory disciplines, SMA's advisory service offerings are actionable business-driven and research-based. For companies eager and ready to embrace change and achieve business success taking strategies to meet action is critical. Their suite of advisory offerings include: advice, consulting, research, and education. Additional information on SMA can be found at www.strategymeetsaction.com.

Contact Information: Media Contact: Jennifer Overhulse-King St. Nick Media Services (859) 803-6597