ACORD has announced it has received another contribution fromIBM to help the insurance industry's leading standards organizationdevelop the ACORD Framework Information Model.

The recent donation from IBM consists of the InsuranceApplication Architecture Business Object/Data Model and the IAAProduct Specification Diagram (PSD) notation. Both were developedby IBM in collaboration with insurance companies around the world.The IAA model has been licensed by more than 200 insurersworldwide.
The donations have allowed ACORD to create an industry-ownedinformation model, according to John Kellington, senior vicepresident of ACORD.

"Both IBM's IAA model and ACORD's Information Model areexcellent representations of the insurance industry information,"says Kellington. "However, having one model, which is available forall industry participants, will provide a single focus for theindustry participants."

IBM's donation will bring 20 years of industry expertise inmodel development to the project and will allow ACORD, PrimaSolutions, IBM, and other industry members the opportunity toconsolidate the two models.

Initial analysis of the two models has shown they are more alikethan different, according to Frank Neugebauer, chief technologyofficer for ACORD.

The focus for industry participants will go from deciding whichmodel to use to how best to implement the ACORD Information Model,adds Neugebauer. ACORD will document all changes and provide thatinformation to members.
Mark Lewis, global insurance industry general manager at IBM,believes the ACORD Framework models will give insurers a flexibleset of industry-developed assets to help accelerate the globaladoption of key industry concepts.

Collaboratively aligning these products will increase the valueIAA can deliver to the industry and is consistent with IBM'sstrategy of fostering open standards organizations to create growthand innovation, adds Lewis.
The ACORD Information Model's development began with the donationof Prima Solutions' information model.
Hugues Delannoy, president and CEO of Prima, believes bothtechnology and industry-specific standards are essential ifcompanies are to solve collaboration and integration problems.

"The development of new and enhanced assets by ACORD providesgame-changing opportunities for the insurance industry," saysDelannoy. "This is why we support ACORD's activities and were proudto contribute our model. We also have been happy to assist ACORDwith training and education so people can fully understand and takeadvantage of the model."
The Information Model plays a central role in the ACORDFramework--five interrelated models that can be used to developconsistent standards regardless of type, geography, or line ofbusiness. The facets are: a Business Dictionary, a Capability Modelwith Process Maps, a Component Model with Service Maps, and a DataModel. The Information Model provides the relationships amonginsurance concepts.

ACORD accepts intellectual property contributions from membercompanies on behalf of the industry to further enhance and expandACORD standards.