Palm Desert, Calif.

Surplus lines producers who previously saw technology as asource of disruption to their business model, and retail agents whoonce had limited access to global specialty markets, are havingtheir needs addressed, executives said here.

Surplus lines industry executives and vendors were out in forceat the recent meeting of the American Association of ManagingGeneral Agents, describing advantages they bring, including globalplatforms and rate-quote-bind technology.

During the association's 84th annual meeting in May in PalmDesert, Calif., NU's E&S/Specialty Lines Extra metwith representatives of two organizations with very differentperspectives.

Executives from London-based MGA Jansen & Hastings explainedthe logic behind their expansion into the U.S. market and theopportunities they're affording U.S. retailers seeking markets.

From this side of the Atlantic, a group from Franklin Lakes,N.J.-based E&S insurer Western World Insurance Group made avery prominent presentation at the AAMGA's vendor trade show,displaying their ease-of-use technology--technology they believewill dramatically improve placement of business with thecompany.

GLOBAL PRESENCE

For agents and brokers seeking an MGA with an internationalpresence, executives with Jansen & Hastings, based in Londonwith offices in San Francisco and Sandpoint, Idaho, say they areoffering a broad appetite for risk with a firm that offersinternational access and technological knowledge.

Kevin Hastings, managing director, along with Janet Beaver,senior vice president, and Jim Parsons, senior vice president,underwriting division manager, sat to discuss what Mr. Hastingsbelieves is "a really exciting" platform for agents that will be anintegral part of the marketplace for the future.

Jansen & Hastings has come into the U.S. market withoutlegacy issues, which Mr. Hastings explained means that it gives thecompany a lot of flexibility to underwrite risk. At the same time,its technology platform offers a completely paperless environmentthat minimizes and reduces costs for everyone.

In the past year, the firm has grown to be able to meet theneeds of agents throughout the United States, which Mr. Hastingsnoted is critical for the firm to stand out in the marketplace.

With the efficiency of technology, Ms. Beaver pointed out thatall business can be conducted and distributed from onelocation.

"As long as they have a computer and access to the Internet, wecan do business," she noted.

The firm says that its technology can provide online ratings,quotation and binding.

Mr. Hastings also noted that another advantage to working withJansen & Hastings is that it is a national MGA withinternational interests that can give clients access to Bermuda andother markets. That means working with Jansen & Hastings willprovide for an international platform without going outside of thegroup, they said.

For more information, go to http://www.jansenandhastings.com.

EASE OF USE

One company that made sure it had a notable presence at theAAMGA's exhibitor section was Western World Insurance Group with ademonstration of its latest technology.

Thad C. DeBerry, senior vice president, information technology,explained that Western World's technology application allows oneindividual to rate, code, quote, bind and issue a policy over theInternet.

The company's technology allows for the capture of informationfrom an agency management system, pre-filling an application andleaving a few basic choices left for the agent to fill in, heexplained.

MGAs do not have to re-key information, he noted, and the entireprocess is laid out in a streamlined form for easy processing.

He showed how Western World's technology eliminates the need fornavigating multiple screens and instead allows the producer to doall the work through one portal.

In response to a question about what message the company issending to the MGA community, Thomas F. Mulligan, president andchief executive officer, said in an e-mail: "Technology,legislation, regulation and difficult business conditions areredefining the value propositions of every segment of the insurancedistribution chain, and the MGA/wholesaler is no exception. Unlikesome, we believe this presents opportunities for the wholesaledistribution channel to innovate and expand on the traditionalservices they provide."

"Partnerships with MGAs have been a cornerstone of our businessfor 46 years, and will continue to be going forward," he continued,noting the company has invested heavily over the past two years todeliver "greater responsiveness and ease of use to the MGAcommunity."

He noted that its Western World Integrated Platform is one waythe company "is supporting the competitiveness of our customers bydelivering a fast, easy and wholesaler-only Rate, Quote, Bind andIssue platform for their use."

Mr. Mulligan said that "technology has recently been the sourceof some disruption in the MGA business model, but in WesternWorld's view, [it] will also be the source of great competitivestrength."

"Western World recognized several years ago the emerging need tosupport wholesalers through technology in a way which makes theircustomers--the retailer--more successful," he added.

For more information, go to http://www.westernworld.com/BusinessPartnerTools.aspx.