The Innovation Group announces support of Microsoft SQL Serverhas been validated with performance and efficiency testing inMicrosoft's labs and has been added to the insurance technologyprovider's Innovation Insurer Suite.

"Over the past decade, Microsoft SQL Server has increasinglybecome a platform of choice for P&C insurers of all sizes,"says Matthew Josefowicz, managing director at Novarica. "Achievingthis certification is an important step for InnovationInsurer."

"The impact of Innovation Insurer supporting one of the leadingdatabase technologies is significant for the global insurancemarket," says Andy Roberts, Global CEO, Innovation Group. "ThroughInnovation Insurer, Innovation Group is providing widespread accessto core insurance software that is scalable and performance testedto support a lower total cost of ownership. Innovation Insurerdelivers modern, flexible solutions that can be easily implementedand upgraded as part of a future-ready business platform."

During the validation of Innovation Insurer, a series ofefficiency tests were conducted at the Microsoft Redmond, Wash.,lab in May. The tests simulated business transaction volumes forall tiers of U.S. property & casualty insurers, producingexcellent results. The tests concluded Innovation Insurer canhandle loads comparable to those expected of a Tier-1 insurer on amodest infrastructure, thereby exceeding expectations. The overallperformance of the Innovation Insurer Suite on SQL Server 2012 wascomparable to previous tests running on DB2 at the IBM InnovationCentre.

"We have seen a lot of interest from carriers in modernizing tocore systems running on Microsoft's server platform, for the costbenefits, agility, and ready access to skill sets to run thesesystems," says Tony Jacob, managing director, Worldwide Insuranceat Microsoft Corporation. "Innovation Group, one of our strategicpartners in insurance, has embraced our technologies for theirsuite of insurance software. Innovation Group now offers policyadministration, claims processing, and policy and claims analyticssolutions separately or in a suite, all running on and performancetuned for Windows Server and SQL Server. The suite presents newopportunities for application, vendor, and database consolidationsleading to IT cost savings."

"We are excited to announce the support of Microsoft SQL Serverin this release of Innovation Insurer as it responds to theincreasing demand by our insurance industry customers and theindustry at-large," says Euan King, CEO NA Insurer Software."Already, four Innovation Group customers are implementing theMicrosoft SQL Server version in multiple geographies."