Portals Enable E-business On Demand Portals are becoming far more than a gateway through which users are provided electronic access to the enterprise. For the innovative insurer, portals are becoming the place beyond the gateway. They will become the device that enables the userbe it employee, customer or partnerto participate in e-business on demand.

Today, many insurers use portals to allow an agent or insured to access basic information and static functions like checking a claim status or, in some instances, paying a bill. The portal may not always be available, but this is okay, since there are relatively few time-critical business transactions being conducted that require 24 x 7 availability.

However, we are now seeing innovative insurance companies leveraging portals in a new wayby allowing agents and insureds to become a much more dynamic part of the business process. Some users are able to execute business processes on demand, at any time, from any placeissuing certificates of insurance, issuing their own policies, or settling their own claims.