First Internet Solutions (FIS), a provider of Web-based quoting and policy administration applications for property/casualty insurance companies, has partnered with the RiskMeter Online. The partnership will provide FIS users with the same straight-through-processing capabilities as their larger carrier competitors.

"In the property/casualty insurance industry, it's crucial for underwriters and agents to weigh various natural hazards accurately," says Dan Munson, founder of RiskMeter Online. "For example, distance to coast, proximity to earthquake faults, and distance to FEMA flood zones are all used to determine pricing. Through the use of mapping technology, the RiskMeter Online helps agents and underwriters to determine quickly a policy's proximity to more than 30 natural hazard risks."

Many small and midsize insurers are finding their agents and underwriters are spending a considerable amount of time gathering information from different systems, maintaining files, and answering questions from various parties, according to FIS. FIS has eliminated a lot of unnecessary back and forth between underwriters and agents by offering straight-through processing through its Equip Policy Administration suite. Once a user types in a policy's address, RiskMeter's servers will automatically prefill natural hazard data into the FIS' Equip forms.