Big "I" Program To Improve Markets
By Mark E. Ruquet
NU Online News Service, March 30, 2:25 p.m. EST?The release of a new version of the Big "I" Markets Program will mean more security, easier navigation and access to more products for independent producers, said the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America.[@@]
With the release of Big "I" Markets Program Version 1.2, three additional carriers have joined the list of insurers offering specialty products to independent agents and brokers.
The three are Balboa, Fireman's Fund and National Interstate. They join Atlantic Mutual, Chubb, The Hartford, Selective, The St. Paul and others in offering niche products to the more than 3,500 participating agencies over the Web.
Based on Microsoft technology Active Directory system updates, the new version allows Big "I" Markets to control what product and coverage members can view?based on their license with the program and the availability of insurance products in the state, said Paul A. Buse president of Big "I" Advantage members products, in a statement.
This new version, utilizing XML technology, improves the flow of information between insurers and producers and does away with the need for duplicate data entry, he said.
Ryann Eliott, director of specialty markets and marketing for Big "I" Markets, said the point of this upgraded version is to make it easier for agents to find what they are looking for within two mouse clicks of entering the site.
"We wanted to make sure information is not buried," she observed. "It is important they get to it fast and easy."
Louis "Bebe" Cantor, IIABA president, noted that "our members struggle every day with technology and market access. It is important for IIABA to use its infrastructure to grow a forward-thinking, electronic bridge between product providers and independent agents."
Additional information about the Alexandria, Va.-based IIABA Big "I" Markets program is available through www.independentagent.com.
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