ACORD Expands Testing, Certification Facility

ACORD, the insurance data standards group, has announced the expansion of its Testing and Certification Facility to include test capabilities for ACORD Reinsurance & Large Commercial (RLC) Placing message implementations.

The ACORD Testing and Certification Facility supports developer implementation of ACORD standards by enabling them to test their messaging systems using a "virtual" business partner, said Pearl River, N.Y.-based ACORD. Developers can send ACORD messages to it, have the system validate them, and then have it send back responses indicating acceptance or errors.

"This live application streamlines the entire process, thereby increasing certifications and improving communication between business partners," said ACORD.

The system originally went live in February 2007 for ACORD Document Repository Interface (DRI) messages to support the London Electronic Claims File initiative. With the incorporation of the Placing messages, the facility can also support brokers and underwriters developing placing systems within London, noted ACORD.

"This is an important new step for our testing facility, which will be followed by incorporating additional support for the RLC Accounting, Settlement and Claims messages later in 2007," said Lloyd Chumbley, assistant vice president, Standards, ACORD.

An important aspect of the ACORD facility is its ability to provide formal certification that a developer's system complies with the agreed ACORD standards, said ACORD.

"Organizations are starting to insist that new partners are certified by our system, and this has led to strong and increasing usage since going live in February," said Roy Laker, assistant vice president, London office, ACORD. The ACORD Testing and Certification Facility was developed in partnership with Trisystems Infobahn.

More information on the ACORD Testing and Certification Facility is available at www.acord.org.