NEW YORK, June 14, 1999 – Agents for the first time have access to ISOnet®, Insurance Services Office, Inc.'s (ISO) Internet-based delivery system of insurance information.
At the same time, ISO added address-specific underwriting and rating information from ISO's Geographic Underwriting System (GUS®) to the ISOnet product offering.
"Access by agents and the addition of GUS information to the ISOnet system both are strategic advances in making the Internet the primary channel for delivering our insurance information to all our customers," said Donald J. Rainone, ISO's executive vice president – marketing and strategic planning.
Since ISO launched ISOnet delivery last year, the secure, password-protected website has efficiently delivered ISO's core information services to more than 100 insurance-company customers. Users access the ISOnet system through a standard Internet connection.
With ISOnet delivery, agents get real-time access to information from ISO's 25,000-page Commercial Lines Manual (CLM), more than 5,000 personal and commercial lines policy forms, and countrywide GUS information.
GUS information delivered on ISOnet provides insurers and agents accurate, real-time information for underwriting and rating specific homes and commercial properties at any address countrywide.
Based on state-of-the-art Geographic Information System (GIS) technology developed by ISO and Vista Information Solutions, Inc., San Diego, GUS provides ISO customers with access to reliable, current, and address-specific information on:
- Public Protection Classification codes for each fire district in the country, based on ISO's evaluation of the district's fire-suppression capabilities. ISO updates GUS information each month to reflect changes in public fire-protection capabilities that affect a specific risk, including changes in fire-station locations, district boundaries, and automatic-aid agreements.
- Distance to ocean and other major bodies of water.
- Windstorm exposure.
- California brush-fire hazard locations.
- Home-to-work drive distances.
- Crime.
- Personal and commercial auto rating territories.
ISOnet access expands the delivery options for GUS information, which also includes online and batch processing through ISO's proprietary ISOTEL® network.
"GUS information available through the ISOnet system furthers our mission to provide more value-added services that are vital to our customers' business operations – and to make those services faster, cheaper, and easier to use," Rainone said.
The ISOnet system's flexible, easy-to-use search options and hypertext links let agents and insurers easily find and use Commercial Lines Manual information and navigate between policy forms and manual rules and other information. Users can also view, download and print exact reproductions of ISO policy forms right from their personal computers.
"By making it easier for users to find and use ISO information, the ISOnet system helps reduce document-handling time, cuts filing and storage costs, and improves both productivity and customer service," Rainone said. "In short, ISOnet delivery cuts the cost of doing business, increases profitability, and – particularly important to agents – makes more time available to serve customers."
For more information on agent access to the ISOnet system and GUS, call ISO Customer Service at 1-800-888-4476, or e-mail ISO at ISOnet@iso.com.
GUS, jointly developed by ISO and Vista Information Solutions, Inc. , is a registered trademark of Vista and licensed to ISO for its exclusive use. ISOTEL is a registered trademark of Insurance Services Office, Inc.
Release: Immediate
Contacts:
Giuseppe Barone / Erica Helton
MWW Group (for ISO)
201-507-9500
gbarone@mww.com / ehelton@mww.com