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REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.,
17-OCT-2007 05:00 AM
Hallmark General Agency, a subsidiary of Hallmark Financial Services, Inc. that provides standard commercial insurance products through the independent agency system, is deploying Oracle(r) Database and Oracle Application Server, a component of Oracle Fusion Middleware, as the IT foundation for its new insurance management system. Hallmark is using Oracle infrastructure software to provide its agents with added resources to streamline business processes and enhance customer service by providing online visibility into claims status and other activities.
Reliability and responsiveness are central to Hallmark's independent agents - located in Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington. To support these insurance agent requirements for success, Hallmark is implementing PREMIA, a Web-based integrated insurance management system from 3i Infotech, a Certified Partner in the Oracle PartnerNetwork. The solution runs on Oracle Database, which will enable Hallmark to create a centralized data repository that is highly reliable and will help eliminate legacy system redundancies that increase IT management requirements and costs. Hallmark is also deploying Oracle Application Server to integrate business applications and power an agent portal that will incorporate flexibility and scalability to support the company's growth.
"Hallmark General Agency is focused on ensuring that we are the easiest company for agents to work with and that we provide them with valuable tools for success," said Gregg Birdsall, chief information officer, Hallmark Financial Services, Inc. "Oracle's scalability and reliability are providing the bedrock for our extended services for our agents."
Identifying Portal Requirements
In 2005, Hallmark distributed a request for proposal (RFP) for its agent portal application infrastructure. In the RFP, the company focused on addressing business challenges, rather than focusing on specific technology solutions. Hallmark selected PREMIA and Oracle based on reliability, scalability and flexibility factors.
Oracle Database's open environment, coupled with its reputation for reliability and scalability, are important factors to Hallmark. Additionally, Oracle Application Server's hot-pluggable architecture provided both Hallmark and the third-party application provider with the flexibility to control and augment applications as front-end agent or back-end Hallmark system requirements evolve.
Hallmark is initially implementing the system internally, by product and state, prior to releasing the easier-to-use agent portal. It is starting by entering new accounts and policies into the system, and then migrating legacy account information later.
About Oracle Fusion Middleware
The company's comprehensive, standards-based family of middleware products, Oracle Fusion Middleware enables customers to adopt and manage service-oriented architectures in heterogeneous computing environments. More than 50,000 customers now use Oracle Fusion Middleware, including leading organizations in the Financial Services, Telecommunications, Manufacturing, Retail, Pharmaceuticals, Health Care and Public Sector industries. Oracle Fusion Middleware is also supported by 9,000 partners, including market-leading independent software vendors, value-added resellers and system integrators.
About Oracle
Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) is the world's largest enterprise software company. For more information about Oracle, please visit our Web site at http://www.oracle.com
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