An article from Daniel Joelson, business journalist based in Washington, D.C., published in Insurance Networking on July 1, 2006. Have a look here or here as pdf. The article is called “Helvetia Patria Architects A Drastically New E-Look“.

Some quotes:

Flat-footed Helvetia Patria had to first invest in a new IT system for a new distribution channel. Its headache only worsened when, as its web of systems grew, it had to adapt the systems to accommodate new products. This process is debilitating for insurance firms such as Helvetia Patria that want to experiment in finding the most effective distribution channels through which to sell its products.

“In the past, the back-office systems were like closed systems that were used only in-house,” [Nick Stefania] says. “And in-house, the systems are open so it is easy to access a lot of information regarding the customer, the policies and the claims. And when the e-business systems were opened for the outside brokers and partners over the Internet, we had to make sure data security and data protection was ensured.”