Progressive Uses IVANS to Create Single Sign-on for Agents

Stamford, Conn. – IVANS, a provider of corporate connectivity solutions and services, worked with personal lines P&C giant Progressive Insurance to implement agent-enabled single sign-on technology through IVANS Transformation Station that makes it easier for agents to quote and service their policies, and streamline their workflow. Once Progressive’s agents update their real-time account via their agency management system, and register at Progressive’s Web site, ForAgentsOnly.com (FAO), they will no longer have to enter their user ID and password when bridging over to the FAO website. By utilizing this technology, Progressive now updates the agents’ credentials within Transformation Station on the agent’s behalf. As a result, any time the agent changes his password on Progressive’s FAO website, Transformation Station is automatically updated, thereby enabling a secure, single sign-on to both Transformation Station and the FAO website, and faster access to their policy data.

Single sign-on (SSO) technology enables a user to log-in once and gain access to multiple software systems without being prompted to log-in again. This technology eliminates having to manage the overwhelming number of different log-on IDs and passwords that agents are faced with when accessing multiple carrier websites on a daily basis. As a result, Progressive agents are able to take real-time technology to the next level and further accelerate the insurance transaction process for themselves and their clients.

IVANS system specialists worked with Progressive to seamlessly migrate its agents using Transformation Station to the new agent workflow over three months. Future phases are planned as more agents continue to adopt real-time technology. Alvito Vaz, director of Internet agent systems at Progressive Insurance said, “We worked with IVANS to go beyond the status quo and implement this new technology, because we knew it would improve our agents’ workflows and make it easier for them to do business with us.”

Progressive also works with IVANS to give its agents the choice to use IVANS Download, which synchronizes the policy information that resides on Progressive’s system with the agency system by updating or loading data onto the agency’s system electronically. Using ACORD standards, IVANS Download enables Progressive to deliver personal lines to its agents across a variety of agency management systems. By offering this option, Progressive is helping its agents streamline their workflow through one standard process, reduce the need for paper through electronic transmissions, save time by eliminating the re-keying of data and make it easier for them to focus on selling new business rather than policy administration.

IVANS Download solution accelerates personal lines, commercial lines, and claims download by synchronizing the information that resides on the carrier system with the agency system electronically. IVANS Real-Time solution, Transformation Station, is a managed Internet data exchange for real-time transactions, enabling agents to process policy transactions and retrieve insurance company account status information directly from within their agency systems when they need it. Together, IVANS Download and IVANS Real-Time solutions provide the complete round-trip for agency-company interface communications.

Source: IVANS Inc.