Bothell, WA. – April 7, 2015 – Vertafore®, the leading provider of software that transforms the business of insurance, today announced a partnership with Microsoft that gives insurance agents access to the capabilities of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM platform.
The partnership is designed to improve customer-facing interactions and arm agents with valuable data that can be seamlessly accessed from anywhere, anytime – allowing them to manage and close business faster than ever before. The capabilities, which will be integrated into the Vertafore Agency PlatformTM and mobile offerings, will extend to Dynamics CRM pipeline management, prospect & opportunity tracking, email campaign and other CRM capabilities.
A recent report by Novarica found that insurance professionals are starting to deploy CRM-driven campaigns that share valuable customer data across the distribution, underwriting and service channels. CRM deployments are expected to increase in 2015, with 21% of respondents planning to integrate them into their business. Microsoft Dynamics is an industry leading CRM platform enabling businesses to drive more meaningful interactions, increase sales and marketing effectiveness, streamline service and support operations and ultimately improve agent and customer loyalty. The deal with Vertafore allows agency customers to leverage the Dynamics platform to build out a feature rich sales force automation application that is seamlessly integrated with the Vertafore Agency Platform. This gives agents a complete view into the policy lifecycle, and allows them to track prospects and use this extended information to increase customer conversion rates.
“Positive customer engagements are the cornerstone for all customer-facing organizations,” said Bob Stutz, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Dynamics CRM. “Insurance has long been a high touch point industry and it’s now more important than ever that insurance professionals invest in solutions that help them win and retain customers. Microsoft Dynamics CRM together with Vertafore will put the power of customer data in the hands of agents, enabling engagements that are more personalized, proactive, and predictive.”
The Dynamics announcement comes on the heels of last week’s announcement that Microsoft will offer special discounts to Vertafore customers on the Microsoft Surface Pro 3, HP, and Toshiba Tablets, enabling more seamless customer interactions for agents in the field. A recent survey by Channel Harvest Research, found that over the next two years, insurance agents expect a significant increase in tablet-based applications over smart phone apps, especially for display-oriented tasks like sales presentations and training. A quarter of agents (25%) expect tablet use to increase for sales purposes and 22% expect tablet use to increase for accessing training tools.
“Our newly announced Dynamics CRM relationship, coupled with access to Surface tablets will further extend the power of Vertafore’s agency platform and transform the way insurance agents and carriers interact and manage customer relationships,” said Theo Beack, CTO of Vertafore. “Moving forward, we’ll continue collaborating with Microsoft to innovate legacy processes and identify more efficient ways to bring cutting-edge enterprise technology to the insurance industry.”
About Vertafore
Vertafore’s comprehensive insurance management software solutions lead brokers and carriers to adapt to an evolving insurance industry to efficiently scale their businesses through deeper access to information and insights. The Vertafore product line is built on a platform, empowering customers and other solution providers to adapt and thrive as the market changes. Vertafore’s platform features fast innovation, partnerships with the best technology companies, and customizable solutions to help companies remain independent during a time of industry disruption. As the leader in modern insurance technology with the largest customer base in the industry, Vertafore connects every point of the distribution channel, from agencies and carriers to MGAs, MGUs, and state governments. For more information about Vertafore, visit www.vertafore.com, read the company’s blog, and follow the company on Twitter, Linkedin, and Facebook.
About RiskMatch
RiskMatch is a business intelligence and analytics company that delivers a suite of web-based solutions for insurance brokers and underwriters throughout the U.S. Its patented platform delivers an array of portfolio management, analytic and data management services designed to enable brokers and underwriters to enhance performance, reduce costs, facilitate growth, and improve their client service capabilities. For more information, visit the RiskMatch site.