UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill., Oct. 1, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Systems announced today the presentation of its annual Pinnacle Awards to a select group of companies at TENCon 2013, the flagship conference for users of Applied software. As the company's highest customer honor, the Pinnacle Award recognizes partnership with Applied Systems and innovative usage of the company's software in the business of insurance.
Award recipients were selected based on their embodiment of the spirit of the Pinnacle Award, including innovation in product deployment, the power of partnership, and the ability to deliver proven and tangible business results to their organizations and the insurance industry.
The 2013 Pinnacle Award winners are: Assurety NW Insurance, B &B Coverage Group, BancorpSouth Insurance Services (NYSE:BXS), Western Financial Group and The Cincinnati Insurance Companies (Nasdaq:CINF).
"Applied Pinnacle Award winners truly exemplify outstanding achievement in technology innovation, business results and customer service, possessing leadership qualities that all insurance businesses should aspire to," said Reid French, CEO, Applied Systems. "We are honored to support and partner with these fine organizations as they continue to lead the insurance industry forward with impressive accomplishments both in their businesses and the way in which they serve their customers."
Pinnacle Award Winner Profiles
Assurety NW Insurance, a full service insurance agency dedicated to providing quality products, competitive rates and unsurpassed customer care, offers business, surety, auto, home, recreational, life and health insurance for both business and individual plans. Assurety NW has achieved significant productivity gains with Applied EpicOnline, resulting in increased annual profits of 10 percent within the first year of moving to the new platform.
B &B Coverage Group is a privately owned insurance and risk mitigation company, approaching today's challenging and tumultuous environment by effectively managing evolving risks. With Applied Epic, the agency re-engineered its office to create three distinct workflows for personal, small commercial and middle market commercial lines, adapting to the ever-evolving insurance technology landscape. B &B Coverage is an entirely paperless agency, and all operations occur electronically through Applied Epic.
BancorpSouth Insurance Services, a division of BancorpSouth Bank (NYSE:BXS), employs more than 600 insurance and risk management specialists in 33 offices across nine states and is annually ranked as one of the nation's largest brokers. BancorpSouth has pioneered the integration of Applied CSR24 and Applied EpicOnline, placing the agency at the forefront of extending customer self-service capabilities to the insured. BancorpSouth uses Applied technology to revolutionize the way they interact with clients, developing an effective client support structure to service clients and drive agency growth.
Western Financial Group, a subsidiary of Desjardins Group, is a diversified insurance company that serves more than 790,000 customers across western Canada. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in High River, Alberta, Western employs approximately 1,800 insurance professionals committed to building the strongest insurance brokerage network in Western Canada. Western recently selected Applied Epic to provide a single view of their rapidly growing operations across their more than 160 branches and affiliates. As an early adopter of Applied Epic in Canada, Western has been an outstanding partner and champion for the Applied Epic platform in the Canadian market.
The Cincinnati Insurance Companies, subsidiaries of Cincinnati Financial Corporation (Nasdaq:CINF), stand among the country's top 25 property casualty insurance groups based on net written premiums. Cincinnati Insurance has one of the highest numbers of policy download transactions per agency and provides one of the best real-time rating services in the industry through Applied IVANS for both personal and commercial lines. Additionally, Cincinnati Insurance is using Applied Epic to implement a Customer Care Center that will service select small business accounts on behalf of its independent agencies, providing enhanced customer service through Applied solutions. The company is rated A+ by A.M. Best.
To learn more about the Pinnacle Awards, visit www.appliedsystems.com.
About Applied Systems
Applied Systems is a leading provider of software that powers the business of insurance. The company is recognized as a pioneer in agency management systems and data exchange between agencies, brokers, carriers and their clients. By automating the insurance lifecycle, Applied Systems software enables millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most. To learn more, please visit www.appliedsystems.com.
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