SA buys non-marine book

SA buys non-marine book
City broker Stuart Alexander (SA) has acquired the UK non-marine business portfolio of Alston Gayler (AG). The two companies now expect to work together to develop the marine and non-marine markets. Barry Cook, Alston Gayler's non-marine director, joins SA to ensure a smooth transition. Stuart Alexander, founded seven years ago, has plans for further acquisitions and product innovation.

WPS unites West Country
Two South West brokers, Walker Persson & Partners and Spargo & Co, have merged to form a new company, WPS Insurance Brokers/Risk Managers, based in Plymouth. The new firm will have a staff of 25, with no redundancies necessary. Derek Spargo and Richard Persson will be joint managing directors. Brokers Denis Walker and Michael Roberts will continue with the company, which will remain a member of the newly formed Association of West Country Brokers. The firm specialises in serving commercial clients in the South West, and believes there is growth in the construction, manufacturing, engineering and leisure markets. WPS is also branching out into the pensions market and into financial advice for commercial clients.

Parkins Scutt joins Anada
Wiltshire-based broker Parkins Scutt & Partners has joined Anada, the West Country brokers association. The new member brings the one-year-old group's premium income to nearly £20 million, and extends its geographical range beyond Devon and Cornwall. The six Anada members share information on marketing strategies, Information Technology and market trends. The group hopes to attract a further four or five members this year in order to complete its representation in the region.

Ford bodyshops go for Audatex
Ford Motor Company has recommended that all 200 Ford-accredited bodyshop repairers should use the Audatex computerised estimating system. Currently, 120 accident repair shops are using Audatex, but the car maker is recommending that the remaining shops should invest in the system. Ford will be providing financial support to bodyshop repairers wishing to train staff in the Audatex system.

Cornwell tests out insurance
Cornwell Affiliates, a Surrey-based company offering consultancy services on business strategy and IT, is targeting the insurance sector with its new Financial Services Practice. Practice director Bernie Levins warns that any insurance company that fails to respond to the changing insurance market and the effects of digital business could become "vulnerable to purposeful and committed competitors".

Document plan from august
Technology company august has just launched a new insurance-specific document management/workflow solution for the UK insurance market. augMENT-i is an established technology with insurers outside the UK. It is used by 19 out of 20 Israeli insurers. The technology can integrate a wide range of insurance functions including video clips, policy documentation and claims details as well as allowing insurers to manage them.

Eurobase's data service
Software and consultancy supplier Eurobase has launched Data Transition, a service that lets companies use existing business data while installing systems. The service incorporates data conversion, migration, transformation, database design and optimisation services. The key component of the services is Eurobase's toolset, ESL-Migrator.

CSC's Polaris nears completion
CSC has announced the near completion of Polaris technology within its Quotel user base. The software house will begin rolling it out to its electRA user base by the end of February.