The Oval Group has taken the next step in its IT broking platform strategy. Insurecom has lost ground to its rivals Sirius and Acturis, which have both gained new Oval users.
Oval's Wakefield, Coventry and London operations have switched from Insurecom to the Sirius 21 platform. Philip Hodson, Oval's chief executive and chairman, called Sirius 21 "a compelling solution." He also expressed excitement about the potential for cost savings and improved efficiencies resulting from the deal. Oval's Birmingham office will also continue to use Sirius applications.
Last week, Oval's Leicester-based Williams & Williams brokerage adopted the Acturis Broker Platform. Acturis' co-chief executive, David McDonald, said the IT provider was committed to working closely with Oval to "ensure that the maximum possible value is achieved through the effective use of Acturis". Oval's Nottingham and Luton operations will also use the Acturis platform.
The picture was further complicated by the fact that some brokers in Wakefield and elsewhere are using Acturis for small commercial lines, according to Jim Duffy, group operations director at Oval.
Acturis reports more than 200 Oval users, while Sirius has almost 250. Duffy said the broker is "moving forward with two platforms."
