Sirius launches 'flagship' service, claiming to save brokers £30,000 a year in IT costs
Sirius has launched a fresh challenge in the hotly-contested broker software market with the launch of its "flagship" Sirius 21 service.
The company claimed the web-based system would offer improved service levels and could save the average broker £30,000 per year in IT costs.
Sirius 21, rival to Acturis' broking system, will "host and manage all broker IT requirements", including the Sirius for Broking software suite, Microsoft Office and updates, an email exchange server, and antivirus and spam protection, firewalls and security.
Sirius chairman and chief executive Steve Verrall predicted the system would enable a broker with ten staff and a premium income of £3.5m per year to save approximately 55% of its annual IT spend.
It would also contribute to cost savings as brokers would not need to have dedicated IT staff, he added.
Sirius 21 managing director Kevin Childs said: "Taking charge of brokers' IT requirements puts us in the position to improve the service levels we can provide."
Verrall said Sirius 21 was now the firm's "flagship product", with the company hoping to roll out the system to all Sirius users.
Ten brokers have already signed up to Sirius 21, with three going live in December 2004, he said.
The system can be tailored for each broker on the system, with personalised software set-up and configuration. For larger brokers, Sirius can provide managed services, hosting Sirius 21 within the broker's own or third party data centre. The system has already gone live with broker Country Mutual on this basis.
Sirius 21 has "no up-front costs", with charges made on a per user monthly basis.
