Sirius is to expand its web-based e-trading system, Nexus, to target services affiliated to the insurance sector such as the legal and claims sectors.

At the same time the software house is to provide brokers with a full managed service provider proposition (MSP). The system, Sirius 21, outsources all the IT functions of a broker to an external server.

Sirius executive director Mike Dodd said the company had invested over £1m in developing a complete managed service which allows it to host a broker's daily business functions, such as email, Microsoft Office and accounting as well as its broking application.

"We now have approaching 70% of our users deployed on Sirius 21.

"In January 2005 we introduced a fully-managed service which we have continued to invest in and fully own, unlike some of our competitors which subcontract their outsourcing service."

Dodd added: "With the launch of Nexus last year, we are looking to expand the pure web-based offering to clients and I can see us moving to markets loosely affiliated to the insurance sector such as lawyers and claims."

He added that Sirius was in discussions with a number of clients, including Tower-gate, to expand its Nexus user base.

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