Countrywide Insurance Marketing members will soon be able to offer customers a fully interactive insurance website that exploits Screentrade, the internet quotes technology developed by Misys.
The news was announced by managing director Jim Davis at the last week's Coutrywide Conference 2000, which took place at Birmingham's International Conference Centre.
Once under way, the system will let users to log on, fill in an application, receive a quote for, and purchase motor and household insurance.
Countrywide is the marketing arm of the software house, Misys Financial Systems, and has around 1,200 members.
Addressing delegates at the conference, Davis said research had shown that 93% of Countrywide brokers wanted some form of generic website that offered quotations.
Under the deal, the more brokers that take the technology, the lower the costs will be for those involved.
At present, however, Countrywide has not given any indication what those costs might be.
Speaking after the event, sales and marketing director Simon Trott added: "We expect this to provide a low-cost entry into e-commerce for our members." The first brokers are expected to be using the system some time within the next six months.
Once the system is up and running, there will be two methods of buying insurance.
Either customers will be able to log onto Countrywide's site, fill in an application form, and choose a broker with who they wish to work.
The other method is for a broker's web site to possess a link to the Countrywide site.
Under both arrangements, the broker's back office is automatically updated with the necessary information once the quote has been accepted.
