Earthquake Commission of New Zealand Partners with IBM on Guidewire ClaimCenter

IBM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- The Earthquake Commission of New Zealand (EQC), IBM, and Guidewire Software announced that EQC, in an IBM led implementation, have deployed Guidewire ClaimCenter to swiftly assess and manage natural disaster claim demands.

EQC is a government-owned Crown Entity responsible for providing residential natural disaster insurance coverage throughout New Zealand. To function at its best EQC needs a single claims system with flexible functionality, which is easy to use - and has a short learning curve for new users, the company said.

Its previous claims management system was nearing the end of its lifespan and could not provide the functionality and flexibility that met the Commission's strategic direction. EQC sought to improve its claims capabilities with an "anytime/anywhere" web-based claims system that was easily accessible by a remote workforce - regardless of their location - and could instantly scale as its business demanded. EQC's claims volume can surge from an average of 3,000- 4,000 claims annually to 100,000-200,000 in the event of a large-scale natural disaster in an urban area, according to the company.

According to the company, EQC selected IBM to lead this strategic claims project which included solution design and development as well as software selection, configuration and deployment. After extensive and careful evaluation, IBM had selected Guidewire ClaimCenter because it is a proven, modern, end-to-end claims management system that can be readily configured to meet EQC's specific requirements. EQC also selected IBM to host and manage their ClaimCenter Implementation for an initial term of 10 years.

"We found the Guidewire application to be easy to configure and straightforward to implement and integrate with EQC's other systems," said Bill Doak, IBM global business services partner, Asia-Pacific. "This is a great example of IBM's ability to provide software-as-a-service and it highlights the real value proposition IBM provide clients."

The result is proving to be an ideal fit for EQC. "Our adjusters, claims staff and managers absolutely love the system and all the functionality improvements that have come with it," says EQC's insurance manager Lance Dixon. "ClaimCenter's electronic claim file, and online notes, keeps everyone updated on a claim's status, freeing the adjuster to focus on managing the EQC/claimant relationship instead of continuously providing status reports."

"IBM's global depth and breadth of expertise proved invaluable in developing the right solution for EQC and we commend IBM for being the first Guidewire Alliances partner outside of North America to successfully implement ClaimCenter," said Ian Tavener, vice president, International Operations, Guidewire Software. "We are also very proud that our technology is playing a key role in EQC's claims business and helping them to better serve the people of New Zealand."

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