Speciality Underwriters' Alliance Selects Guidewire ClaimCenter

  
    
  
  
    
      Specialty Underwriters’ Alliance, Inc. 
      (Nasdaq:SUAI) and its wholly owned specialty property and casualty 
      insurance company subsidiary SUA Insurance Company (collectively “SUA”), 
      and Guidewire Software®, 
      a leading provider of solutions to property and casualty insurers, today 
      announced that SUA has selected and begun implementation of Guidewire’s 
      industry leading ClaimCenter system. Guidewire ClaimCenter will support 
      the end-to-end claims process for all of SUA’s 
      lines of business, including workers’ 
      compensation, general liability, and commercial automobile.
    
    
      ClaimCenter will replace the company’s 
      existing legacy claims systems in a phased deployment over the next 8 to 
      13 months and will ultimately process approximately 10,000 claims 
      annually. ClaimCenter will be used by SUA’s 
      20 person claims organization and by the adjusting staffs of its Third 
      Party Administrator (TPA) claims adjusting partners.
    
    
      In order to simplify system maintenance, ensure processing 
      consistencies, and reduce staff training times and costs, SUA has chosen 
      to migrate from a best-of-breed technology strategy, to an all-in-one 
      system approach requiring that new systems be Web-based; built using 
      modern (Java or .NET) technology, and employ a highly flexible Service 
      Oriented Architecture (SOA) design. Additionally, SUA sought to work 
      with technology vendors, like Guidewire, who had proven insurance domain 
      expertise.
    
    
      “SUA has, and wants to maintain, a small 
      internal IT shop,” said SUA’s 
      chief information officer Barry Cordeiro. “So, 
      it was very important for us to work with a company that could assist 
      with the implementation. Guidewire was the clear choice; they not only 
      fully met the functional and technical requirements we have, but their 
      team has the industry expertise needed to make this project a success.” 
      Cordeiro added, “Implementation is underway 
      and we are very pleased with our progress to-date.”
    
    
      With ClaimCenter, SUA’s claims department 
      will gain a modern technology foundation enabling SUA to streamline its 
      claim adjusting processes and deliver enhanced capabilities to its 
      Partner Agents and TPAs – which will result 
      in improved claim services to policyholders. ClaimCenter will enable SUA 
      to:
    
    
      
        Streamline and reduce IT maintenance efforts through implementation of 
        a single claims system, for all lines of business;
      
      
        Reduce the company’s IT footprint and 
        overall total cost of ownership by moving to a Web-based system for 
        internal staff and SUA partners;
      
      
        Shorten training times and increase productivity through system driven 
        claims handling workflows; and
      
      
        Maintain claims adjusting excellence and operational efficiencies 
        amidst rapid corporate growth.
      
    
    
      “We are excited about being able to process 
      all claim functions - from FNOL through settlement - for all lines of 
      business, with Guidewire ClaimCenter,” said 
      Gary Ferguson, senior vice president, claims, SUA. “Guidewire 
      demonstrated a solid understanding of our industry and SUA’s 
      unique processing requirements. And, ClaimCenter is providing us with 
      the technology foundation we need to flexibly respond to our business.”
    
    
      Guidewire ClaimCenter is a leading end-to-end claims system for property 
      and casualty insurance. ClaimCenter’s 
      flexible business rules enable claims organizations to optimize and 
      monitor the claim process. Claims executives can define, enforce, and 
      continually refine their preferred claim handling practices. In 
      addition, a modern technology architecture, providing 100% Web client, 
      and Web services interface enable lower total cost of ownership in any 
      environment.
    
    
      “SUA is a forward thinking organization that 
      clearly recognizes the potential benefits that moving to a modern claims 
      system offers their organization, their partners, and ultimately, their 
      policyholders,” said Jeff Simpson, chairman 
      and chief executive officer, Guidewire Software. “We 
      appreciate their selection of, and faith in, Guidewire and our 
      ClaimCenter solution and look forward to working with them to achieve 
      their objectives.”
    
    
      About Specialty Underwriters’ Alliance, 
      Inc.
    
    
      Specialty Underwriters' Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUAI), through its 
      subsidiary SUA Insurance Company, is a specialty property and casualty 
      insurance company providing commercial insurance products through 
      exclusive wholesale Partner Agents that serve niche groups of insured. 
      These targeted customers require highly specialized knowledge due to 
      their unique risk characteristics. Examples include tow trucks, 
      professional employee organizations, public entities, and contractors. 
      SUA's innovative approach provides products and claims handling, 
      allowing the Partner Agent to focus on distribution and customer 
      relationships. For more information, please visit www.suainsurance.com.
    
    
      About Guidewire Software
    
    
      Guidewire Software is a leading provider of technology solutions to 
      property and casualty insurance and workers’ 
      compensation insurers. Guidewire delivers proven software to run core 
      insurance operations, including billing, underwriting, policy, and claim 
      management. The Guidewire Insurance Suite™ 
      consists of Guidewire ClaimCenter®, 
      Guidewire PolicyCenter®, 
      and Guidewire BillingCenter™, which provide a 
      modern, web-based platform for all lines of business. Guidewire is 
      headquartered in San Mateo, California, USA, with offices in Toronto, 
      London, Paris, and Sydney. For more information, please visit www.guidewire.com.
    
    
      NOTE: Guidewire, Guidewire Software, Guidewire ClaimCenter, Guidewire 
      PolicyCenter, and the Guidewire logo are registered trademarks; 
      Guidewire Insurance Suite and Guidewire BillingCenter are trademarks of 
      Guidewire Software, Inc.