Businesses currently weathering the tough economic climate stand to gain from this joint venture by having the opportunity to access an integrated, flexible and scalable solution that incorporates TIA's 'back office' insurance platform to complement edge IPK's front end presentation layer.

A key factor of TIA's approach is its product's modular structure, giving leading brands such as Allianz and Metlife complete system flexibility. By combining a 'back-office' modular solution with edge IPK's flagship product, edgeConnect will give insurers the power to rapidly configure browser enabled applications with tailored user experiences that can support multiple distribution channels, including Direct, White Label, Broker and Call Centre, whether a new or current user of TIA solutions. The speed and ease at which customers will be able to test and trial new products in this multi channel environment is significantly enhanced through a presentation platform built on Service Orientated Architecture (SOA) principles.

"edge IPK has been working with TIA for a while now to develop a fully integrated solution that provides insurers with an end-to-end proposition that could be rolled out from both a back office and front-end standpoint," commented Mike Williams, CEO, edge IPK. "We share a number of common clients within the insurance industry so this technology partnership really makes sense for new users or those that already use either solution."

Such a modernised, integrated solution provides a welcome replacement to ageing legacy systems and allows insurers to rapidly deploy systems at a reduced cost, ensuring high levels of customer service within an increasingly competitive market. The agility and scalability of the SOA approach guarantees that both TIA and edge IPK's leading brand customers, such as Allianz and Zurich, are future-proofed against new trends and able to integrate with yet to be released software.

"Much has been made of the world economy in recent months, and with good reason, so it makes sense for us to be partnering with other technology providers such as edge IPK. Together we can provide insurers with a truly flexible solution that will integrate with their current systems, save them money in both the short and long term and give them a single view of their operations," said Andy Wright, UK Sales Manager, TIA.