SSP sets imarket timetable

Halifax-based Software Solutions Partners is to finally launch some imarket products in the first quarter of 2007. Shops, offices and tradesmen products will become available for new business with Axa, Allianz Cornhill, Groupama, Zurich, Norwich Union and Royal & SunAlliance set to participate.

Each broker will have to conduct some standard procedures to access imarket via SSP, and any registration done via the website will be valid on the SSP system. SSP, which has recently floated on the Alternative Investment Market, will continue to give quotations from insurers that are not on imarket on an automated service and will link this service to the imarket panel. The products will become available to all SSP's brokers.

Mark Wornowski, head of new initiatives at the distribution division of SSP, told Professional Broking: "This one of the largest projects undertaken in insurance. It is big and complex and there are lots of parties involved. We can't afford for this to fail, too much money has been spent on this."

Wornowski said SSP will also work on property owners, pubs and restaurants, motor fleet and commercial combined products which will become available "later in 2007". He said SSP will develop these offerings with all insurers that provide these products and are members of the imarket panel.

- SSP has a series of roadshows lined up for January, where the software house will begin talking about its imarket offering direct to brokers. The roadshows kick off in Glasgow on 16 January and finish up in Belfast on 7 February. There are six other venues: Newcastle, Bolton, Leicester, Bristol, Brighton and London.