The roll-out of electronic support for endorsements to three additional classes of business, announced by the London Market Group (LMG) in April, is achieving momentum.

LMG’s plan involves use of the new process for endorsements in property, professional indemnity and specie, each championed by an insurer-broker partnership. The new classes extend electronic processing beyond the marine classes where it is already embedded as business as usual following last year’s pilot. Brokers representing over 80% of market business are signed up to submit endorsements electronically and all Lloyd’s managing agents and a number of IUA company members were ready to accept ACORD data messages via the exchange for these new classes by 1 July. More firms are on track to get involved over the coming months ahead of roll-out across all classes of business by the end of Q1 2012.

As a participant in one of these broker-insurer partnerships, Matthew Shaw, divisional president of ACE Global Markets, said that "We are partnering with Willis to drive adoption in specie and we are already seeing 70% of specie endorsements between Willis and ACE submitted and agreed electronically. This is the next important step forward for the eEndorsements initiative and ACE is pleased to be at the forefront of the drive towards all classes going live in 2012".

John Muir, head of London Market contracts for Willis Ltd, said “We are focusing on specie business and have already received back more than 100 agreed specie endorsements via the exchange this month. From the insurer side, this actually represents more than 200 separate agreements. We believe that real momentum is building and will be pressing ahead with PI and property as well as bloodstock and livestock over the next few months. The time has arrived for everyone to get on with this initiative because there are no reasons not to do so.”

David Ibeson, chairman of the market’s Placing Support Steering Group and CEO, Catlin UK and Catlin Syndicate, said that “The announcement of these roll-out plans provides valuable clarity for firms and enables them to undertake the changes necessary to extend the use of electronic processes beyond the marine classes. All classes will go live in 2012 and firms can now develop their technology and complete their change management confident that this will be an investment for the future.”

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