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Applied Systems Announces 2019 Pinnacle Award Winners

October 15, 2019

Top customer recognition for technology innovation, business success and partnership in the digital revolution of insurance

UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill. – Oct. 15, 2019 – Applied Systems® today presented its annual Pinnacle Awards at Applied Net 2019, the world’s largest gathering of independent agents, brokers, insurers and MGAs, at the ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, NV. As the company’s highest customer honor, the Pinnacle Award recognizes partnership with Applied Systems and innovative usage of the company’s technology in driving digital transformation for the recipient’s business and the insurance industry as a whole.

The 2019 Pinnacle Award winners are BHIB, Gannon Associates, Munn Insurance, PayneWest, and Pekin Insurance. Award recipients are selected based on their embodiment of the spirit of the Pinnacle Award, including innovation in product deployment, the power of partnership, and the ability to deliver tangible business results to their organizations and the insurance industry.

“To thrive in the digital revolution of insurance, companies must challenge traditional insurance practices and leverage innovative business models defined by greater connectivity and automation,” said Taylor Rhodes, chief executive officer, Applied Systems. “We are proud to partner with our Pinnacle Award winners, who are innovative organizations leading the way in embracing digital technology to drive operational efficiency and greater value.”

2019 Pinnacle Award Winners

BHIB is an independent and multi-award winning commercial insurance broker in the United Kingdom. They hold the prestigious Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) status that recognises their commitment to the highest standards of excellence and professionalism towards their customers.  BHIB ranks among the top 100 UK brokers and are also a founding member of Brokerbility, an exclusive club for independent commercial brokers. As a lighthouse account for Applied’s introduction of Applied Epic® to the UK market, BHIB was one of the first brokerages to go live on Applied Epic and the Applied Digital Broker™ in the UK. Today, more than 170 BHIB employees across four offices, leveraging Applied Epic, Applied CSR24®, Applied Mobile® and MobileInsured® to deliver a truly one of a kind complete digital experience for their customers.

Gannon Associates, based in Towanda, Pennsylvania, has 12 office locations across Pennsylvania, New York with a service area covering all surrounding states. They rely on the use of innovative technology to deliver on their promise of providing never-ending improvements and highest-quality customer service. As a true digital agency they have adopted EpicCloud™ to gain a single view of the customer across their multiple office locations allowing them to easily identify new sales opportunities and more effectively service their customers. They also leverage Applied CSR24, Applied Mobile, MobileInsured and Applied Analytics® to deliver a complete digital experience for their staff and their customers.

Munn Insurance, one of the largest insurance brokers in Atlantic Canada, is a recognized in the Canadian insurance market for their focus on leveraging innovative technology to better enable organizational performance and more effectively service their clients. To deliver a world class insurance experience, Munn has become a digital brokerage adopting EpicCloud and the full suite of Applied Rating products.  Through their innovative use of these products they received the Canadian Centre of Study for Insurance Operations, CSIO, Technology Leader Award for achieving 100% on their Technology Scorecard assessment. 

PayneWest Insurance is #31 on the Business Insurance Top 100 U.S. Brokers list, and #17 on Insurance Journal’s Top 100 Property/Casualty Agencies. Based in Montana, PayneWest has more than 760 colleagues across its 30 locations in Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. As a leading digital agency PayneWest relies on EpicCloud, to provide a complete view of their clients and prospects across their P&C and Benefits business divisions to access and act upon – regardless of office, role, time or location. In 2018 PayneWest began using Applied Benefits, to continue to scale its benefits business.  They also leverage Applied CSR24, Applied Mobile and MobileInsured to deliver a complete digital experience for their colleagues and their clients.

In business since 1921, Pekin Insurance is one of the nation’s most successful insurance providers. Based in Pekin, Illinois the company has combined assets of $2 billion, with more than 800 employees serving their growing agency force of over 1,500 agencies, and 8,500 independent agents, Pekin is the model of a “digital insurer” leveraging the full suite of IVANS servicing and distribution products. They currently download personal lines and commercial lines-of-business, plus claims download, commission statements and ACORD eDocs and messages for servicing. They also participate in IVANS Rating™ and Markets to enhance their distribution. Pekin’s digital transformation initiatives have driven a more than 80% agency adoption, of their automated servicing and distribution offerings.

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The IVANS and Applied products and logos are trademarks of Applied Systems, Inc., registered in the U.S.

About Applied Systems
Applied Systems is the leading global provider of cloud-based software that powers the business of insurance. Recognized as a pioneer in insurance automation and the innovation leader, Applied is the world’s largest provider of agency and brokerage management systems, serving customers throughout the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. By automating the insurance lifecycle, Applied’s people and products enable millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most.

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