•   Insurance software expert named as ICMIF Supporting Member

LONDON, 28th May, 2010 – IT-Freedom (www.it-freedom.com), the leading provider of specialist software solutions for the general insurance industry, today announced that it has been accepted as a Supporting Member by the International Cooperative and Mutual Insurance Federation (ICMIF).  IT-Freedom has been chosen as the sole Technology Supporting Member and will be working with the Federation to help raise awareness of how mutuals around the world can use technology to improve operational efficiency and back office processing.

Shaun Tarbuck, Chief Executive of ICMIF commented, “We selected IT-Freedom after a careful evaluation of its ICE Mutual™ software and the company’s expertise in the mutual sector.  Deployment of effective technology solutions is vitally important for mutuals that want to gain operational efficiency and I believe that IT-Freedom will add considerable value to our member mutuals in this area.”

ICMIF is a unique global organisation directly representing over two hundred cooperative and mutual insurers from seventy-four countries.  It works with a small number of Supporting Members who recognise ICMIF member organisations as a speciality group and who are willing to work together in partnership with the federation and its members for the betterment of the sector.

There are many challenges in relation to updating IT infrastructure such as integration of legacy systems, concerns over investment levels, the payback time involved and the absence of dedicated systems for mutuals.  ICE Mutual is the only system that has been designed specifically to meet the needs of the mutual industry and overcomes these limitations.  A multi-lingual and multi-currency solution, ICE Mutual can be deployed quickly, and uses the latest web-enabled technology.  Administrative efficiencies, a reduction in IT costs and minimised claims leakage ensure return on investment (ROI) can be measured in months rather than years.

ICE Mutual is also available as a fully hosted online service which further lowers entry level commitment and provides a cost effective deployment option. Real benefits can be achieved from day one and the advanced architecture ensures it can be scaled up quickly and easily.  ICE Mutual is an ideal system for mutuals looking to upgrade their existing technology or replace legacy systems.

Mick Sargeant, Managing Director of IT-Freedom said, “I am delighted that IT-Freedom has been selected as a Supporting Member of ICMIF and excited by the opportunity of working more closely with the mutual insurer community to raise awareness of how new technology can help improve back office processing and reduce costs.  ICE Mutual offers a modern insurance experience for mutuals looking to improve their IT infrastructure to better manage claims, gain greater control of suppliers and improve fraud screening.  IT-Freedom has a global footprint via its partner network and is well positioned to help mutuals around the world achieve operational efficiency.”