Countrywide Insurance Services Powers e-Business Infrastructure With IBM WebSphere Software

WebSphere Chosen Over BEA

SOMERS, NY - 27 Dec 2001: IBM announced today that Countrywide Insurance Services has adopted IBM WebSphere e-infrastructure software as its corporate standard to develop and deploy customer Web sites. After evaluating other application server offerings, Countrywide chose IBM WebSphere software as its standard application server.

Countrywide's Web sites offer online quotes for homeowners insurance, condo insurance, home warranty, term life insurance, individual health insurance and Medicare supplement plans. In addition, backed by the high performance and reliability of WebSphere, Countrywide is one of the first in the insurance industry to offer users the option to purchase a policy online. Consumer insurance Web sites offered through Countrywide and its affiliates include: www.cwinsurance.com, www.directnetinsurance.com, www.rentersins.com and www.ihaveinsurance.com.

"When we created our web sites, our goal was to provide consumers with access to a broad range of insurance products and coverage options," said Charles Benedict, senior vice president of IT for Countrywide Insurance Services. "We also wanted to empower them by providing easy access to information and the desired level of guidance necessary to make an informed decision in obtaining the best insurance coverage. That goal could not be attained without first employing a solid technology platform supported by a strong business partner. IBM and WebSphere have provided that foundation."

With WebSphere, Countrywide can easily expand its B2B offerings and lower the cost of developing applications. The company has integrated WebSphere with XSL technology, a template-based editor that enables XML. This allows developers to use the same code base across many different Web sites, providing significant time and cost savings. Re-using these key components of application development also gives Countrywide long-term value and rapid return on investment. In addition, the application server provides the fundamental infrastructure for portal and personalization technologies, enabling the company to quickly adapt its products for greater customer satisfaction.

"It was a clear choice," said Richard Jones, chief technology officer, Countrywide home Loans. "WebSphere combines the best product on the market with IBM's long history of protecting its customers' technology investments. We know IBM will support Countrywide's strategic initiatives in the future; they're in it with us for the long haul."

Contact(s) information

Laurie Friedman
IBM Media Relations
(914) 766-1299
laurie1@us.ibm.com