As of September 1st, MAIP/CAR will require your MAIP ID to be included in the information sent by SinglePoint during submission. This ID is the same one that you use to log into the MAIP website.

In accordance with this new requirement, Boston Software has released an update for WinRater which adds a new “MAIP ID” field on the SinglePoint Settings screen’s “Carrier Credentials” tab (as pictured below). This field is in addition to the current “CAR Assigned Agency Number” and “CAR Assigned Sequence Number” fields which will remain the same.

Please visit: www.bostonsoftware.com/update and click on the ENTER button to download the available update. Once completed, WinRater will prompt you to enter your MAIP ID into this new field along with any other missing credentials for other carriers.

You will be able to “Ignore” the prompt and successfully submit to MAIP without having entered your ID until September 1st. However, WinRater will continue to prompt you upon startup and upon all attempted MAIP submissions until the field is filled. After September 1st, you will no longer be able to submit to MAIP unless you have entered the MAIP ID under the SinglePoint Settings tab.

We’re putting on the final touches, pilot testing with some agents, and getting ready to ship out our latest Real Time functionality to you. We’ve made a few significant improvements:

· More carriers added – WinRater/SinglePoint will now rate Commerce, OneBeacon, and Travelers directly from Collaborative Edge in real time. You will still enter the rating data as you normally do, but instead of having WinRater calculate the quote, SinglePoint will reach out to Collaborative Edge and retrieve the quote for you.

  Given all the changes in the MA Auto market and the complexity of carrier rate filings, implementing Real Time Rating (and using the carrier’s own rating system to produce the quote) is the best way to assure greater accuracy and agency efficiency.

· More submission data – Got your real time rate and ready to submit it to either Commerce, OneBeacon, or Travelers? Now SinglePoint will transfer more of the data required to submit new business in Collaborative Edge in real time.

   In many cases, 100% of the data will be captured by SinglePoint and pre-filled on the Collaborative Edge screens. You won’t have to hunt & peck through the Collaborative Edge screens to enter some important data, such as Garaging Location or Lendor Info, SinglePoint will pre-fill it for you and get you to the “RMV Lookup” screen in Collaborative Edge faster.

· Streamlined workflow – We made a number of small but significant changes to SinglePoint so that rating and submitting to Commerce, OneBeacon, and Travelers is optimized for your agency.

   For example, we’ve updated the WinRater premium panel, streamlined some of the login procedures (where possible), and simplified some workflow procedures.

Rollout begins…

Our plan is to begin sending SoftSync updates with this new functionality in the near future. It will be a staggered rollout in which we will send updates to approx 50-75 agents per day. This allows us to properly handle training and technical support issues.

Look for more information from us in the coming days. In the meantime, be sure to check out our Learning Center for more information about SinglePoint and Real Time functionality.

And don’t hesitate to contact Jim, Heather, Will, or Tonya if you have any questions or would like to set up your SinglePoint.

WinRater/SinglePoint to N&D’s AgentPak system is off & running! Hundreds of Apps already uploaded!

We haven’t forgotten about Homeowners business! By plugging into SinglePoint, N&D agents can now:

· Take a HO quote in WinRater,

· Click SUBMIT in WinRater to create a SinglePoint New Business App,

· And instantly upload the App to N&D’s AgentPak system, with all the data pre-filled in the appropriate fields.

We released this new feature last week and agents are now experiencing the benefits: a faster, easier submission process for new N&D homeowners business.

This is a great way to eliminate double-entry of data and workflow inefficiencies.

If your agency did not receive a SoftSync email that included this new feature, just visit www.bostonsoftware.com/update and click on the ENTER button to begin downloading this upgrade.

Many of you have already been using SinglePoint for Real Time Submitting of Norfolk&Dedham Auto apps and the process is exactly the same for HO apps. So there isn’t much to learn! And of course, if you need help of any kind, just give us a call.

As you are probably aware, the Massachusetts sales/use tax went from 5% to 6.25% beginning August 1, 2009. We have updated our RMV-1 Form to reflect this change and charge the appropriate tax.

Please make sure you visit www.bostonsoftware.com/update and click on the ENTER button to begin downloading this upgrade. Once you run the update, you will see the new 6.25% being used on your WinRater RMV-1 form.

Ever since the RMV began accepting electronic stamps and signatures, we’ve been hard at work finding a solution that meets the approval of the RMV and works smoothly for all carriers and agents.

The good news is that we have a solution in place. But we are putting the finishing touches on it, working with the RMV on the formatting, and pilot testing with carriers.

Once in place, carriers will be able to create “eStamps” (with the agency name and carrier ID number) for each of their agents. Agents, in turn, will import the eStamps into WinRater. While in a RMV-1 Form, agents will be able to select from their list of carrier eStamps and it will get “pasted” in the appropriate place on the Form. CSRs will be able to type their names on the “signature” line. Of course, the Form can be printed or emailed as a PDF file.

This is just one of the many ways we’re working to make the rating workflow easier for you. We’re shooting for a release date around the first week of September. Stay tuned!

Another new carrier has hopped on the WinRater bandwagon! Some of you may have already received a bulletin from AIU Holdings that Private Client Group (PCG) Massachusetts Auto rates are now available in WinRater.

If you write business with this carrier and/or are interested in licensing these rates, just contact John or Alexandria. We’ll add Private Client Group to your list of carriers and you can begin quoting immediately!

A huge congratulations to Sr. Programmer Craig Perkinson and his wife Brenda on the arrival of Aubrielle!!! She arrived on June 2nd at 10 lbs. and 22 inches. Her two brothers Chandler and Carter are most concerned about learning to change diapers and the increased amount of pink around the house. The boys are “adjusting” according to Craig, and he and his wife are sleeping like babies… up and crying every two hours!

In other baby news: Heather Concannon returned from maternity leave on August 3rd. Her bundle of joy, Madison, is now 3 1/2 months old! She is rolling over, eating cereal, and sleeping through the night. She also has a great personality, much like her mom.

No doubt, Heather’s return to work will be a big adjustment for her. So if you need help setting up or using SinglePoint, be sure to give Heather a call, but be prepared to give her some moral support too!