Manchester and London - November 1, 2007 — Orbit UK and GXS, a leading provider of business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce solutions, today announced a new managed services solution for the UK insurance industry. Managed Gateway for Insurance will provide a simplified method for UK-based insurers to adopt and conduct B2B e-commerce transactions. Orbit UK is working with GXS to offer this new service, which has been specifically designed for the UK insurance community, the third largest in the world, and their providers, enabling improved and faster B2B integration between insurers, intermediaries and consumers.  Orbit UK has extensive experience in the UK insurance market, working with more than 50 companies, including major insurance providers, brokers and financial institutions.

“With web-based portals, direct internet connections, traditional EDI VANs and the proliferation of dozens of standards and protocols globally, UK insurers are mired in B2B complexity,” said Steve McCall, Director of Orbit UK. “By combining GXS’ broad range of B2B capabilities with Orbit UK’s extensive knowledge of the insurance sector, we believe we can greatly simplify B2B e-commerce for both insurers and their business partners.”

The UK insurance industry is undergoing rapid change as consumers are increasingly dealing directly with insurers over the web or through retail channels.  Insurers are responding to these challenges with innovative new products and more flexible pricing schemes, but too often the availability of these services are delayed due to technology challenges.  For a product to be available for sale in the market it must first be integrated into the software applications used by the broker community.  An extensive testing and certification process is required to complete the integration as each software provider uses different message formats and network protocols for B2B. 

The Managed Gateway for Insurance will provide comprehensive B2B services enabling customers to conduct B2B e-commerce while shielding them from complexities.  Unlike traditional B2B services for the insurance market, which are limited to basic EDI message delivery, Orbit UK’s Managed Gateway will offer a fully managed approach that includes application integration, document mapping and certification testing.  The benefits to insurers include:

• A single B2B connection to exchange messages with anti-fraud bureaus and insurance databases as well as premium finance, repairer networks and claims handling partners;
• Direct integration with the insurer’s core systems enabling straight through processing of policy issuance, claims submission and billing inquiry activities;
• Visibility to all messages exchanged regardless of which network protocol (AS2, Secure FTP , VAN) or message format (Tradacoms, EDIFACT, XML) used; and
• A single bill for all B2B transactions based upon a simplified pricing model that excludes variable surcharges for storage or archiving.

In addition to reducing overall EDI costs, the new service will also help insurers accelerate time-to-market for new product launches in the personal lines segment; automate manual processes for commercial lines products; and extend distribution channels to new broker communities and resellers.

“Together, GXS and Orbit UK have extensive experience and expertise in implementing scalable and flexible B2B programs for financial services and insurance companies.  With the increasingly competitive landscape in the UK insurance market, insurers need to differentiate themselves by making it fast and easy to resell their products,” said Steve Keifer, vice president of industry and product marketing.  “Orbit UK’s new Managed Gateway will offer insurers and brokers an unparalleled level of flexibility and choice for their B2B integration needs.”

The new Managed Gateway for Insurance service is powered by GXS’ B2B outsourcing solution, GXS Managed Services.  GXS Managed Services empowers customers with the technical infrastructure to conduct global B2B programs.  Features include hosted integration services, data translation, transaction visibility, systems administration and robust reporting capabilities.  GXS Managed Services also includes unmatched B2B expertise for the delivery of world-class B2B program management, trading community management and customer support.  The solution gives companies the ability to transact using any B2B standard or protocol, enabling cost effective management flow of critical information across trading communities.

About Orbit UK
Based in Salford Quays, Manchester, Orbit UK has been providing services to the IT industry for more than 25 years.  The company offers networking, distributed computing, and B2B communication as core skills and activities.  During the last six years Orbit UK have focused on partnerships with companies like GXS to develop and supply B2B network services. Orbit UK’s customer base is spread across a number of markets including financial, retail, and manufacturing.  In particular, through partnerships Orbit UK have developed a strong relationship with the UK General Insurance Market, and currently provide EDI services to more than 50 insurers in the UK and Ireland. Orbit UK can be found on the Web at www.orbituk.net/managed.html.

About GXS

GXS is a leading global provider of B2B e-commerce solutions that simplify and enhance business process integration, synchronisation and collaboration among trading partners.  Organisations worldwide, including 75 percent of the Fortune 500, leverage the GXS Trading Grid® to extend supply networks, optimise product launches, automate warehouse receiving, manage electronic payments and gain supply chain visibility.  With an unmatched global presence, proven trading partner management and B2B outsourcing services, GXS’ on-demand solutions maximise the benefits of integration for businesses.    

Based in Gaithersburg, Md., GXS’ extensive global network serves customers throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa and Asia Pacific regions.  GXS can be found on the Web at www.gxs.co.uk.

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For further information please contact:

Denise Oakley, Director, Marketing Programmes International GXS
Tel - +44 (0) 1932 776408 / +44 (0) 7768 537 481 Email: denise.oakley@gxs.com

Steve McCall, Director, Orbit UK
Tel - + 44(0) 161 7721743 Email: insurance@orbitmail.co.uk