AISG's National Underwriting Database, A-PLUS, is Now the Largest in the Industry.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 7, 1997--

Provides Claims Information for Personal and Commercial Lines

Risk Analysis

The Automated Property Loss Underwriting System (A-PLUS), a division of the American Insurance Services Group Inc. (AISG), announced today that it has achieved the goal of creating the industry's largest property and liability claims database for property and casualty business underwriting. In the last eighteen months, the number of property-casualty insurance companies contributing claims data to the system's database has doubled.

A-PLUS, launched by AISG in 1988, provides direct access to property and liability claims information for evaluation of insurance applicants and risk locations. "An important goal for A-PLUS has been the enrichment of the database in terms of both quality and quantity," commented Steven Craig, general manager, A-PLUS. "Over the past eighteen months, we have made a concerted effort to increase the number of A-PLUS data contributors, and, since January of 1996, more than 400 new insurance companies have agreed to contribute their property and liability claims information to the A-PLUS database."

The dramatic increase in data contributors was achieved, in part, through an initiative A-PLUS recently undertook -- the Claims Data Expansion Program (CDEP). The CDEP was developed to help make A-PLUS more valuable to underwriters and the industry as a risk evaluation resource. "We are extremely pleased with the response we have received from the industry to the CDEP. A total of 822 insurance companies and 24 FAIR Plans and other state entities now contribute claims data to the system bringing the numbers of claim records to 55.6 million," Craig noted. A-PLUS data contributors represent more than three quarters of the industry in premium volume.

A-PLUS is the only claims database for underwriting that includes personal lines, commercial lines and a significant portion of the available Fair Plan data. It is a key information resource that can help companies improve underwriting profitability.

For more information on A-PLUS and participating companies, please contact the A-PLUS Hotline at 1-800-38A-PLUS (1-800-382-7587). -0- A-PLUS is a division of the American Insurance Services Group Inc. (AISG), a leading property-casualty industry supported provider of risk management and loss data. Other information services administered for the industry by AISG are: The Index System, a liability and automobile claims database, and the Property Insurance Loss Register (PILR), a first party property claims database.

CONTACT: AISG Inc.

Susan Black, 212/669-0406

or

MWW 

Bill Murray, 201/507-9500