Allianz Wants to Reach New Web Users in Europe.

Allianz AG Holding the insurance and financial-services giant based in Munich, Germany, is embarking on an initiative to expand its Internet capabilities as use of the electronic medium accelerates in Europe.

The global insurer, reinsurer and asset manager has strong Internet capabilities in Germany and other European countries, but it is at the start of a groupwide e-commerce project that will expand capabilities in and outside Europe, said Friedrich Woebking, who is heading the initiative. The improvements will include the ability to transact business online, to implement a style guide and to improve the group's information technology platform, said Woebking, a member of both the life/health and property/casualty boards of directors at the company.

Allianz currently can't transact business on its primary Web site, www.allianz.com, but Woebking said German life insurance policyholders can view and modify their policies online at the sites of its German-based subsidiaries. The group has several German subsidiaries that offer asset management, life insurance and nonlife products, each with its own home page. The group also conducts about $1 billion of business-to-business transactions with major automakers, including Volkswagen, and a telecommunications company. So far, Allianz has invested about 50 million marks (about $23 million) in Internet technology in Germany alone, Woebking said.

Allianz also uses the Internet to conduct business with individuals in Italy, where a call center backs up the Web site, and in the United States through Fireman's Fund Direct, St. Louis. Business also comes to the group through Web sites maintained by other companies in other countries, including Credit Suisse in Switzerland.

Allianz expects to launch a business-to-business portal for agencies and brokers by midyear.