Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Taps Connextions.net to Design and Implement its First-ever Branded Initiative to Sell Health Insurance Online.

Technology Editors

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 26, 2001

Connextions.net

Real-time Integration & High-end Customer Service are Key to Program

Health care coverage provider Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) selected e-business services outsourcer Connextions.net to design, develop and implement its first branded effort to sell insurance online, which launched in June 2001.

BCBSF hired Orlando-based Connextions.net in September 2000 to provide strategic consulting and information technology systems integration for the "Web Sales Capability" program, as well as to develop and host the e-commerce site, provide Web-enabled customer service and digital and physical fulfillment services for custom enrollment documents.

Privately owned Connextions.net specializes in integrating and providing leading-edge e-business technology, customer service, fulfillment and supply chain management to clients including Cisco Systems, Mercedes Benz U.S.A. and Chase Manhattan Bank.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, which is headquartered in Jacksonville and serves 3.3 million Floridians, seeks to provide competitive advantage by meeting customer demand for online services, improve existing relationships with customers and agents, and increase sales through new leads and lower costs.

The Web Sales site guides customers toward self-enrollment in BCBSF's Over- and Under 65 health care plans, and offers the option to communicate directly with a customer service representative at every step in the process.

Real-time integration across multiple channels and high-end customer care are central to the sales initiative. Licensed insurance agents field customer inquiries over the phone, via e-mail and live, text-based "chat." Agents can access real-time information about customer contact history, and if requested by the customer, responses customers provide to questions about age, health background and insurance plan preference.

The customer service agents use Web-enabled communication tools such as Web page sharing and collaborative form-filling to assist customers with the enrollment process. Additionally, they produce personalized application packets, confirmation letters and related materials for customers who prefer to receive hard copies via the U.S. Postal Service.

Connextions.net built the Web Sales site on top of Siebel's eHealthcare customer relationship management platform in order to seamlessly integrate with BCBSF's systems, and to provide consistent service by equipping Connextions.net customer service personnel with the same tools planned for BCBSF field agents and internal customer care staff. The integrated CRM solution enables BCBSF to sell, market to, service and retain customers across all channels. Connextions.net integrated Siebel's Call Center System with the Aspect Customer Access Portal at its 170-seat Web-enabled customer care center.

"Faced with the challenge of selling a complex product online and protecting our well-established brand," said Al Pratico, BCBSF director of Direct and Small Group Sales, "Blue Cross recognizes that customer service - and the underlying systems integration required to support real-time information across multiple channels - are critical to the program's success."

"While our outsourcing search initially focused on finding multiple partners to launch the Web Sales Capability," said Pratico, "We ultimately decided there was greater value to utilizing one turnkey provider to supply comprehensive Web development and implementation services. Connextions.net was clearly the best choice."

"Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is an exciting, rewarding client for us," said Connextions.net founder and CEO Jack LeFort. "The Web Sales Capability program is the perfect synthesis of what Connextions.net does best - combining leading-edge technology with people-based services to help companies strategically incorporate the Web into their operations. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership," said LeFort.

As Florida's leading health care coverage company, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida is dedicated to providing caring solutions and affordable choices to 3.3 million Floridians. BCBSF is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information concerning BCBSF, please see its website at http://www.bcbsfl.com.

Connextions.net (http://www.connextions.net) is a leading provider of integrated e-business outsourcing services, including Web-enabled customer service via online chat, e-mail and phone; e-commerce development and systems integration; Web-enabled order fulfillment and supply chain management.

Connextions.net is headquartered in Orlando, where it operates Web development and hosting, call center and fulfillment facilities. Its clients include Fortune 1000 companies such as Cisco Systems, Mercedes-Benz U.S.A., Olympus, EarthLink and growing e-tailers such as Health Authority.