Headquarters Zurich, Switzerland

Project Create new application development platform that simplifies secure legacy integration and provides a path to Web services

Objectives Cost savings, desire to create common application development for various business units

Technology used Corba applications platform, Java, C++, IBM MQSeries, Oracle, IBM DB2, Sun Solaris servers and Windows NT workstations

Products purchased Iona Technologies’ Orbix E2A Web Services Integration and Application Server Platform, New Atlanta Communications’ Serv-letExec, IBM MQSeries

Project started June 1997

Project completed First test application in mid-1998. Completed platform in mid-1999. Has developed about 30 applications to it since then.

Total cost NA; (as much as $100 million, according to one analyst)

Actual ROI Estimated at 15 percent to 20 percent per year

Primary benefits Reduced development and maintenance costs; easier application integration; ability to offload some back-end operations to clients and brokers; ability to develop a common security model; prepared company infrastructure for Web services

Unexpected hurdles Core Corba and Java technologies were not capable in early versions, security insufficiently strong for Web services deployment

Commentary "The platform is one of the most successful pan-European initiatives in the Insurance and Life & Pension divisions. There is a huge chance for us to bring together our vast pool of IT resources in the various market units and start thinking about intelligent ways to use those resources across the borders of the market units."
CIO Martin Frick