RICHMOND -  The Independent Insurance Agents of Virginia has joined several other area insurance firms including Atlantic Specialty Lines and Professional Governmental Underwriters by dramatically changing its reliance on "in-house" servers and local IT maintenance.   By selecting services from PROXIOS, IIAV and others are now able to take advantage of this new "cloud technology" offering a virtual desktop with centralized management with inherent disaster protection.  It can also included 24/7 User Phone Support Lines with MS Office Professional, Exchange Email, CRM, Desktop Faxing, Voicemail Storage, Desktop Computing, Phone, Fax and Smartphone integration. 

Linda Loving, Executive Vice President of VFSC points out, "PROXIOS brings many benefits to our organization which include cost control, reliability, security, access to our data from any location with internet service, and more time to handle our business rather than deal with IT issues."  

"We’re keenly aware of the deep connection technology has to business process and overall success so every one of us at PROXIOS takes pride in the trust IIAV has placed in us, "  proclaims PROXIOS’ Mike Luscombe.  He adds, "Facing a critical technology decision about whether to stick with the status quo to buy more hardware/software and hire IT staff or adopt a web-based, hosted model everyday more progressive organizations, like IIAV, are opting for the latter and, in doing so, are increasing their ability to focus on their mission and core business." 

"Atlantic Specialty Lines and Professional Governmental Underwriters have a sophisticated management system," adds Luscombe.  "Using our core product, a virtual desktop, PROXIOS delivers all their applications, to all of their offices, keeping their team networked and their data secure." 

IIAV needed to have solid disaster preparedness plans, secure their data, and have reliable, accessible systems to support their operations.  Robert Bradshaw, President and CEO of IIAV states, "Not only do PROXIOS’ programs help build the efficiencies of our agency operations but it appears to be a superior tool to keep an agency in operation following disaster."

  "In today’s complex world of information technology and our industry’s growing dependence on that technology, " states Marty Kanipe, president of Atlantic Specialty Lines, "We can’t afford to have this aspect of our operation handled by anyone else other than seasoned professionals. 

"With growing levels of concern on the integrity and security of data on our network, we rely on the secure environment PROXIOS provides to give us the peace of mind we need to operate in a world full of IT viruses and outside threats." 

Founded in 1898, IIAV is part of the nation’s oldest and largest associations of independent insurance agents, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents and agency employees nationwide and over 5,000 in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Its members are insurance businesses that offer customers a choice of policies from a variety of insurance companies.  Independent agents offer all lines of insurance – property, casualty, life, health, employee benefit plans and retirement products.