Marlborough Stirling, a UK-based provider of software to the life and pensions industry, has won a £1.5 million extension to a point-of-sale contract with Friends Provident.
The contract was originally secured by Crisp Computing (part of the former Exchange FS group) in 2001 and relates to the implementation of a point of sale software solution that integrates Friends Provident's multiple direct sales channels, says the vendor. The extension of the contract partly reflects Friends Provident's implementation of a new customer service and sales strategy.
Marlborough Stirling's intermediary portal, The Exchange, already supports Friends Provident's distribution through the IFA channel. The new solution is designed to provide an IT architecture for driving the performance of the company's direct business operations.
The application - a Java based development, which extends delivery options for Marlborough Stirling's Omiga software suite - will be used by up to 800 people across Friends' call centre, direct sales force and appointed representative channels. Staff will deploy the software to hel guide their clients through the entire advice process, from lead generation, prospecting and initial contact through to electronic fact-find, needs analysis, illustrations and completion tracking.