IBM UK has carried off a three year contract, thought by some to be worth UKP100m, with the London Insurance Market Network Management Group from under the nose of ICL’s INS, International Network Services Ltd, value added networking venture with Geisco (CI No 599). The contract is to link all the Lloyds systems together, providing electronic mail, electronic data interchange and financial services. INS was conducting pilot network trials with Lloyd’s in January under the name Limenet, for London Insurance Market Electronic Network, and thought it had the contract sewn up. But it seems that as a staunch IBM user, the Lloyd’s Insurance Brokers Association was forced to opt in favour of the US giant, despite both IBM’s and ICL’s commitment to Open Systems Interconnection. The network will be installed in the UK starting next quarter, but international links are in plan. The London Insurance Market Network Management Group groups the Company of Lloyd’s, Lloyd’s Insurance Brokers Committee, the Institute of London Underwriters, and the Policy Signing & Accounting Centre. INS said yesterday we are naturally disappointed but feel we acquitted ourselves well. Our commitment to the electronic data interchange and insurance market are not diminished in any way.
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