Applied Systems acquired SEMCAT, a vendor of comparative rating technology in the U.S. Applied Systems will integrate the rating technology into its TAM or EPIC agency management systems for real-time exchange of policy ratings and improved operational workflows. "SEMCAT has the broadest set of carriers in lines of business of any comparative rating provider," says Reid French, chief executive officer for Applied Systems. "It has more than 500 insurance carriers that they provide rates for. We have customers in every single state and every city of magnitude. So having broad access to rates regardless of line of business, carrier or location is really important to us." SEMCAT will be rebranded as Applied Rating, and its offices in Lincoln, Neb., will act as Applied System's office for comparative rating in the U.S., French says.

In other company news, IVANS Insurance Solutions, a division of Applied Systems, launched IVANS Exchange, an online tool for independent insurance agencies to view and manage their carrier download connections. Capabilities of the software include an agency connectivity dashboard, which offers a snapshot of current and available download connections, download transaction volume and newly activated lines of business; a connections report, which allows agencies to review download connections that are inactive and identify download opportunities; and a usage report, which identifies the number of download transactions agents receive per line of business and per carrier.

Vertafore acquired QQ Solutions, a Software-as-a-Service provider of agency management systems and rating solutions. Headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Fla., the acquisition expands Vertafore's rating capabilities in the Sunshine State and Texas. Vertafore says that it doesn't anticipate making any changes in the near term to current products, support or services that its customers trust.