Primerica Turns to IBM for Social Business Transformation and Improved Customer Experience

ARMONK, N.Y., Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that Primerica, the largest independent financial services marketing company in North America, is using IBM social business software to transform the way its over 90,000 independent sales representatives will engage with their 2.3 million policy owners and prospective new clients, on the fly, to provide increased value for its customers.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20090416/IBMLOGO )

As part of the organization's social business transformation, Primerica has engaged with IBM to adopt social business practices and embrace software as a way to improve customer care and insight, drive a competitive edge, and stay on the forefront of innovation in the financial services industry.

Financial services firms are constantly evolving amidst increased levels of regulatory scrutiny and competitive pressures. In spite of those issues, firms are beginning to use enterprise social networking technology to improve the customer experience and provide the workforce with access to new information, expertise and insight. These institutions are challenged with managing risk and complying with global regulatory policies while transforming into a social business to better service clients and gain a competitive advantage. 

Facing intensifying competition and a continuous demand for new services, Primerica needed to help its independent sales representatives quickly access, analyze and share information with clients in order to be more responsive and customer-centric. Using a social business solution built on IBM software, Primerica's over 90,000 independent sales representatives, as well as its employees, can gain access to Primerica Online which provides a wealth of information to registered users.

Today, the site provides insight into sales figures, commission data, production reports, compliance requirements, earnings statements, multimedia presentations, and motivational messages. With the integration of new IBM social business solutions, members will now be able to engage in online community building, expertise location and active information sharing.

For example, today a representative can drill down and interact with sales data to reveal valuable insights, and also better understand which products and resources move the business forward. With the new software, new sales representatives will have access to a guided training plan about how to earn certification and collaborate with peers to achieve their certification status, and increase their sales productivity for winning and retaining customers.

"Working with IBM, we will be in a position to capitalize on our growing representative and client base, helping to ensure our representatives can deliver value to our clients no matter where they're located," said David Wade, Chief Information Officer (CIO), Primerica. "Becoming a Social Business will enable us to respond to client needs immediately, find help and leverage expertise to solve problems, share knowledge, and ensure our clients have positive, personal interactions with our people and our company culture.

Primerica Online will use IBM social business software which includes the IBM Customer Experience Suite, IBM Connections enterprise social networking software and Cognos Business Intelligence analytics software. The company is implementing IBM Rational Jazz to help employees more easily track projects to completion. By enabling email eDiscovery, Primerica will be able to collect and retain email beyond its existing capability, to enhance the support of compliance initiatives. Primerica is already using IBM Content Manager  software to better manage the documents created by and distributed to the Primerica workforce and its clients.

The social business software is also integrated with the Actiance Vantage compliance solution, ensuring that Primerica continues to remain compliant with local laws for producing materials and data as needed. As a result, Primerica's solution will automatically address regulatory considerations while reducing compliance-related and legal e-discovery costs. Actiance Vantage also helps prevent sensitive information from leaving the corporate network in order to protect confidential data and help employees comply with governance requirements.

An organization that has turned to IBM for its expertise in technology for over three decades, Primerica was spun off from Citigroup in 2010 through an initial public offering.

About IBM
To learn more about IBM's Social Business initiative, participate in a simulcast on September 13, 2012 at 1 PM ET at bit.ly/Pn9sqd or sign up to attend IBM's Connect conference in January 2013. For additional information, please visit www.ibm.com/socialbusiness or follow #IBMSocialBiz on Twitter.

About Primerica
Primerica, Inc., headquartered in Duluth, GA, is a leading distributor of financial products to middle-income families in North America.  Primerica representatives educate their Main Street clients about how to better prepare for a more secure financial future by assessing their needs and providing appropriate solutions through term life insurance, which we underwrite, and mutual funds, annuities and other financial products, which we distribute primarily on behalf of third parties. In addition, Primerica provides an entrepreneurial full or part-time business opportunity for individuals seeking to earn income by distributing the company's financial products. We insure more than 4.3 million lives and approximately 2 million clients maintain investment accounts with us. Primerica is a member of the Russell 2000 stock index and is traded on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "PRI."

About Actiance
Actiance helps organizations manage, secure and ensure compliance across unified communications, collaboration and Web 2.0 applications such as blogs, wikis and social networks. Actiance's award-winning platforms are used by 9 of the top 10 US banks and 284 FINRA regulated firms globally. For more information, visit http://www.actiance.com.

CONTACT:
Michael Antonellis, 617-610-2411, [email protected] 

SOURCE IBM