VHI Launches Business to Business E-Commerce Links

15th March 2000 - VHI today (15 March 2000) announced some of the first deliverables from its £4 million e-commerce strategy – business to business (B2B) E-Commerce links for key corporate customers.

Using the latest technology, the VHI B2B e-commerce links will provide seamless and secure administration of Group Scheme accounts offering on-line facilities which will reduce administration, facilitiate speedy exchange of data, enhance customer service and promote business efficiency. These include: On-Line Billing, Tailored Extranets, Self Service facilities for employees to access their own personal health cover details and links to the imminent VHI Health Portal.

The planned rollout of the B2B on line facilities to the 7,000 VHI Group Schemes has already started and will continue over the coming months. A CD Rom with full details of all the features is available for corporate customers who are interested in availing of this new technology.

Further enhancements available later in the year will provide a tailored approach to personal group scheme information. This will include self service facilities for employees to access their own personal healthcare details, secure facilities for submitting claims and access to the VHI Health Portal which will provide a wealth of relevant health information. An on-line application process has been available since 1999.

"At VHI we do not take our leadership of the Irish healthcare insurance market for granted. Instead we work to earn it every day by being more relevant to customers than our competitors, by delivering better value for money, by providing a wider choice of products and by doing what we can to help our members live longer, healthier lives," said chief executive, Oliver Tattan.

"Business to Business e-commerce growth will accelerate over the next three years and will fundamentally change the way we do business with corporate customers. Today's B2B initiative and our whole e-commerce strategy will allow VHI to provide tailored services to individual customers and corporate accounts and will deliver on VHI’s commitment to best practice and best in class systems. We are also seeking information from our corporate customers about future B2B requirements so that we continue to meet their needs," said Mr Tattan.

"The Internet is the fastest growing business tool and the biggest market for retail expansion available today and Health information is one of top three most sought after topics by people accessing it. In Ireland, access to the Internet by adults is currently at around twenty two per cent and this is expected to grow to at least a million Irish users by the end of next year. With the advent of TV top boxes and WAP Phones that make it simple to surf - that number could be even bigger. International research shows that B2B transactions worldwide will grow from 3 per cent to 11 percent by 2002," said Mr. Tattan.

The managing director of Oracle Corporation Ireland, John Appleby, the first VHI corporate customer to adopt the B2B on-line service recently said: "As a customer of VHI for the past ten years, Oracle is delighted to be given the opportunity to do business on-line with VHI. We have found this a hassle free method of exchanging data efficiently and securely. It has reduced administration and certainly promotes business efficiency."