VANTAGE-ONE Architecture and Technology
With its relational database architecture and standardized XML-capable interfaces, VANTAGE-ONE® can integrate easily with both upstream and downstream systems. The VANTAGE-ONE System is ACORD-compliant and platform-independent.
Architecture
CSC has designed an enterprise architectural blueprint called CSC e4SM. It is a proven, service-oriented architecture that enables, extends and evolves the enterprise. CSC e4 defines standards that provide enterprise connectivity and consolidation. This architecture communicates with Web technology, legacy systems and commercial software components by means of a business process management engine and the use of adapters to middleware services. These adapters expose business services to analysts, software engineers and end users who can collectively redesign processes in the same environment.
The VANTAGE-ONE application integrates with CSC e4 by means of Web services. The system uses ACORD TXLife transactions embedded in a SOAP message to communicate with other complex environments. In addition, VANTAGE-ONE interfaces with downstream applications (proprietary or non-proprietary formats in XML or COBOL) by means of a simple-to-use mapping facility.
VANTAGE-ONE is designed to work collaboratively with external rules-based processing engines. It is delivered fully integrated with CSC’s Visual Product Modeling System (VP/MS)®. VP/MS and similar products allow customers to define calculations and business rules in a platform-independent format that can be reused by multiple application systems. This once-and-done approach minimizes rework and requires less effort to establish new products quickly. The VANTAGE-ONE system is designed to provide data for processing by the business rules engine (several processing models have already been developed in VP/MS to illustrate the flexibility of this approach).
Scalability
VANTAGE-ONE is designed to efficiently process blocks of insurance policies that range in size from very large to small closed blocks of business. Efficiency is maintained by using a processing server that can either be a mainframe processor or a mid-tier server. In fact, the structure of the VANTAGE-ONE system allows the same components to operate in both mainframe and mid-tier environments with configuration changes only. VANTAGE-ONE’s architecture supports concurrent processing, allowing your organization to process business 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
VANTAGE-ONE in a mid-tier environment is a cost-effective solution for many organizations. However, organizations that choose a mainframe environment can take advantage of the flexibility offered by VANTAGE-ONE by accomplishing all development and testing functions in a mid-tier environment. Industry statistics and CSC’s own development experience indicate that as much as half of a typical organization’s development costs can be eliminated by developing and testing system enhancements on the mid-tier platform. These cost savings are accomplished by a combination of cost avoidance (mainframe CPU and DASD charges) and productivity improvements that can be achieved in the mid-tier environment.
Technology
Key Facts on the Underlying Technology of the VANTAGE-ONE System
- Browser-Based Presentation Layer
The VANTAGE-ONE system can be accessed and business events processed entirely through a standard Web browser. - Intranet Ready and Internet Capable
VANTAGE-ONE is delivered for immediate implementation as a back-office application over your company’s intranet using Java Server Pages. These pages can be easily customized to meet any insurer’s needs. Further, the system is designed to integrate quickly with your Internet solution through the redeployment of the VANTAGE-ONE Java Business Objects. - Database
VANTAGE-ONE supports industry-standard relational databases such as DB/2. The use of an RDBMS allows queries against the database without the need to develop application-specific reports. - Compatibility
VANTAGE-ONE is J2EE-compliant and .NET-capable. Conformance with these industry standards allows quick and efficient interaction with other corporate solutions. - Web Services
VANTAGE-ONE provides support for document-literal style Web services such as agent license validation or client name search. Additional Web services will be developed as this technology and approach become more widely used in the insurance industry.