London - 25 May, 2004. Aon has announced that 28 insurers and reinsurers from the London, European, Bermudian and North American insurance markets are now using the Aon Document Exchange to electronically access claims documentation. To date, over 68,000 documents have been loaded onto the system, significantly reducing the burdensome paper trail and speeding up the insurance claims process.

The Aon Document Exchange has been in operation since January 2004. It enables underwriters and third parties to share 24 hour a day access to all documentation required for managing claims via a web browser. In addition, Aon is currently participating in ACORD interoperability initiatives to ensure that the repository meets the requirements of the agreed industry-wide standards.

Commenting on the Aon Document Exchange, Dennis Mahoney, Chairman and CEO of Aon Limited said, "The number of insurers and reinsurers using the Aon Document Exchange is growing at the rate of two a week with users from around the world now able to electronically access claims documentation 24 hours a day. Ultimately, the Aon Document Exchange will handle documentation relating to the entire insurance and reinsurance process from the placement of risks, to policy production and the payment of premiums and claims".

"The growing use of electronic document repositories can only be good news for our clients who will benefit from a much quicker and more efficient service," Mahoney added.

Peter Rowe, Senior Claims Manager, from Aspen Re commented, "There has been a great deal of discussion about the role of technology in improving the service that the insurance industry delivers to its customers. Document repositories are at the vanguard of this technology initiative and we are firmly behind their growing use in reducing operational costs and improving current response times within the insurance and reinsurance business."