Applied Systems acquires TechCanary

Broker management system provider Applied Systems announced Wednesday it has acquired TechCanary.

TechCanary is a cloud-based insurance customer relationship management (CRM) system built natively on the Salesforce.com platform for brokerages, managing general agencies (MGA), wholesalers and insurers. Details of the acquisition were not being disclosed, but the deal expands Applied’s sales and marketing solutions and helps automate both front- and back-office workflows within a brokerage, insurer and MGA.

TechCanary’s insurance CRM will be integrated with Applied Epic to enable brokerages, insurers and MGAs to use the Salesforce platform to manage their sales and marketing activities to prospects and clients. The Salesforce platform will also provide users open access to thousands of applications available on the Salesforce AppExchange.

“From a broker’s perspective, TechCanary customers and partners will experience no immediate impact to their primary services, support and sales contacts,” said Jeff Purdy, senior vice president of international operations with Applied. “Over the longer term, customers and partners will benefit from the investment plans, greater support, technical services and financial resources of Applied Systems.”

Applied has been working with TechCanary on integrations between the two products even before the acquisition, so this will make the process easier. Applied will also have more access to the expertise and technology at Salesforce, providing more opportunities for deeper integrations with the platform.

Applied will continue to provide choices for brokerages’ front-office sales and marketing automation needs to support growth of the independent broker channel. “For Applied and TechCanary customers specifically, we believe the combination of Applied Systems and TechCanary will provide meaningful benefits to both companies’ customers, partners and other stakeholders in the industry,” Purdy said.

The acquisition follows Google’s minority investment in Applied in 2018. The investment will bring Applied access to Google’s “people, expertise and culture,” Applied said on its website. It will also spur artificial intelligence, machine learning and digital marketing innovation in the insurance industry.