Benefits Plans Incorporated
Benefits Plans Incorporated (BPI) provides financial services that enable organizations to outsource pension and employee benefits plans. With a focus on retirement plans, 401Ks, and profit-sharing plans, BPI helps their clients set up employee plans, administer those plans, and consult with employees on benefit plan changes and modifications. BPI also works with clients to ensure compliance with such organizations as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Department of Labor. By taking over all aspects of employee benefits planning and administration, BPI can help clients save money and comply with government regulations. This outsourcing, however, requires that BPI's clients share personnel and financial data - much of it confidential. With over 600 customers in multiple US states, data security is a major concern.

The Challenge
BPI works closely with a number of banking and financial institutions, all of whom require confidential information to be transferred electronically and in accordance with government regulations. With recent increases in incidences of fraud and identity theft, BPI required a better way to transfer client information securely.

While some banks will accept information via email, BPI was eager to implement secure file transfer protocols in advance of projected regulations, and at the same time reduce their business risks. "Right now there are no governmental regulations that require us to secure this information," said Kenny Champoux, BPI Systems Administrator. "However, we're well aware of how sensitive this data is and we wanted to ensure that we were not only providing the best possible security for our customers, but that we're also well ahead of the curve as far as future regulatory compliance goes."

Some clients have been so concerned about security that they have been delivering sensitive information in paper form. This delivery method not only requires additional staff and time for BPI to input this data, but also increases the likelihood of transcription error.

BPI investigated a number of different options and even considered developing a solution on their own. Their best option, however, turned out to be one that provided the same outsourcing advantages that have made BPI so successful: Biscom Delivery Server provided as a service by TIC Software. "We're going to be making a hard push towards a paperless office, and BDS will be a big part of that initiative," said Champoux.

The Solution
The Biscom Delivery Server solution implemented as a hosted service by TIC Software turned out to be a perfect fit for Benefits Plans Incorporated. (BDS is available directly from Biscom as a premises-based solution and as a hosted solution from partner TIC Software.)

Biscom Delivery Server (BDS) is a clientless, Web-based secure file transfer solution that enables enterprise-class file transfer and secure email. Data transfer is secure, authenticated, and delivered directly from point-to-point. In addition, integrated tracking and reporting capabilities provide a comprehensive audit trail.

BDS lets BPI's clients easily send and receive files using 128-bit encryption - all from a simple, Web-based interface. Online tracking and reporting features make it easy for these clients to determine what comprised each delivery, when it was sent, and when it was received. With over 500 clients continually submitting benefits plan updates, this tracking/reporting has made confirming each employee's benefits status much simpler.

More importantly, BDS has almost completely eliminated paper from BPI's updating process. Before BDS was implemented, 10% of BPI's customers were submitting benefits planning information via couriered documents. While courier delivery ensured security, it caused significant delays while the information was manually entered into the system. Even worse, this procedure created a significant risk of error during data entry - something that could have serious tax implications. Biscom Delivery Server provided a level of security that enabled these customers to submit information to BPI electronically, saving time and money.

Ease of Use
All of this process change has occurred with absolutely no usability issues with clients, customers, or financial institutions. "Our customers are very happy with how easy it is to use," said Chris Ramey. "It's just one step beyond email so they pick it up really quickly." Moreover, the financial institutions with which BPI works have adapted flawlessly to receiving information via BDS. "There's really no learning curve," said Champoux. "It's easy to bring new clients on board quickly."

Benefits Plans Incorporated is also a time sensitive business - especially when dealing with IRS-imposed deadlines. BDS provides a confirmation every time a data package is actually viewed by a client, not just every time it's received. This view confirmation has had a big impact on how BPI works. "Knowing when a client has received the information gives us a good idea of when they're likely to respond to us. That improves our timing and makes our planning much easier," said Ramey.

Implementation
Implementation of BDS was straightforward: BPI provided a list of in-house users to TIC Software and that was it. "Support from Biscom and TIC has been really helpful and we've had a very quick turnaround time for any issues," said Champoux. Mr. Champoux also lauded the extra care and attention BPI received from Biscom and TIC Software: "It's nice to work with companies that are willing to come out to our office to work with us in person and implement the changes that we need. In this world of conference calls the personal touch really makes the difference."

BPI is now focused on moving beyond basic file transfer functions, and is planning to more deeply integrate BDS with their existing software. There are also plans in place to consolidate all of their tracking functions in one centralized location, and reduce some of the paper that is inevitably related to accounting requirements.

Ramey estimates that BDS has saved BPI two-to-three years over trying to build similar functionality in-house. Champoux sums up their reaction by stating, "We're really impressed with what BDS can do and we're very happy with how it met our primary goal of transferring confidential information securely."

About Biscom, Inc.
Biscom was founded in 1986 and pioneered the fax server marketplace, providing many of the world's largest organizations with its award-winning FAXCOM fax servers. In addition to enterprise fax server products, Biscom also offers hosted fax services, secure file transfer and messaging solutions, file conversion software, and document workflow and automation tools. The company is headquartered in Chelmsford, Massachusetts.

About TIC Software
Since 1983, TIC Software has been helping companies get the most from their HP Non Stop Server technology. TIC consults with customers to understand their needs and create ways to improve IT business services. No matter what the client's industry or business sector, TIC solutions maximize system value and increase service quality.