A Brighton software firm has taken on dozens of extra staff after its customers responded to an increase in business online during the coronavirus pandemic.
Applied Systems, which has its European head office in Trafalgar Street, Brighton, said: “Applied has expanded its workforce by more than 80 people in the last year.”
The company, which said that it had not furloughed any staff during the pandemic, provides cloud-based software for insurance businesses, with Aviva among its best-known customers.
The news comes as business leaders and politicians locally look to the digital sector to help lead the economic recovery in Brighton and Hove and across the wider Greater Brighton area.
Today (Tuesday 11 May), Applied Systems reported a 25 per cent rise in the number of insurers using its broker management system, known as Applied Epic.
The company said: “Applied Systems Europe today announced it surpassed ambitious growth targets in the UK marketplace in 2020.
“Results indicate growth is being driven by the broader introduction of Applied Epic, which has already seen a 25 per cent increase in users during the first quarter of 2021, with new customers moving from competitor systems.”
The company, which moved into its Brighton base six years ago, said that Applied Epic was “the most widely used broker management system in the world”.
The software was designed to allow brokers to manage their business operations and trade more easily with their clients, the company said.
And it was investing more in its technology and services, including research and development (R&D), as it looked to grow its revenues, which currently total £20 million a year.
The company said: “To support product and services innovation, Applied has expanded its workforce by more than 80 people in the last year as further confirmation of its commitment and value to UK brokers looking for an alternative broker management system.”
Applied Systems Europe’s sales director Dave Chapman said: “Our industry is transforming, for good reason. The UK broker market needs modern technology that allows brokers to quickly augment their businesses to follow evolving customer expectations and market trends.
“We are delighted to have exceeded our growth targets with the number of new customers joining us in recent months.
“As we continue into 2021, Applied is committed to bringing Applied Epic to the wider broker marketplace, delivering innovation that simplifies operations, makes data easier to access, creates flexibility to integrate with other applications and, most importantly, fosters success both today and well into the future.”
