Watchstone Group is a holding company with technology at its core.

Our businesses offer leading technology solutions primarily to the insurance, automotive and healthcare industries.

While we have a diverse portfolio, our operating businesses are unified by a set of shared commercial principles:

■We seek to anticipate change and we have the agility to exploit the dynamism of customer behaviour
■We invest in the people and technologies that will drive innovation and success in our markets
■We promote in-depth sector knowledge and experience as the starting point of value creation, and
■We strive for efficiency across our businesses through the optimal allocation of resources and good governance

                   

NEWS

26th Jan 2018 Pre-close trading update
11th May 2017 Prospective claim by Slater and Gordon
05th May 2017 Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2016
27th Apr 2017 Preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2016

VIDEO/AUDIO/PRESENTATIONS

May 2017 2016 Annual Report and Accounts
Jun 2016 Presentation-Results for the six months ended 30 June 2016
27th May Watchstone Audio Webcast-Financial Results
27th Jan Watchstone Group Outline Strategy

EVENTS

The 2017 Commercial Vehicle Show (CV Show)25th-27th April -UK (Hubio)
The Strategic Claims conference2nd March-UK (Hubio)
2017 Insurance-Canada.ca Technology Conference28th February-Canada (Hubio)
NRF's Annual Convention & EXPO (Retail's BIG Show)15th-17th January-USA (Tech Mahindra-Bronze sponsors/exhibitor)
2017 Commercial Vehicle Show25th-27th April-UK (Hubio Fleet-exhibitor)

WEBSITES




LINKS TO DEDICATED PAGES

pt Health
ingenie Updated 2nd June
Innocare Updated 2nd June

Insurers are managing claims better with Hubio’s advanced claims system

The insurance industry is changing fast and managing claims is an increasingly relentless challenge. From mitigating claims indemnity and controlling operational cost to providing excellent customer satisfaction, it’s not always easy to maintain operational efficiency alongside strong financial performance and market-leading customer service.

We understand these challenges better than any other provider. Our Hubio ICE Claims system is designed by claims people, for claims people. It’s the most implemented claims management system in the UK and is the most technologically advanced claims system in EMEA, having been accredited with the XCelent Advanced Technology Award.

The future of managing claims

New innovative technology offers insurers the opportunity to provide customers with levels of service that would have been unimaginable just five years ago. Customers have different expectations nowadays in this digital world, and insurers have a new range of needs to meet.

How can we help?

Insurers need to drive up profitable growth and deliver excellent customer satisfaction in a fast, effective and cost-saving way. Hubio ICE Claims tackles your critical requirements head on and our speed of implementation is the quickest in the market. We acknowledge that insurers have 4 key requirements:

1. Excellent customer engagement
Our use of advanced portals, apps and all other communication methods converts the claims process into a proactive experience with shorter claims cycles. Insurers and customers can interact using their preferred method of engagement and by providing timely updates, significantly increase customer satisfaction and reduce the need to constantly chase for information.

2. Reducing your costs
A rapid return on investment is vital for reducing your combined operating ratio. We drive down costs by improving productivity through streamlined processes, automation and via our collaboration with external parties to reduce delays. Our configurable workflow management tools provide you with a best of breed template but allow you to easily self-customise processes and practices and deploy them with no system downtime.

3. Keeping you compliant
We take compliance as seriously as you do, which is why we’ve built in robust systems and process-based safeguards to protect insurers from reputational damage.

4. Future-proofing your business
Our modern state of the art platform ensures you’re ready for tomorrow’s world as well as today’s. We are a leading player in the global usage-based insurance market and our platform is fully ‘IoT’ enabled. We have already deployed our system supporting “connected cars” in a live environment and can support the emerging connected ecosystems of the future.

The way forward is a more efficient, effective and integrated use of technology and data. That’s why we created Hubio’s Enterprise Insurance Suite (EIS) – a more advanced and connected insurance software solution, designed for 21st century challenges.

As part of EIS, Hubio ICE Claims is a complete end-to-end solution, offering straight-through processing and delivering rapid time-to-market. We describe it as a functionally-rich claims management system which covers the end to end claims process – from customer self-serve quote & buy portals to mid-term adjustments and claims progress tracking.

How does EIS work in practice?

Tim Yorke, COO at our client ERS, the largest motor syndicate at Lloyd’s, says EIS has helped his business perform better in three key areas.

Our advanced insurance suite has improved their speed to market for new products rapidly, they have been able to save money with more automation through the ability to integrate everything from brokers to new business to claims supply chain vendors, and they are able to be much more flexible as their business grows thanks to the modular nature and vast data analytics of the Hubio system.

Want to know more?

Choose fast, advanced and cost-effective insurance solutions with Hubio. Click here to learn more about our Enterprise Insurance Suite.

9th September 2016, Blackpool, UK – Business Advisory Service, one of the UK’s leading Energy Consultancies, has announced that it has won the contract to provide energy consultancy services to support the management of the new public sector framework which is operated by Vertas Group Ltd, the facility management arm for Suffolk County Council.

The framework will provide energy related services including procurement and data management to be delivered to a portfolio of customers ranging from schools, health centres and local councils. This contract secures Business Advisory Service’s position as a major supplier to the public sector, with the company managing all of the gas and electricity purchased under the programme over the next few years.

BAS were engaged to support Vertas Global Ltd in creating a portfolio and procurement management platform that provides the framework with transparency of the energy markets and total visibility portfolio of thousands of electricity and gas meters.

BAS were selected due to their extensive knowledge of managing flexible energy procurement and the management of large energy portfolios. Coupled with BAS unique Openview energy management platform, this solution will prove attractive to all public sector organisations across the country.

Commenting on the announcement, Andy Blake, Business Advisory Service’s Commercial Director said: “Vertas will now be operating the leading framework in the country due to its flexibility in delivering multiple energy procurement and data management services. We are absolutely delighted to be partnering with them – and are excited about public sector opportunities.”

On why BAS was chosen, Head of Energy for Vertas, Lisa Galbraith said: “BAS has the experience and expertise necessary to manage large energy portfolios and bring a full suite of energy services for the benefit of our customers.”

Energy forms an integral part of every public building in the country and in recent years, delivered energy prices have been increasing significantly, putting even greater pressure on local authority budgets. In addition, public sector purchasing through the traditional frameworks has meant that once committed, there has been little control over the prices they receive or the service levels they enjoy. The BAS/Vertas managed framework for Suffolk County Council enables the portfolio to have more flexibility in securing competitive energy prices, receive exceptional customer service and be able to access a full suite of energy related services for years to come.

16 September 2016
Watchstone Group plc

Results for the six months ended 30 June 2016

Watchstone (AIM:WTG.L) today announces its results for the six months ended 30 June 2016.

Financial summary:

· Underlying* business revenues improved to £31.9m (2015: £28.8m)

· Underlying EBITDA loss before capitalisation of development expenditure £6.9m (2015: £13.8m)

· Underlying EBITDA loss after capitalisation of development expenditure £6.7m (2015: £10.2m)

· Total loss before tax £8.2m (2015: loss of £32.3m)

· Group net assets £130.6m (as at 31 December 2015: £137.1m)

· Group cash at 30 June 2016 of £93.8m (£89.3m as at 31 August 2016), with a further £50.0m in escrow

* Underlying includes ptHealth, Hubio, Ingenie, BAS, Maine Finance and Central

Operational highlights:

· Substantial work completed and on-going to simplify the Group including closure and disposals of loss-making businesses; underpinned by work to position the Group to deliver shareholder value from its assets

· Continued momentum in ptHealth and ingenie

· ingenie signed its first white label licence with ANWB, The Royal Dutch Touring Club

· Resolved long standing Navseeker litigation

http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=5415954

Peel Hunt Buy 184.00 315.00 290.00 Retains

19 September 2016
Watchstone Group plc

Response to announcement by Slater & Gordon Limited

Watchstone Group plc (LON:WTG) notes the announcement by Slater and Gordon Limited (ASX: SGH) advising that it and/or Slater and Gordon (UK) 1 Ltd (together "SGH") intend to bring a claim against Watchstone arising from SGH UK's purchase of the Company's Professional Services Division in May 2015 ("SGH Announcement").

Watchstone confirms that it has today received preliminary correspondence on behalf of SGH notifying it of a purported claim. The Company does not believe that there are grounds for a claim to be brought and will defend it robustly.

Watchstone conducted a professional and transparent disposal process of the Professional Services Division assisted and advised by leading specialists. In addition, Watchstone allowed SGH the opportunity to complete an extensive and detailed due diligence process with the assistance and advice of a similarly specialist team.
Watchstone notes reference in the SGH Announcement to the escrow account containing £50.0m of the original purchase consideration for the acquisition ("Warranty Escrow") due for release to Watchstone on 29 November 2016.

Following 29 November 2016, monies will be released to Watchstone from the Warranty Escrow unless, inter alia, Watchstone receives an opinion of a senior independent barrister stating that a given claim is more likely to succeed than not ("Opinion"). The Opinion will also quantify what such claim, if successfully brought against Watchstone, would be valued at and this amount would then be retained in the Warranty Escrow until the purported claim was resolved with any excess up to the £50.0m released to Watchstone. Prior to the giving of an Opinion, Watchstone will have the opportunity to make submissions in respect of such matters.

Watchstone will make further announcements in due course, as appropriate.

http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=5416725

Hubio Fleet ‏@HubioFleet · 33 minutes ago  Millbrook Proving Ground

@VanAndTruckNews Andrew Betteley CTO @HubioFleet is talking telematics as a fleet safety tool Room 2 at 2pm





Also:

Social Media

twitter- Hubio Automotive
twitter- Hubio Insurance
twitter- Hubio Group


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And see POST 85 for further details of the event.

It's the official launch of the new section of Hubio:

Hubio Fleet ‏@HubioFleet · Sep 19
New Hubio Fleet #vehicletracking launched today. Find out more here: http://ow.ly/Dy47304kUN9 #hubiofleet #vanandtruck

https://twitter.com/HubioFleet

And a couple of new videos:

…Hubio Fleet: Who we are
•36 views
•1 day ago




…Hubio Fleet: Real-time fleet tracking
•94 views
•1 day ago

New tracker aimed at fleets of all sizes
September 19, 2016

A brand-new fleet tracker has launched today, from telematics and usage-based insurance (UBI) technology company Hubio.

Providing driver behaviour and vehicle insight for both small and large fleets, the technology is suitable for businesses operating a few vehicles as well as bigger operators.

Hubio Fleet offers two solutions, an ‘OBD plugin’ box which is connected to the vehicle’s on-board diagnostics port (OBD port) and a ‘black box’ which must be professionally installed.

Fleet tracker

The OBD plugin is a simple installation – it takes under a minute to fit the plugin to the on-board diagnostics port. The obvious benefit here is that it can be used with different vehicles. By using GPS and accelerometers the technology can provide data on driver behaviour like braking and acceleration.

This data is relayed back to the fleet manager having been processed by Hubio’s driver safety scoring algorithms. These algorithms generate a score for each driver, indicating which (if any) drivers need additional training. The information can be accessed from any internet-enabled device using an online dashboard.



Another useful feature is job scheduling. Hubio Fleet is designed to make this easy with simple geofence setup – it’s as simple as drawing the geofence on a Google map, with no complicated co-ordinates required. The tracker has been developed in response to customer feedback – operators called for easy ordering, prompt supply, excellent service and a clear interface.

Andrew Betteley, chief technology officer for connected car at Hubio said: “With Hubio Fleet we are now moving towards digital driver coaching. Our competitors fail in several areas, such as having complex contracts, poor telephone service and the price advertised is rarely the price paid. With Hubio Fleet we have addressed all of these issues and have a fleet tracking offering that allows fleet managers and owner-operators to truly find ways of operating more efficiently.”

Fleet operators

Are you a fleet operator? Take a look at VanMan’s fantastic range of brand new vans. Why not give us a call and see how much we can help you save?! Call us on 0845 021 0111 or enquire online. We also have a Facebook page.

Launching our telematics tracking platform for fleet

Hubio Fleet has been developed working with existing Road Angel Fleet customers to produce a simple, low-cost vehicle tracking solution built on our proven telematics platform. The Hubio Fleet Manager platform is designed to improve driving behaviour, lower the cost of fleet operation, increase productivity and minimise vehicle wear and tear.

Safety is at the forefront of our values and we believe that educating drivers on how to improve their driving style should be simple, non-intrusive and effective. Our driving analytics have been tested and perfected from our experience in insurance to deliver real change so that we can truly improve driver behaviour, one driver at a time.

Hubio Fleet’s reliable vehicle tracking system offers simplicity from day one – an easy plug-and-play OBD device and a simple-to-use interface. Our excellent service and support team are on hand so that fleet managers can immediately unlock the value of live tracking at the best price on the market.

Addressing the needs of the commercial vehicle market

Our Chief Technology Officer for Connected Car, Andrew Betteley spoke directly to fleet managers and owner-operators prior to developing Hubio Fleet. He discovered they were looking for; an easy way to order the unit, a prompt supply, excellent service and a simple-to-use interface. He commented: “With Hubio Fleet, we have addressed all of these issues and have a fleet tracking system that allows fleet managers and owner-operators to truly find ways of operating more efficiently.”


Hubio Fleet is aimed at both small business owners who run a number of cars or vans as well as larger firms with hundreds of vehicles on their books. Two tracking devices are on offer from Hubio Fleet – an OBD plugin that is plugged directly into a vehicle’s on-board diagnostics port (OBD port) by the user and a black box that is professionally fitted and located out of sight.

A fleet manager or owner-operator can see at a glance how ‘safely’ their fleet is performing by looking at a traffic-light-coloured Fleet Safety indicator. As a result of monitoring speed, harsh braking, cornering, and acceleration, a company can benefit from fewer accidents, lower maintenance costs and fuel savings of up to 15%.

As Chief Marketing Officer, Louise Robertson explains: “Ultimately, fleet managers are looking for real-time tracking to improve efficiency and lower their operating costs. Our simple online dashboard, which can be accessed from any web-enabled device, moves the industry closer to changing the perception of fleet management software to a service that is easy to use and fast to implement.”

Watch the video below to get a full overview of how Hubio Fleet works:



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Hubio Insurance ‏@hubioinsurance 47 minutes ago

COO of @ERSmotor, @TimYorke has been named Tech Champion of the year at @InsuranceTimes_ #ITTechAwards Congrats Tim!

https://twitter.com/hashtag/ITTechAwards?src=hash

Business Advisory Service shortlisted for Third Party Intermediary of the Year in the 2016 Energy Awards

September 26, 2016

Business Advisory Service, one of the UK’s leading independent Energy Consultancies, has been shortlisted for the Energy Awards 2016 in the ‘Third Party Intermediary of the Year’ category.

In the last 12 months, Business Advisory Service has experienced success in securing competitive energy contracts on behalf of UK businesses.  Its unique energy management platform, OpenView and strong customer support have helped it win more customers which has fuelled growth for the company.

In announcing Business Advisory Service as a finalist, the organisers congratulated the company’s success within this hotly contested sector.

Commenting on the announcement, Chris Shaw, CEO of Business Advisory Service, said “The Energy Awards are recognised within the industry as being one of the most coveted in the UK. To be a finalist is not just an honour, but a recognition of the dedication, investment and commitment Business Advisory Service has made to delivering first class energy consultancy services to UK businesses.”

To find out more about BAS, please visit www.businessadvisoryservice.co.uk

WTG news now showing on Stockwatch!

TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTEREST IN SHARES

Deutsche Bank AG sold resulting in a holding of less than 3% from about 7%

http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=5365967

General interest:

Charting is on its way!
October 12, 2016 | Software | By: Kerrie-Ann Bernard

The biggest thing since InnoCare Software is on its way--Charting! 

Beautiful, intuitive, and designed just for you; InnoCare Charting is a breath of fresh air. Whether you're a physiotherapist, chiropractor, or massage therapist, InnoCare Charting is designed just for you. 

Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter and stay tuned for more details!

Hubio Insurance ‏@hubioinsurance 13 hours ago

We're looking forward to the digital #insurance event of the year! We'll be there with our partner @Tech_mahindra #Wakeupinsurance

https://twitter.com/hashtag/wakeupinsurance?src=hash

Hubio is attending Guidewire Connections 2016


Having recently joined the Guidewire PartnerConnect program, we are excited to be attending our first Guidewire User Conference – Connections 2016 in San Francisco on October 24th-27th.

The conference brings together insurance companies who use Guidewire applications as well as representatives from technology suppliers such as Hubio, who provide solutions that complement and enhance the Guidewire core offerings.

Faster, smarter, easier for insurance carriers

This partnership enables Guidewire and Hubio to work together in two distinct areas:

The first addresses insurance carriers’ needs to complete their regulatory filing requirements using a pre-built accelerator integrating Guidewire PolicyCenter and ClaimCenter with Hubio’s reporting solution.

The second enables carriers to deploy Hubio’s award-winning telematics program through the development of a pre-built accelerator to integrate Hubio’s UBI solution with Guidewire PolicyCenter.

Integrating core insurance systems with the outside world is one of Hubio’s strengths, and we’re excited to be able to help Guidewire customers in North America develop faster, cost-effective, more complete solutions. We’re developing pre-built accelerators that will take Hubio’s proven technology and integrate it with Guidewire, to give insurance customers a tried and tested solution.

The first accelerator will provide measurable improvements to previous practices, and deliver insurers higher degrees of accuracy, completeness and reliability. As the accelerator is pre-built, and vetted by both Guidewire and Hubio, customers can rest easy that it delivers exactly as promised.

Talk to us at Guidewire Connections 2016

Phil Henville, who heads our Hubio Canada Group, and David Gallagher of our sales team, will be attending the conference. Why not get in touch and schedule a meeting? We’d love to talk to you about growth opportunities with this partnership and how we can make your life easier!

TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTEREST IN SHARES

BEACH POINT CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP increased their holding on 28 OCTOBER 2016 from 5,506,978 to 5,541,978 (12.04%)

http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=5441010

    

How can Hubio help Guidewire Customers?

As a new Guidewire Solutions partner, we recently attended the Guidewire Connections 2016 conference in San Francisco, California. Everyone we met wanted us to explain what it meant to be a Guidewire partner, and how it could help them.

So what does it mean to be an insurance solution partner?

Alongside our core insurance solutions, we also have award-winning modular solutions that can surround core platforms and work to enhance their capabilities, making life easier and smooth for insurers. Our solutions empower insurers to drive their business growth and work effectively with third-party core solutions like Guidewire’s Insurance suite.

As a result, Hubio sought partnerships, so that these products and services could be used with other vendors. We recently partnered with Guidewire to develop pre-built accelerator solutions for two products – Regulatory Statistical Reporting and Usage Based Insurance (UBI) solutions.


1. Regulatory Statistical Reporting:

Hubio has developed the number one solution for the Canadian market that works with core Policy and Claims systems, and transforms and manages the data to meet regulatory statistical reporting obligations. As market leader, the Hubio solution is proven, reduces risk, and allows insurers to focus on other core activities. Collaborating with Guidewire, Hubio is developing an accelerator that works with native Guidewire code to ensure accurate, timely, fast reporting. With the integration to Guidewire’s platform complete, customers need only worry about the data transfer to the third party system, something Hubio understands completely.

2. Usage Based Insurance:
Having been recognised by PTOLEMUS as a top global telematics provider, we are working with Guidewire to develop an accelerator that enables insurers with Guidewire PolicyCenter to take advantage of Hubio’s award-winning telematics platform.


Telematics is transforming the insurance industry

During his keynote speech at Guidewire Connections, David Stevens, Chief Executive Officer at Admiral hailed telematics as a game changer. He has already seen the impact of telematics data on pricing models and claims experience with Admiral’s UBI program and said: “Never have I come across anything as fundamentally transformative as this.” At Hubio, we understand that this technology has the ability to change every aspect of the insurance value chain as we know it – read our analysis here: Usage based insurance (UBI): a game-changer for insurers

Partnerships help us grow
At the conference, Marcus Ryu, CEO at Guidewire highlighted the importance of partnerships for Guidewire and Hubio is very excited to be working with them to develop solutions that help insurers better meet their needs. The partnership currently applies for North America customers but we have already gained interest from global insurers for broader coverage so watch this space!

If you want to learn more, why not get in touch? We’ll explain how the Hubio – Guidewire accelerators can provide enormous value to almost every insurance carrier. Contact us today.

17:27

TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTEREST IN SHARES

Deutsche Bank AG increased their holding from below Notifiable Threshold and now have 3,471,638 (7.54%)

http://www.moneyam.com/action/news/showArticle?id=5444275

1ST CENTRAL extends its partnership with Hubio
November 14, 2016

1ST CENTRAL Insurance has extended its commitment to Hubio’s claims platform, ICE Claims, with a new agreement.

1ST CENTRAL has partnered with Hubio to provide ICE Claims and ICE Intelligence in support of its end to end claims operations since its launch in 2008. Hubio has continued to support their business with their ongoing goals of increased efficiency, better customer communication and overall cost management. Since its go-live, 1ST CENTRAL has implemented 9 Hubio ICE upgrades, with the most recent being in September 2016.

Speaking of its recent upgrade to ICE Claims, Glen Marr, Claims and Counter Fraud Director at 1ST CENTRAL commented: “I want to compliment Hubio upon how well our most recent ICE upgrade was delivered. It once again demonstrated how everyone in both organisations works well together across our projects.  We continue to take upgrades from Hubio year on year as new functionality comes into the application that we can benefit from.”

Lynette Slater, Client Services Director at Hubio said: “We have a longstanding relationship with 1ST CENTRAL, and are delighted that they have confirmed their ongoing commitment to working with Hubio with this agreement. ICE Claims gives 1ST CENTRAL the tools to achieve the automation and efficiencies needed in today’s high expectation, high availability environment.  We look forward to working further with 1ST CENTRAL to leverage the benefits of Hubio’s technology.”
For more information about the partnership, please visit www.hubio.com/1st-central-extends-partnership-hubio