Even the great state of Texas isn't immune to natural disasters. That's why companies like Farmers Mutual Protective Association of Texas provide farmers with property insurance against fire, theft, vandalism, and other unforeseen events. The company has 300 sales representatives working throughout Texas who require up-to-the minute policy, claim, and financial data from the corporate office's AS/400. Farmers Mutual disseminated this information via mail and fax but realized that to remain competitive, it needed to improve its agents' data access. So the company turned to ResQNet - an easy graphical, secure, and extendible solution that gives sales representative online access to the AS/400 at headquarters.

Before implementing ResQNet, Farmers Mutual considered developing a package with direct dial-up modem access to the AS/400 but quick recognized that this solution would be too costly to implement and support. Enabling AS/400 access via the Internet was clearly the best solution, but this option left Farmers Mutual with the problem of Web-enabling its legacy "green screen" host application.

Farmers Mutual evaluated several solutions, but none offered the graphical customization conveniences and fast implementation of ResQNet. ResQNet would also supply Farmers Mutual with the tools necessary to provide security and the ability to further modernize and integrate host application with today's popular Internet and desktop program.

The company didn't have many programming or support resources available to devote to its Web-enabling project - which made choosing ResQNet easy because of its ease of installation, rapid deployment, and low-maintenance requirements. ResQNet was up and running very quickly, and the company didn't have to make any changes to the underlying host applications and didn't need to cobble together separate connectivity and rejuvenation solutions. Nothing had to be installed on the sales representatives' desktops: they simply downloaded the applet from AS/400 Web server and it was automatically installed on their machines.

With ResQNet, sales representative can access data in real time, through a modern, user-friendly, graphical interface. "The real beauty of ResQNet is that I can take our existing software and add graphical features on the fly to provide the agents Internet access," says Lewis Wolfe, Farmers Mutual's computer services manager. "Internet access with this system is essentially cost-free with regard to the development of the program."

In addition, ResQNet let Farmers Mutual meet its goal of delivering an intuitive, user-friendly interface that would not intimidate, frustrate, or hamper its sales representatives. ResQNet produced a new, rejuvenated interface that feature quick and easy drag-and-drop customization for more complex screens. This improved interface actually reduced the burden on Farmers Mutual's internal support staff while giving remote employees real-time access to the information they need to remain competitive. "ResQNet has enabled us to provide a user-friendly and eye-pleasing system," says Wolfe. "Everyone who uses the system finds it saves them time, and, of course, it saves us time and eliminates calls.

"The biggest strength of ResQNet is its simplicity," concludes Wolfe. It is a low-maintenance solution to increase our services with little effort or expense."

About ResQNet.com

ResQNet.com develops software that Web-enables and graphically presents host applications. User download the Java applet through a browser to access AS/400 and mainframe applications from intranets, extranets, and the Internet. ResQNet includes patented TN3270/5250 screen recognition that facilitates the conversion of host screens to customized GUIs. Users can extend host functionality by exporting data to Windows and the Internet, combining screens, and automating screen sequences. Customization can further extend host applications by adding familiar controls, such as macro buttons and drop-down lists, without any programming.