UCT Introduces XML Conversion Software

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Universal Conversion Technologies’ (UCT) latest product release designed specifically for conversion of large legacy systems to XML-based systems

Addison, TX, February 4, 2004 – Universal Conversion Technologies (UCT), the recognized expert in insurance industry data conversions, today announced the release and immediate availability of version 3.0 of their proven Data Conversion Architecture (DCA) product. Already in production use at several client sites, DCA 3.0 is designed specifically for the conversion of large legacy system record files to XML-based systems. The target XML systems can include any XML schemas, including the ACORD XML standard schemas.

“UCT strongly supports the adoption of insurance industry standards such as ACORD XML,” said Dan O’Hara, Principle and CEO of UCT. “With DCA 3.0, our proven data conversion methodology remains unchanged, with the new administration systems realizing the value of converting the source data through the front-end of the target system; we take advantage of the business layer of the target system to populate the target database. And, giving DCA the flexibility to map to XML targets, keeps UCT at the leading edge of data integration tools.”

Mr. O’Hara added, “By including XML functionality, we have gained many additional usability features throughout DCA – capabilities that are extremely important to our clients. They will appreciate the additional editing and mapping features that DCA 3.0 affords them.”

About DCA 3.0

DCA 3.0 offers two strategies for converting legacy records to XML. Users can import an entire XML schema as a target (or any manageable subsection of a schema) and can map from their existing legacy system records. Users can also choose to create one-to-one mappings of individual XML elements.

After mapping is completed, DCA 3.0 automatically generates the conversion programs to convert legacy system data into XML streams, which can be fed to the target system through the DCA browser.

Besides XML processing, DCA 3.0 offers a number of other new features:

• DCA 3.0 includes enhanced record definition and XML schema management, with the ability to view, download, and export record definitions and XML schemas. Utilizing this capacity offers the ability to edit datamaps with “drag and drop” techniques from a two-screen format, moving variables from the copybook records directly into the map.
• When DCA automatically creates a datamap, insurers can now determine whether the map is a standard map, a balance map or a special-purpose map. Depending on the type of map, logic areas will be pre-populated with basic logic. When the map is generated using an XML schema, it is pre-coded with comments, logic to insert XML wrapper tags, basic audit logic to test and report on data integrity, and comment markers indicating where transformation logic should be placed.
• DCA 3.0 includes nearly twenty other major and minor enhancements to improve navigation and project management.

Prototyping, advanced data analysis, balance/compare functionality, verification, and powerful error detection and correction capabilities, are all features of DCA. A robust reporting system provides summary and detail reports at every phase of the conversion effort, including balancing variances. The web-enabled client-server design chosen by UCT minimizes security concerns while making the conversion process accessible to team members anywhere, anytime.