IntelliPen's technical architecture is designed to deliver a secure system that combines leading-edge performance, scalability and low cost. For this, we have utilised Microsoft technologies and products throughout and standard commodity servers.
The goals of the systems architecture are to deliver secure self-service from a platform that is flexible and configurable and will readily interface with our customers' technology platforms. Customers often have complex existing books of business, and our data structures are designed with knowledge of this complexity and our calculations engine specially developed with the complexity of the UK products in mind.
Our adoption of new technology has been rapid but not 'bleeding edge'. The entire IntelliPen system is written in .NET and the software tiered structure developed for web deployment, with all administration functions being deployed through web services to a thin client presentation layer. This enables unlimited member self-service and rapid deployment, as well as supporting flexible working models for administrators.
IntelliPen uses a role and privilege security model that grants minimum privilege access to functions and screens within the system. This can be extended to include restrictions by data such as scheme or employer, to provide a complex multi-dimensional matrix of rights. Our self-service portals use best-practice encryption and intrusion-prevention techniques to ensure that access is restricted to authorised users. Our security mechanisms have been tested and proven in some of the most closely scrutinised and sensitive data security environments.
IntelliPen operates globally from one core system. The single core system has adapters for regionalisation and individual client configuration. Customers all operate from the single core system, but may not all be using the same version. When updates are released, customers have a two-year window in which to adopt them. This allows them to choose the best time in their busy processing schedules to update the software.