Lincoln Financial Distributors Liberates Wholesalers With Two New Mobile Technology Solutions

Lincoln Financial Distributors (Lincoln), the wholesaling arm of Lincoln Financial Group, recently launched two new technology solutions for its wholesalers: a customer-relationship management (CRM) application for use on RIM's BlackBerry device and a web-based portal. Lincoln understands that its wholesalers are most effective when they are out on the job supporting their clients - financial advisors - in person. Until now, wholesalers had to spend at least some time desk-bound to input the data necessary for effectively managing those client relationships. Not anymore. Lincoln recently deployed these two new solutions to all of its wholesalers during its recent LFD National Sales Conference.

The first, a customer-relationship management (CRM) application, was developed by Sybase iAnywhere for use on the BlackBerry. It enhances a similar CRM that Lincoln launched 18 months ago, also in partnership with iAnywhere for Pocket PC-based PDAs. This powerful new technology offers improved real-time e-mail capability and smooth integration with Microsoft's Calendar function.

"We couldn't have deployed this technology without our partnership with iAnywhere," said Bill Lamoin, vice president and CIO, Lincoln Financial Distributors. "Their understanding of mobile technology, rapid development, and bias for action combined with their commitment to our success was instrumental in our deploying the CRM on the BlackBerry to Lincoln's entire wholesaling sales team in record time."

"We are pleased to be a part of Lincoln's strategic initiative to mobilize key enterprise applications to the BlackBerry platform," said Lalit Canaran, director of professional services, iAnywhere. "Our consultants worked collaboratively with Lincoln throughout the project, from inception through to deployment. We leveraged our BlackBerry application development expertise to deliver a highly usable and scalable solution."

The second solution, a new web-based portal, is called "LFD Anywhere." It provides a wholesaler complete access to key applications from anywhere in the world using an Internet connection and a computer. At the recent sales conference, each wholesaler, in addition to receiving a BlackBerry with the CRM application, was also taught how to use LFD Anywhere. With LFD Anywhere they now have access to all of Lincoln's technologies from any computer that has Internet access.

"With this advanced technology, our wholesalers now can work from any computer in the world as if they were sitting at their own desk," said Terry Mullen, senior vice president, head of sales, Lincoln Financial Distributors. "Having the ability to access and update important information from their BlackBerries in real time is just efficient business: it means more face time, less office and administrative time."

The OneBridge mobile platform provides the infrastructure for mobilizing enterprise applications on a variety of devices, including BlackBerry, Windows Mobile Pocket PC, Palm and Symbian. iAnywhere holds worldwide market leadership positions in mobile and embedded databases, mobile management and security, mobile middleware and synchronization, and Bluetooth and infrared protocol technologies. Tens of millions of mobile devices, millions of subscribers, and 20,000 customers and partners rely on the company's "Always Available" technologies, including SQL Anywhere, Afaria, OneBridge, and the AvantGo mobile Internet service. iAnywhere is a subsidiary of Sybase, Inc. (NYSE: SY - News).

Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE: LNC - News) and its affiliates. With headquarters in Philadelphia, Lincoln Financial Group had consolidated assets of $125 billion as of December 31, 2005, and had consolidated revenues of $5.5 billion in 2005. Through its wealth accumulation, retirement income and wealth protection businesses, the company provides annuities, life insurance, 401(k) and 403(b) plans, savings plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, institutional investment, and comprehensive financial planning and advisory services. For more information please visit http://www.LFG.com.