The lines are drawn

While brokers still dominate the small to medium-sized enterprise sector, the push to make more cover available via the web is putting pressure on the way they transact business. Martin Friel reveals how brokers are being tested

No rest for the wicked or, it seems, brokers. One of the last bastions of the broker - small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) business - has increasingly come under attack from direct writers looking to commoditise the sector in much the same way they did personal lines. The main tool used to power this process is, of course, the internet, but this need not be the preserve of insurers; brokers can also take advantage of its unique distribution capabilities.

For the past few years, there have been