WORCESTER, Mass., April 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. , a leading super regional property and casualty company, today announced the introduction of BONDirect in New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York. BONDirect is an online point-of-sale system that enables the company's key agent partners to quote, issue and print a variety of commercial surety bond business more efficiently than ever.

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Accessed through The Hanover's convenient portal, The Agency Place (TAP), BONDirect allows select agents to place coverage in minutes. The BONDirect system also reduces the amount of paperwork involved in issuing Commercial Surety Bonds, and provides convenient online account access including previous transaction history. To further eliminate paperwork for agents, BONDirect also enables clients to be billed directly for cancelable bonds purchased through the system. Surety, Court and Fiduciary, License and Permit and Individual Public Official bonds are available through BONDirect.

"BONDirect enables our agent partners to produce bonds right in their offices and present them to clients in real-time," said Richard Van Steenburgh, vice president of The Hanover's bond division. "This high-end transactional tool helps our agent partners to better serve their small to mid-sized commercial customers and, at the same time, allows them to focus on the things that matter most, such as clients and new business."

BONDirect was launched and widely accepted by agents in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts and Michigan, earlier this year.

One of the oldest bond markets in the country, The Hanover offers a wide range of fidelity and surety products that are supported by local bond experts and underwriting centers.

The Hanover is commitment to delivering a total account solution for the small commercial marketplace, including business owners' policy, commercial package policy, workers' compensation, commercial umbrella, commercial auto and inland marine.

About The Hanover

The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. , based in Worcester, Mass., is the holding company for a group of insurers that includes The Hanover Insurance Company, also based in Worcester; Citizens Insurance Company of America, headquartered in Howell, Mich., and their affiliates. The Hanover offers a wide range of property and casualty products and services to individuals, families and businesses through an extensive network of independent agents, and has been meeting its obligations to its agent partners and their customers for more than 150 years. Taken as a group, The Hanover ranks among the top 35 property and casualty insurers in the United States.

CONTACTS: Investor Relations Media Relations Sujata Mutalik Amy Lynn Banek smutalik@hanover.comabanek@hanover.com (508) 855-3457 (508) 855-4486

CONTACT: Sujata Mutalik, Investor Relations, +1-508-855-3457,
smutalik@hanover.com, or Amy Lynn Banek, Media Relations, +1-508-855-4486,
abanek@hanover.com, both of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc.

Web site: http://www.hanover.com/