Microsoft Corp. unveiled a preview of the Microsoft Office Solution Accelerator for Insurance Forms. The accelerator is designed to help insurance industry customers by tying standardized ACORD forms with XML Web services and making those forms available to participants of any of the ACORD forms programs through the use of Microsoft Office InfoPath 2003 information gathering program. The accelerator comprises the ACORD forms and XML schemas designed for use with InfoPath 2003, a set of workflow transactions using Microsoft BizTalk Server 2004, and prescriptive architecture and code for Web services, security and digital signatures. The full release of the accelerator will coincide with the release of the Microsoft Office 2003 Editions Service Pack 1 later this year. The service pack will include several enhancements to InfoPath 2003. www.microsoft.com