brokers and risk managers here in San Diego at the annual RIMS conference.

Announcements are expected this week on the company's new product development.

RIMS takes on new significance to ACE because of its new US platform. For regulatory reasons, ACE, as an offshore company, has not been able to use the annual conference of risk managers for marketing purposes.

But now with an admitted US insurer, they are expected to have a higher profile. That alone brings significant new weight to the Bermuda effort as a whole, because of the insurer's rapid rise to prominence in global markets.

Bermuda has traditionally shone during RIMS Conferences of the past, but any increased visibility of ACE brings a new lustre to the Bermuda name.

ACE USA, the former Westchester Specialty Group, was acquired officially by ACE January 2, 1998. It means a host of new US opportunities for the insurer.