When it comes to technology, there seem to be two types ofpeople: those who stay current because they have to, and those whoare ahead of the curve, just because they love the technology.
|I admit to being in the former camp; although I'm just as hookedon instant access as the next person, I could happily revert toland lines, library research and 33 1/3 RPM records if theWikiLeaks hackers decided to take down the Internet.
|And then there are those who just love the latest and greatestupdates and toys — they're just geeked on the novelty of itall.
|It seems to me that many insurance agents may fall between thetwo extremes. I've recently been following a conversation onLinkedIn's ACT group, where industry tech heavyweights likeRick Morgan andAngelynTreutel hang out. Recently Angelyn asked agents to weigh in onthe coolest new technology they added to their businesses in2010.
|Not surprisingly, most new technology related to mobility,with agents naming a plethora of smartphone apps and cloudcomputing capabilities (Angelyn is so keen on technology thatTreutel Insurance Agency Inc. designed its own iPhone app,downloadable from the Apple App Store).
|Here are some of the other new toys (or tools) agentsadded:
- docSTAR documentmanagement system
- iPhone apps
- Live chat capabiliities
- VMware environment
- IBM Lotus Notes Traveler push e-mail software
- MicrosoftSharepoint 2010 collaboration software
- etfile business processworkflow manager and analytics products
- Skype forBusiness live remote teleconferencing
- DragonDictation (free voice recognition app for iPhone and iPad)
- TAM Online for the iPad for real-time carrier rates andproposals
- Dropbox (cloud technologyfor remote document sharing)
- Hosted PBX services integrated with Unified Communications VoIPsoftware
Obviously, these are tech tools, not toys. All relate toadapting to the changing customer needs for faster quoteturnaround, increased flexibility and more choice.
|What you tech has your agency added in the last year — andwhat's on your wish list for the near future?
|Want to continue reading?
Become a Free PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader
Your access to unlimited PropertyCasualty360 content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- All PropertyCasualty360.com news coverage, best practices, and in-depth analysis.
- Educational webcasts, resources from industry leaders, and informative newsletters.
- Other award-winning websites including BenefitsPRO.com and ThinkAdvisor.com.
Already have an account? Sign In
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
