The commercial insurance sector is poised to make extensive useof mobile technologies while away from the office, according to anew survey about mobile technology conducted by FirstBest Systems, Inc.

The study found that most agent and carrier respondents alreadyuse—or want—a tablet device, that almost everyone uses at least onesmartphone, and that there is uniform desire to access information,conduct time-sensitive tasks, and provide better service fromanywhere, at any time.

The Mobile Technology for Insurance Survey was conducted byFirstBest at the Market Scout insurance symposium held in Septemberin Dallas. Survey responses were grouped into two categories:carriers/MGUs and agencies/brokers. The carrier/MGU groupincluded 67 respondents, representing approximately 50organizations (two-thirds representing insurance carriers). Theagency/broker group included 46 respondents from 45organizations.

Mobile device use is pervasive among carriers and MGUs, butlaptops have lost appeal in the field. Other highlights from thesample of 67 respondents include:

• 49 percent presently use a tablet, with the majority using anApple iPad or iPad2
• Close to 100 percent use a smartphone; 17 percent of those usemore than one smartphone (45 percent use a Blackberry, 46 percentuse an iPhone and 20 percent use an Android smartphone)
• 46 percent would prefer a tablet for business use when awayfrom their desks; 34 percent a smartphone, and only 23 percent alaptop computer
• 85 percent say they would benefit from mobile access; of those,75 percent feel mobile devices would help provide faster responsesand better service to customers and 67 percent would like toprevent work buildup while out of the office and resolve issuesimmediately

The survey also found that more than half of carriers want tostay connected while on vacation. When asked: “When would you bemost likely to use a mobile device to do these tasks, while awayfrom your desk? respondents also answered while traveling forbusiness (80 percent) and while at home (64 percent).

When asked: “What kinds of tasks would you like to be able to doa mobile device?” the top responses were: look up customerinformation from anywhere (83 percent), check an application status(62 percent), and show information to a client (58 percent). Most would like to be able to refer the application to someone elseor review a referral, and 46 percent would like to bind a policyfrom their tablet or smartphone.

Agents Stay Connected

Nearly 50 agents and brokers completed the FirstBest MobileTechnology survey. Findings include:

• 52 percent use a tablet device, with the vast majority using anApple iPad or iPad2
• 100 percent use a smartphone; of those, 4 percent use more thanone (50 percent iPhone, 28 percent Blackberry, and 15 percentAndroid-based)
• 42 percent would prefer a tablet as their one mobile device forbusiness; 24 percent a smartphone, 18 percent a laptop
• 80 percent say they would benefit from mobile access; of those,95 percent feel mobile devices would help provide faster responses;81 percent would resolve issues immediately and provide betterservice to their customers; 65 percent would obtain fasterresponses from their company and/or carrier

When asked “When would you be most likely to use a mobile deviceto do these tasks, while away from your desk?” 87 percent of agentsnoted while traveling for business, 61 percent while at home orvisiting a client, and 74 percent (more than the 53 percent ofcarriers) would use a mobile device while on vacation.

As with carriers, when asked “What kinds of tasks would you liketo be able to do with a mobile device?” data access, such aslooking up customer information (80 percent) and sharinginformation with clients (66 percent) were popular, but 66 percentwould also like to be able to start a new insurance application,and 57 percent would reserve the market/perform clearance.

“This study shows that the industry wants to be able to conductbusiness on the go, in order to provide exceptional service andresolve issues without delay,” says John Belizaire, co-founder andCEO of FirstBest Systems, Inc. “With nearly 100 percentsmartphone penetration and 50 percent tablet penetration in thesurvey pool, it's up to insurance companies to provide theirunderwriters, field service teams and agents with applications thatempower them be more productive and win more business. It'sclear that mobile represents a real opportunity for carriers.”