The Hartford announces improvements to its online quoting andnew business system for agents, New ICON, for its Spectrum businessowner's policy. The enhancement enables agents to deliver abindable quote in less than five minutes and present side-by-sidecomparisons of different coverage levels.

"New ICON for Spectrum provides an exceptional agentexperience," says Ray Sprague, senior vice president of SmallCommercial insurance at The Hartford. "The Hartford is committed todelivering the best value for small businesses and this quotingsystem will help agents work even faster while providing the bestinsurance for their customers."

The user-friendly system helps save time with easy navigation,pre-filled codes, on-screen coaching, streamlined underwritingquestions, and more. Agents are able to provide a bindable quotewithin five minutes for more than half of cases submitted. For themore complicated cases that require underwriting review, a responseis delivered in less than 24 hours in most instances.

"The Hartford's New ICON system has made us more efficient,"says Thomas W. Connor, president of Connor & GallagherInsurance Services, Inc. in Lisle, Ill. "This investmentdemonstrates that The Hartford understands how we do business andhow to help make us be more successful."

The Hartford's Small Commercial segment offers the Spectrumbusiness owner's policy, workers' compensation, and commercial autoand has more than one million policies in force. Small Commercialpolicies are distributed through independent agents and brokers,and specialized sales teams.

The Hartford introduced New ICON for workers' compensation in2011. New ICON for commercial auto is expected to be online in2014. The Hartford partnered with Agencyport Software on thedevelopment of the New ICON system for Spectrum and workers'compensation.