When it comes to technology, there seem to be two types of people: those who stay current because they have to, and those who are ahead of the curve, just because they love the technology.

I admit to being in the former camp; although I'm just as hooked on instant access as the next person, I could happily revert to land lines, library research and 33 1/3 RPM records if the WikiLeaks hackers decided to take down the Internet.

And then there are those who just love the latest and greatest updates and toys — they're just geeked on the novelty of it all.

It seems to me that many insurance agents may fall between the two extremes. I've recently been following a conversation on LinkedIn's ACT group, where industry tech heavyweights like Rick Morgan and Angelyn Treutel hang out. Recently Angelyn asked agents to weigh in on the coolest new technology they added to their businesses in 2010.

Not surprisingly, most new technology related to mobility, with agents naming a plethora of smartphone apps and cloud computing capabilities (Angelyn is so keen on technology that Treutel Insurance Agency Inc. designed its own iPhone app, downloadable from the Apple App Store).

Here are some of the other new toys (or tools) agents added:

docSTAR document management system
iPhone apps
Live chat capabiliities
VMware environment
IBM Lotus Notes Traveler push e-mail software
Microsoft Sharepoint 2010 collaboration software
etfile business process workflow manager and analytics products
Skype for Business live remote teleconferencing
Facebook
Dragon Dictation (free voice recognition app for iPhone and iPad)
TAM Online for the iPad for real-time carrier rates and proposals
Dropbox (cloud technology for remote document sharing)
Hosted PBX services integrated with Unified Communications VoIP software

Obviously, these are tech tools, not toys. All relate to adapting to the changing customer needs for faster quote turnaround, increased flexibility and more choice.

What you tech has your agency added in the last year — and what's on your wish list for the near future?

Special Reports /

Toops Scoops: What Are Your Favorite Agent Tech Tools?

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