The good news for those who have yet to climb aboard themobile technology bandwagon is that you're not alone. We oftenwrite about the need for cutting-edge technology. The truth is most insurance carriersare slow to adopt new tools, but sometimes that's the wisemove.

One reason the insurance industry appears slow to adapt is thereare more tier-two and tier-three insurers than there are tier-onecarriers. Smaller carriers tend to be more patient when it comes tochanges because they often lack one or more key capabilities:money, talent, or personnel.

Eventually, smaller carriers join the parade and sometimes,pound for pound (to borrow an old boxing phrase) they prove to bethe equal or better of their largest competitors.

Technology can be the great equalizer in business and thatallows slower-moving companies to catch up. That doesn't meansmaller insurers should fear being an early adopter, but even largecompanies sometimes decide to wait and see where the dustsettles.

For example, the push to develop mobile apps for insurers suchas Nationwide was slowed as developers waited to see which mobileoperating system would win out in the hearts and wallets of theconsumer world, according to Vijay Gopal, vice president andenterprise chief architect for Nationwide. Sort of like the old VHSvs. Betamax battle, only with more than one winner.

As far as smartphone platforms go, a survey conducted by Nielsenthis summer—and included in a recent report from Celent—shows theGoogle Android platform leads in total smartphone subscribers with40 percent of the market followed by the Apple iOS with 28 percent.BlackBerry RIM is at 19 percent, and Microsoft Windows is at 8percent. Other—whoever that might be—commands 5 percent of themarket.

Gopal says Nationwide has developed Android and Apple apps, sothose two appear to be the likely winners in this race forcustomers.

Most IT departments have a laundry list of projects awaitingtheir action, but it is imperative to remember one key fact. Thepercentage of people between the ages of 18 and 29 that ownsmartphones is at 61 percent, according to Novarica, compared to 39percent that own more traditional cellphones. People are gettingused to carrying their computer in their pocket and that's notgoing to go away.