Blink your eyes these days and it's possible you couldmiss the latest technological advances. It seems that almost dailythere is a new and improved version of a technology or softwareprogram that just came out the week before. For insurers, thismeans a dizzying array of products to track and try at industrytrade shows.

And then there are the apps — you know there's one for justabout any type of activity you can imagine. Savvy insurersunderstand that technology, social media, instant communication andapplications are critical to reaching their customers and potentialclients. Many are partnering with technology companies to deliverthe information and level of service insureds expect 24/7. Theydon't necessarily want to talk to someone, but they do want to beable to search for the answers to their questions online, getfeedback and updates instantaneously, and comparison shop all fromtheir mobile device any time day or night.

While we can't possibly highlight every new innovation availableto the industry (because there are so many and a newer versionwould probably be out by the time this magazine hits your desk), weare trying to highlight some of the new products that are criticalto your business, will make your employees' lives better or arejust plain cool to see. Some of them are featured here and more ofthem will be highlighted on PropertyCasualty360.com in the comingweeks. Our hope is that this overview will encourage you to seekmore information on some of these advances and incorporate theminto your own workflows.