Mobile Insurance Apps Flourish

As a widening array of mobile devices find acceptance among consumers, insurance companies are busy creating applications to run on them.

Warren, N.J.-based Chubb Group of Insurance Cos. has rolled out an application especially for its collector car customers. The company says the free mobile application can help take the guesswork out of buying classic and collectible cars by searching an extensive database of sales histories and online markets to help users make informed purchasing decisions. The Classic Car Guide is available in versions for both the iPhone and iPad through the iTunes App Store. The app will soon be available for Android-based smart phones and the Blackberry, and agents and brokers will be able to download a desktop version.

"This one-of-a-kind mobile app will give confidence to car enthusiasts who might be reluctant to bid at a collector car auction because they're afraid of being taken advantage of," says Jim Fiske, U.S. marketing manager for Chubb Personal Insurance. "Classic Car Guide levels the playing field for those just entering the hobby and allows them to think with their heads, not their hearts, when the car of their dreams is for sale. The application can also help them quickly determine how much it would cost to insure that car."

Elsewhere, Lincoln, R.I.-based Amica Insurance has released an app that enables customers to view claims status, schedule maintenance reminders for auto and home, request emergency repair services, and contact Amica instantly. The app comes in iPhone, Android and BlackBerry versions.

"This new app means most of our customers can now access their accounts, file claims, contact our Roadside Assistance Program and even browse recommended repair shops directly from their mobile phones,” says Lisa St. Onge, AVP in Amica’s claims department

And Manulife (International) Limited (MIL), a Hong Kong-based subsidiary of the Canadian insurer, has launched an application for mobile phones and tablet devices that offers customers real-time tracking of their investment-linked insurance policies with Manulife. The Manulife Widget is supported by four platforms — iOS (iPhone/iPod/iPad), BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and Yahoo! Widget.

“There is no doubt that the fastest-growing development in today’s increasingly tech-savvy world is the application, or ‘app’, for mobile communications technology," says Michael Huddart, Manulife’s EVP and CEO for Hong Kong. "This is the wave of the future and we intend to ride that wave in maximizing support for our customers.”