Mobile technology

The insurer said drones will enable it to offer even better service while keeping a personal touch.

With so many U.S. households still uninsured, insurers are going have to try new things to re-position their product, focusing on consumer needs.

The majority of financial services firms offer social media support and training, according to new research from LIMRA, but a shortage of content and lagging response times are still a hindrance.

Following FAA approval, the insurers soon could deploy drones in catastrophe zones and for other, more routine inspections.

Using the My Benefits app, customers can start, manage and update and view their claims’ status.

The insurer is among the first to receive FAA approval, allowing the company to begin testing sUAVs to improve post-catastrophe claims response.

When bad or unexpected or unusual things happen, the computer gives up control and hands it back to the now woefully unprepared occupant.

Progressive's decision to charge Snapshot drivers more if their driving data indicates higher risk has started the industry down a road of data-driven adverse selection.

CEO Glenn Renwick has said Snapshot could help the company encourage safer behavior and retain the most valuable customers.

For mid-tier insurers, happy and productive agents are a competitive imperative. Rob Shoenfelt, CIO of Celina Insurance Group, discusses agent-facing apps and the challenge of finding and keeping staff in smaller markets.

The FAA has awarded 48 waivers for commercial drone use under a program created by Congress to allow flights while the agency completes more formal regulations.

A unified digital strategy recognizes that all business strategies and technologies touch the customer in some way and that a one-size-fits-all channel model is obsolete.

Millenials and lower-income people are receptive to calling directly from a mobile ad, according to a study, but insurers need to answer the call.

The new app features direct access to ACE’s medical and emergency assistance partners and location-specific safety alerts, including for diseases, crime, civil unrest, acts of terrorism and natural disasters.

The insurer plans test flights near Bloomington, Illinois; could use drones to assess roof damage claims and respond to natural disasters.

New technology such as adaptive cruise control, automatic braking, parking assist, lane departure warning and blind-spot alerts will reduce fender benders and other incidents.

Insurance coverage will transition from Personal Lines (where people do the driving) to Commercial Lines (where the manufacturer is responsible for the safety and accuracy of the vehicle).

Commercial drones are photographing sporting events, monitoring construction sites and performing other aerial chores even though the Federal Aviation Administration is as many as two years away from issuing final regulations to govern their use.

While mobile applications are seemingly everywhere, insurers – especially midsize and small ones – have been slow to adopt the technology. But some vendors now offer off-the-shelf products and services to push the technology and resulting savings to smaller insurers.

Progressive telematics manager Dave Pratt walks INN through the company's new approach to acquiring Snapshot customers.