New research from advisory services firm TowerGroup says the time is right for U.S. property and casualty claims insurers to engage in a more concerted, holistic effort to exploit mobile technology in the claims process.Karen Pauli is a senior analyst in the TowerGroup Insurance research practice and author of the research. She notes that although many insurers have various mobility irons in the fire, catastrophes like Hurricane Katrina quickly exposed the limits of the haphazard solutions that are in place.Pauli says its time for carriers to step back and create an enterprise strategy for mobility that encompasses all aspects of the claims process.”The TowerGroup report observes that using mobile solutions for settling claims is not new to the U.S. insurance industry. But adoption for claims processing has been haphazard at best, the report notes.Insurance carriers have been slowly bringing on mobile technology solutions to assist field workers with claims operations, yet the process has lacked focus and forward momentum, the report says. “Customers are increasingly expecting real-time, any-time service from their insurance carriers.”Pauli said it’s common to see carriers use stand-alone mobile applications that have little to no integration with other claims applications or services. Stand-alones don’t scale well, usually lack extensibility and cost too much, said Pauli. Carriers must develop a more holistic approach to claims mobility, one that arms the adjuster with the key devices and applications necessary to get the job done in the most efficient and effective way possible.”The TowerGroup research report is posted online under the title “Mobile Solutions for US Property & Casualty Claims: Life in the Fast Lane.”
Women in Insurance Cancer Crusade (WICC) and ING Canada are encouraging the insurance industry in 2007 to surpass an attendance record established last year.Last year, we set a new record at the ING Ottawa Marathon (over 29,000 participants), and made some great strides in raising awareness and funds for WICC, WICC announced in a press release. Together we raised almost $50,000. This year, lets go even further.WICC and ING are teaming up again at this years ING Ottawa Marathon May 25-27 to raise money. They are challenging brokers, employees and others in the industry to form teams and get involved. People can get involved by collecting pledges and running or walking in one of five distance events. These include two-kilometre, five-kilometre, 10-kilometre, 21.1-kilometre (half marathon) and 42.2-kilomtre (full marathon) events. Online pledging is available at www.wicc.ca/ingmarathon.