USE IT OR LOSE IT

According to the results of a recent study, property/casualty insurers are no longer using the Internet to simply provide information to customers and prospective policyholders, they are using the web to offer clients and prospects a variety of value-added services. More than 90 percent of respondents to the 20th Annual Information Systems Survey conducted by the National Association of Independent Insurers (NAII) currently operate a website. More significantly, many companies are now using their sites to handle claims, provide quotes, accept applications, and provide other customer services. Among the survey’s key findings: 1) More than 23 percent of respondents are currently using their web sites to provide quotes; 58 percent are planning to introduce this feature within the next year. 2) Almost 20 percent of those companies surveyed accept online applications; nearly 50 percent indicated that they would accept them within the next year. 3) Twenty-eight percent of respondents currently provide customer claims access on their websites; 45 percent of companies are planning to add the online service in the coming year. Despite the increase in the number of insurers accepting online applications, another recent survey conducted by TowerGroup indicated that less than 2 percent of insurance is being purchased over the Internet.

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