TECHNOLOGY
Growing use of wireless, handheld devices by insurance professionals creates opportunity ... and concerns
By John Chivvis
These devices open up new avenues for customer service and
expanded business ... and put the power of the back office in
the "palm" of the producer's hand.
People are on the move--insurance professionals, too. The tools of the trade now include devices such as Palm Pilots and Pocket PCs as well as cellular phones and smart pagers. For insurance agents, these devices open up new avenues for customer service and expanded business as technology vendors are looking to put the power of the back office in the "palm" of the producer's hand.
The Illinois-based Applied Systems, Inc., is one solution provider that has noticed the increased popularity of handheld devices in the insurance industry. "More and more of the producers and owners we talk to during our agency visits are using some type of Palm or PocketPC device," says Wayne Pardue, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Applied.
As a companion to its popular agency management system, WinTAM, Applied has introduced PocketTAM for use on PocketPC handheld devices. According to Dave Cann, manager of shared and emerging technologies for Applied, PocketTAM allows producers to meld the utility of their handheld devices with the power of the agency system. "It's ideal for when a producer wants to take a specific client's
policy information on a client visit," says Cann.
PocketTAM allows a producer to download the electronic equivalent of a customer's paper file into his or her own PocketPC. During the customer visit, the producer can then quickly pull up policy information, make notes and set tasks for later follow-up. The idea, says Cann, is to replicate the functionality and use of the paper file, from the actual policy and contact information to the notes and changes a producer makes to the file, and bring it into a mobile and easily accessible format.
Changes that need to be made to policies are noted in PocketTAM by setting tasks called "activities." The use of these activities prevents any accidental overwriting or deleting of policy information. Also, once the device is synchronized--whether by cradle, by handheld modem or wireless modem--activities assigned to specific people will be merged into the agency's workflow with all of the proper reminders and routing.
PocketTAM is an informational tool, used to further build the customer relationship, says Pardue. Whereas a laptop is geared for face-to-face policy hammering and polishing using wired access from an Internet connection or dial-up to the agency system, the handheld PocketTAM application is for "checking in on a customer." There are no cumbersome tote bags, no long waits for systems to boot, just a press of a button and a few taps of the stylus.
While all of this sounds great for the agent, what about the IT side of the business--the side that may be called upon to support these devices? As more and more mobile devices loaded with information leave the agency or as more and more of these devices bought for personal use are being used for business, IT support and management of this "extended agency" can be difficult without proper awareness and planning.
The Alpharetta, Georgia-based XcelleNet, Inc., is one company that is focused on providing mobile device management solutions. Deborah Cox, XcelleNet's director of industry relations, says that while handheld devices offer a perception of true mobility, they also are potential security and business risks if not managed and supported properly.
"Just look at the device itself," says Cox, referring to the increasingly shrinking sizes of handheld devices. "The statistics on the number of devices--PDAs and cellular phones--lost in airports alone are staggering." Compound the loss with poor built-in security, and data can be easily compromised.
But lost devices are just the tip of the iceberg. According to a recent study sponsored by XcelleNet and conducted by TechRepublic, more than half of the organizations surveyed (each with 500 or more employees) reported that important or sensitive information stored on employees' mobile devices had been compromised from a variety of means including system failure, virus attacks and physical damage to
the device.
Cox says that proper implementa-tion of mobile devices must be a hand-in-hand effort between the business side of a company and the IT side of a company. The first question that must be asked and answered is, "How are these devices going to be used for business purposes?"
The answer leads back to the support of the device. If a CSR or producer is going to use a handheld device for any amount of business, then the agency's IT department or personnel should be prepared to support the device, applications, and data. Whether it is a fully functional insurance-focused application such as PocketTAM or a simple address book, the information contained is valuable, not only because it is sensitive, but also because it represents time and effort taken to gain the information.
The XcelleNet/TechRepublic survey also found out that nearly two-thirds of the IT professionals polled do not formally support their company's mobile devices. Cox notes that the proliferation of handheld devices in the workplace is a real challenge due to the IT personnel's main focus on maintaining a company's desktop systems. "IT managers need to know what applications are on employees' devices," says Cox, "and must be able to provide the infrastructure to update and protect these applications, as well as the data in the applications."
XcelleNet offers an enterprise-level solution called Afaria which helps larger IT organizations develop strategies and manage mobile devices. However, for smaller agencies where large-scale solutions like Afaria may be too much, its features can serve as best practices for supporting mobile devices in the agency.
The first is the management of the mobile device system. Cox is quick to note that just like desktop systems, handheld devices are susceptible to viruses, bugs, and errors and require consistent and timely installation of upgrades, updates, patches and fixes.
Next is regular backup of all data. Lost data means lost productivity. Applied Systems' Cann says that information is only as pertinent as the last time it was synchronized. Cox agrees, adding that without an established system of backing up data, should that data become damaged, corrupted, or lost, an agent who has gone out in the field and met with a customer "now has to do it all over again."
Standardization is important as well. Cox recommends that handheld devices be initially deployed with the same set of preferences and configuration. This makes support for multiple devices easier, whether it is troubleshooting repairs, replacing lost data, or delivering the right software updates out in the field.
Finally, the Afaria product also is set up to handle inventory management. Cox translates this as the ability to for IT personnel to track mobile devices. In cases of loss or theft, appropriate measures need to be in place to prevent data or, worse, the agency computer network, from being compromised.
Handheld and wireless devices are becoming tools of the insurance trade; there is no doubt. Cann points to the growing number of WinTAM users who want to know about PocketTAM's availability and capability. Pardue tells of an example where an agency owner recently gave each of his top producers their own PocketPC.
But while the insurance business looks to the opportunity offered by handheld devices, the realistic concerns of the insurance IT professional also linger. Cox sums it up when she says, "You've got to take control of these PDAs." *
The author
John Chivvis is a Texas-based writer who specializes in topics of technology implementation. His work has appeared in a number of national and regional publications.
With so many devices with so many capabilities, it is easy to mix up the use of the terms "handheld," "wireless," and "mobile." Many devices can be described as being all three; some devices barely can be described as being one. To help make sense of the differences, definitions for each type of device are provided below.
Handheld - While the name gives away its most important characteristic--the fact that it must be able to fit in one's hand--a handheld device usually functions in the role of a personal digital assistant (PDA) in order to provide computing, personal organizer, and even telephone features. Most handhelds offer some type of handwriting recognition or screen-based keyboard input, with the larger handhelds incorporating small keyboards as part of the design. So while PDAs, palmtops, and even new smart phones are considered handhelds, laptops (size) and traditional cellular phones (input) are not.
Wireless - Wireless devices are those in which access to a remote data network or telephone system is gained by use of "wireless" technologies that include short-range-radio, microwave or cellular. So, cellular phones and pagers are wireless devices, and thus are handheld devices with built-in or accessorized wireless modems. Laptops typically are not, requiring an Ethernet card/cable or modem card/cable to be able to connect. However, laptops could make use of fixed-wireless networks by means of an installed wireless access card or connection to another wireless device (such as a cellular phone).
Mobile - This is the general term given for all devices that can be moved and used without the tether of a power cord or communication cord. So, while all laptops and handheld devices are mobile, an Apple iMac would not be.
Palm (www.palm.com). The Palm line of devices and the Palm operating system still rule the handheld market--particularly the consumer market. Palm's license of its operating system to third-party developers has opened the door for Sony (www.sonystyle.com/micros/clie/) and Handspring (www.handspring.com) to market inventive and customizable PDA systems.
Pocket PC (www.pocketpc.com). While the Palm and Palm OS-compatible devices still rule the consumer market, the Windows CE and Pocket PC powered devices are gaining ground in the corporate world. With mobile versions of Microsoft office and productivity tools as applications, these devices are currently produced by Casio, Compaq, and Hewlett-Packard.
PocketTAM (www.appliedsystems.com). Applied has an online presentation of PocketTAM that showcases the product and features, as well as actual screenshots. It helps non-PDA users get a feel for the actual screen real estate as well as some of the greater functionality that new applications can offer.
PalmGear.com (www.palmgear.com). One of the interesting effects of the handheld market is the development of freeware, shareware and even commercial applications for these devices. PalmGear showcases the vast array of applications, software and possibilities for how a PDA can be used.
PDAStreet.com (www.pdastreet.com). Visit this site for more information on what is on the market, product reviews, and more. This is a good place to start for someone who is looking to buy a handheld device and who is considering what functionality it should have (communication capabilities, applications, operating systems).
XcelleNet, Inc. (www.xcellenet.com). XcelleNet's products including Afaria offer services and software for managing mobile devices that range from laptops and handhelds to kiosks and cash registers. As part of the product information, there are interesting white papers and data sheets posted online that discuss IT risks, security, and mobile devices.