Web based insurance software is the future

Do you think that online insurance software is the best thing since sliced bread? Is it the right fit for the insurance industry?

I would say so, but then I’ve always been a fan of web based, ever since Yahoo Mail (1998?). In any case the advantages are well known…

  1. Never install anything
  2. Always up-to-date
  3. Safe & secure
  4. Backed-up
  5. Access from anywhere
  6. Works on every operating system/cellphone
  7. No IT staff are required
  8. No servers required

But for many insurance agencies, these advantages are not plain. The reason is a simple one: many insurance broking companies have not had a chance yet to use web based software for work, and some not even at home. Describing the advantages to the uninitiated can be a hurdle.

What do you think? Is web based insurance agency software the panacea to deal with the distributed nature of our insurance operations, or is it all hype?

As the economic crisis begins to lift and people start to buy in to software again, we should decide!

Well? Does it work for you or not?

Photo by 55Laney69

5 comments

  1. From a business perspective I would have to agree that web based insurance solutions are the way forward. The single biggest selling point has to be their scalability.

    Regardless if you are an SME or a Large enterprise insurance company the rollout of web based products is seemless on the client side. The client doesn’t have to worry about hardware issues, operating system issues all you need is a modern web browser and you hit the ground running.

  2. Adam

    I guess insurance agencies which sell policies from various insurers need to go on a web based platform in order to increase their efficiency and recude the load/cost of the insurer (home office).

    I can quote an initiative underway in India by life insurance co…they are extending web based access to their alternate channel partners to deliver core (lead generation, quote, policy issurance, claims) and non-core (marketing, sales support, training, etc) services .

    In India atleast almost all the insurers using legacy applications have moved towards a web based insurance application.

    1. Hi Muthukrishnan, fascinating to hear this. I expect India are ahead of the game in some respects. I’ve seen plenty of regions (including the UK) where the majority are all stuck on 1970s mainframe legacy systems and are for some reason (that I cannot explain) unwilling to embrace change. Why do you think the shift has occurred quickly in India, is it perhaps to do with the age of the industry and companies as a whole or a better attitude?

  3. I find it very interesting what’s happening on the technology front in nations like India. It certainly sounds like one advantage of not being in the game in the 20th century is that they are now more “agile” with respect to new platforms. I’ve heard that a similar thing has happened in the mobile industry there–they’re skipping over the “wired” era, to which much of the US remains chained.

    Regarding those who are stuck on legacy systems, change is just very difficult to catalyze. Inertia and loss aversion are incredibly powerful forces that dominate many business decisions. It will probably take a while before the consequences of not changing become damaging enough to force change. When that happens, change will happen quickly.

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