Insight for making smart decisions about insurance technology

What role does emerging technology
have for agencies?

Interesting and promising hardware and software technology continues to emerge from research labs and creative companies. Wireless Internet and LAN connectivity are common in homes and coffee shops — and may soon be available in urban hot spots across the country — but it's slow in coming to agencies.

Many agents find PDAs useful, but will new cell phones with wireless Internet connectivity on the one hand and the Tablet PC (the PDAs big brother) on the other displace PDAs? LCD monitors are approaching CRT prices and take up less desktop real estate.

Digital video and audio have become inexpensive and simple to use. Peer-to-peer computing and collaboration platforms are beginning to gain traction. Windows is being challenged by Linux and open source software. Critics laud the Macintosh PowerBook G4 over Wintel models. Is Microsoft office the only way to go? What about security issues and protection?

• What emerging new hardware should agents consider or ignore?
• Is there any reason to look at Microsoft operating system or office productivity alternatives?
• Should each CSR have two LCD monitors, a printer, a scanner, and a cordless telephone? Can agencies be really paperless?
• Does the Tablet PC have the potential to revolutionize the use producers make of technology?
• Where are agencies and their customers vulnerable to security threats, and what can they do about it?

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