idNET announces IIAA endorsement
4 January 2001
idNET announces IIAA endorsement
SIMSBURY, Conn., Jan. 4 idNET announces that the
Independent Insurance Agents of America has endorsed idNET's CSR24 product,
which enables an independent insurance agent to provide customers with 24/7
customer support through the Internet and/or the phone.
In response to recent consumer and agent research, IIAA determined that
its members need to provide 24/7 access for their customers to their insurance
information. idNET's product offers both Internet and telephone access for
consumers, as well as community-oriented agency Web sites.
Len Brevik, CIO of IIAA said, "We are extremely pleased with the way that
idNET is making cost-effective, high-value Internet customer service
capabilities available to our Big 'I' members. The Internet can be a powerful
tool for independent agents. It provides a means for agencies to establish
themselves as solid members of their communities. It also helps them extend
the lines of communication out to both new and future customers on a 24/7
basis."
Richard Roy, CEO of idNET stated, "We are thrilled with the working
relationship we've worked out with IIAA. Having spent over 20 years working
with independent insurance agents, I'm excited that the IIAA has stepped in on
behalf of their membership to help shape some of the exciting new Internet
solutions for both the agents and their customers. We believe that this
comprehensive approach of 24/7 through both the Internet and the telephone
empowers the agent to meet the needs of all their customers, not just those
that have Internet access. Finally, working closely with the IIAA enables us
to rapidly respond to changing needs of their membership without spending
months or years in development cycles. As an example, our ability to match up
24/7 accesses to data with the idNET web activity took less than two weeks and
the data modeling follows the IIAA ACT Group's XML strategy. It's a
win/win/win for everyone."
Dave Schuppler, an independent insurance agent in Wisconsin, has been
running the 24/7 data access for his customers for the last six months and
raves about the results. "My customers are ecstatic about having access to
their policy information 24 hours a day. This gives them the ability to add
Additional Interests to their files, request and print Certificates of
Insurance and Auto ID Cards as well as make general inquires of us or requests
to change/enhance coverages. In addition, we added the idNET interactive web
site to our web site (in less than five days by the way) and now our customers
can truly interact with other businesses in our community as well as continue
to access their information. All of this for a fraction of the cost of
another staff person. Best of all, since idNET hosts everything, I had zero
hardware/software costs. After spending years growing accustom to everything
costing tens of thousands of dollars for automation, this is very refreshing."
According to Paul Equale, CEO of IIAA, the Internet has the potential to
benefit both agents and their customers. "Independent agents already offer
those services most important to insurance consumers, such as customized
policies, local offices, choice of companies, competitive pricing and
advocacy. By offering 24/7 access to their customers, independent agents can
better position their agency and make life easier for their clients."
Look for idNET at state association meetings throughout the year, where it
will present the various products and services it has developed for
independent agents.
For more information about CSR24 or idNET, please go to http://www.CSR24.com or
http://www.goidnet.com .
idNET is a leading provider of Internet technology for the independent
agents marketplace. Having developed the only agency-driven portal on the
Internet, idNET facilitates business-to-business solutions that enable
e-commerce in the worldwide insurance industry for not only insurance products
but any and all commerce on the web.