Todd McIndoo is a Vice President at Speedy - National Association ...

technology tipsThe Power of Wireless –Now Much More than Cell PhonesWhen they hear the word “wireless,”most people think of cellphones. For many years, that was prettymuch what the wireless industry was allabout. But like all things in the technologyworld, wireless has grown and evolvedinto so much more. Wireless is now aboutempowerment. It is now the ability to dowhat you need to do anytime and anywhere.It is the power to deliver superiorcustomer service or run your businessmore efficiently. Let’s look at some of thewireless technology available to Allstateagents and see what value it can bring toyour agency.Wireless voice service still has a greatrole to play in allowing an agent to beaccessible to their customers, their staffand their families. But younger clientsmight prefer to use email, text or evenFacebook to communicate. Think of thepower of having a highly satisfied customerpost a glowing endorsement of hisAllstate agent on a Facebook page whereit is viewed by hundreds of friends. Thinkof being able to host a Facebook groupfor your clients with postings on beingprepared for emergencies. An agentwith anytime on-the-go access to Facebookwith a mobile device can updatethe group on the fly. For example, let’ssay a hailstorm hits a small town. Theagent can post quick tips for policyholderson how to get a claim started. As thehours and days unfold, updates can keepa whole base of policyholders informedabout the arrival of CAT teams, the locationof CAT vehicles, and how to getadditional resources from local agenciesor FEMA. Talk about keeping customersin good hands!A well-chosen wireless device with theability to unleash this kind of powerfulcommunication can be a great tool for anAllstate agent. However, sleek and spiffydoesn’t always equate to a business-classtool. It is very important to take the timeto think about how you will use thisdevice and consider which features willmake it easy for you to take full advantageof the benefits of mobility. The veryfirst thing you should consider is the networkthat will carry your voice and dataservice. All of the major carriers havetools on their Websites that allow you tocheck the network coverage in specificareas. Some sites allow you to check byspecific street address. You should alsolook at what kind of network they have,not just where it is. If you access the Interneta lot on your mobile device, lookfor a network that is at least 3G in yourarea. The G stands for Generation. 3Gstands for third generation and if youwant great performance while surfing theWeb or accessing Facebook or your Allstateemail, you need a 3G network. Onenational carrier has even begun deploying4G speeds in select markets. 4G allowsdata traffic to move 3-5 times fasterthan 3G. To learn more about the various3G networks, check out the articlefrom PC World that conducted a test ofthe data networks from Sprint, Verizonand AT&T. You can find it by goingto Google and typing “PC World 3G”in the search box. The test comparisonmeasured both speed and the reliabilityof getting and keeping a connection in anumber of cities across the US.Once you know which network is bestfor you, it’s time to pick a device. Butdon’t just go for looks. The old sayingthat beauty is only skin deep also appliesto wireless devices. Many people,for example, just love the look of a touchscreen device. To be sure, they look sleekand beautiful, as millions of iPhone users16 — Exclusivefocus Winter 2009/2010