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INSURANCE TECHNOLOGY

HawkSoft Releases HawkLink for Google Chrome to Auto-fill Policy Data

HawkSoft | March 10, 2021

HawkSoft, the Oregon-based management system and insurtech provider, has introduced a new tool to eliminate double-entry on the web: HawkLink for Google Chrome. Insurance professionals often waste valuable hours and risk E&O exposure by physically re-entering client and policy information from their management system into carrier portals or other insurance websites.

As an extension for the most popular web browser in the world, HawkLink for Google Chrome enables agency staff to effortlessly auto-fill agency, client, and policy information from their HawkSoft management system into most websites compatible with the Chrome browser. HawkLink passes information from the HawkSoft management system into websites for quoting, policy servicing, digital payment processing, and premium finance. The intelligent tool adjusts as it memorizes where information is flooded to on specific insurance websites. Agents can share their field mappings back to HawkSoft to add to crowd-sourced database of mappings already available to all agencies.

The first iteration of HawkLink was introduced in 2003 as a toolbar on the then-dominant Internet Explorer browser. "There was so much rich data in our management system that we wanted to make available to use on company websites," recalls Paul Hawkins, CEO and co-founder of HawkSoft, remembering the genesis of HawkLink. The original toolbar and later dedicated browser version of HawkLink have saved HawkSoft agencies thousands of hours over the years. With the browser popularity shifting from Internet Explorer to Google Chrome, the original toolbar's efficacy needed a rethinking. "We knew it was time to give HawkLink some love," said Paul Hawkins, "and this was an opportunity to re-invent HawkLink with ideas that have come up over the years but that the old toolbar could no longer support."

Sean Hawkins, VP of Development and co-founder of HawkSoft, took on the challenge of redesigning HawkLink as a browser extension to Google Chrome. "Our Product and Development teams have made so much progress towards moving HawkSoft into the cloud," noted Sean, "that we could really innovate on how HawkLink works." This included making HawkLink an extension for Google Chrome, leveraging easier data accessibility through HawkSoft Cloud to increase the amount of available data, and making mapping websites a crowd-sourced and community-driven initiative. Sean explained, "crowd-sourced mappings was our Holy Grail for this version of HawkLink. With it, HawkLink for Google Chrome gets better every time a HawkSoft agency uses it to map a new website." HawkLink for Google Chrome has over 50 common and regional insurance carriers, financial services and government websites pre-mapped for auto-fill thanks to crowd-sourcing efforts by agencies and direct collaboration with the website owners. Dozens of new websites are being added every month.

For HawkSoft agencies, HawkLink for Google Chrome is cutting down the time it takes to navigate and use their company websites. HawkLink can launch multiple company websites at once, a powerful time saver for agents like Kelly Endicott of Ohio. "My staff and I generally know the three or four companies we might place a new client with, which is why we haven't felt the need to invest in a comparative rater," said Kelly. "With HawkLink, I can launch those websites in one go and make it through each quote process in a matter of minutes." For agents that understand where to place a risk, she observed, "HawkLink is the fastest way to get an accurate and bindable quote from a company."

HawkLink for Google Chrome is available with the latest release of HawkSoft, out now for all customers. The feature is available at no additional cost.

About HawkSoft
Since 1995, HawkSoft is a leader in management systems for independent insurance agencies that want effective workflows and a delightful experience for staff and policyholders. Created by independent agents, HawkSoft continues to evolve as a cutting-edge system that powers thousands of agencies. HawkSoft offers the following promise to insurance agents: your investment in HawkSoft will pay for itself in the first year.

Spotlight

Creating a network for the digital insurer

The disruption brought about by digital technology is fundamentally changing the dynamics of the global insurance industry. Consumers expect anytime, anywhere access with a customer experience on par with the best online retail brands. This is putting tremendous pressure on many insurers' core networks, with escalating demands for performance and agility, while cost control and compliance imperatives remain as dominant as ever. The pace of digital disruption is now set to accelerate further as technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and insurtech start-ups threaten to fundamentally reshape today's mainstream insurance propositions.

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