Laptops for the Homeless scheme gets support from Aviva

Insurance Business America | May 07, 2019

British insurance giant Aviva has pledged to donate to SocialBox.Biz’s “Laptops for the Homeless” initiative to help disadvantaged people gain access to digital services. A community interest venture in London, SocialBox.Biz provides old computers to those in accommodation services, young people in the care system, as well as the likes of refugees. It works with accommodation and charitable organisations to ensure that laptop handovers occur within facilities that have suitable services like an internet connection. “Digital access is such an integral part of modern society,” noted SocialBox.Biz founder Peter Paduh. “It’s almost impossible to apply for a job or connect with a loved one without technology today, so SocialBox.Biz is working to do something about it. “Digital access is such an integral part of modern society,” noted SocialBox.Biz founder Peter Paduh. “It’s almost impossible to apply for a job or connect with a loved one without technology today, so SocialBox.Biz is working to do something about it. Meanwhile, to ensure that no information from the insurer is shared externally, all Aviva data will be removed from the old laptops before they are donated to SocialBox.Biz.

Spotlight

It’s no secret that the global pandemic has upended everyone’s life. We know this anecdotally from our own experiences—more online shopping with curbside pickup orders, ordering takeout and delivery versus in-person dining, and changing media consumption. And let’s not forget remote working and learning. These experiences are more than simply anecdotal; McKinsey has written about the more specific effects of the pandemic on consumer behavior and needs. In short, they write: “behavior changes will reshape consumer decision journeys and companies will need to adapt fast.”

Spotlight

It’s no secret that the global pandemic has upended everyone’s life. We know this anecdotally from our own experiences—more online shopping with curbside pickup orders, ordering takeout and delivery versus in-person dining, and changing media consumption. And let’s not forget remote working and learning. These experiences are more than simply anecdotal; McKinsey has written about the more specific effects of the pandemic on consumer behavior and needs. In short, they write: “behavior changes will reshape consumer decision journeys and companies will need to adapt fast.”

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Core Insurance, Risk Management

Annex Risk Selects Socotra Connected Core for Streamlined Policy Administration, Setting a New Standard in High Risk Homeowners Insurance

Businesswire | July 28, 2023

Socotra, the leading provider of modern, cloud-based solutions for technology-driven insurers, today announced that high-risk homeowners provider Annex Risk is processing business with Socotra. Annex Risk has successfully implemented the true cloud-native insurance policy core platform, Socotra Connected Core, and is now live, offering a digitally-forward approach to close critical coverage gaps in coastal Texas, Florida, and the Eastern Seaboard. Annex Risk’s innovative platform combines algorithmic underwriting and capacity, empowering retail agents to quote and bind high-risk homeowners insurance in less than 2 minutes. “Technology is core to our business, not an enabler - we needed the most modern, continuously improving policy administration system we could find. No-code/low-code platforms were less compelling to us than Socotra’s flexible, API-centric solution,” said Annex Risk Co-Founder Charlie Sido. "Socotra's API-driven platform allows us to configure the entire policy lifecycle natively, while also seamlessly integrating with external solutions for payments, e-signatures and inspections. This flexibility ensures our ability to adapt and scale as the business evolves, while also providing a foundation for future innovation.” Socotra's cloud-based architecture allows Annex Risk to eliminate significant operational overhead and leverage Socotra's ongoing investments in the platform. This partnership has expedited Annex Risk’s market entry, enabling them to sell their complex product in four states within six months. As a technology startup, Annex appreciates the capital-efficient and self-sufficient nature of Socotra's implementation, allowing them to maintain control and agility while minimizing reliance on third-party consultants. "We are thrilled to have Annex Risk join our ecosystem of innovative insurance providers," said Dan Woods, CEO of Socotra. "By leveraging Socotra Connected Core, Annex Risk can offer their retail partners a streamlined and digitized experience that sets them apart in the market. Additionally, Socotra's modern underpinnings will future-proof Annex Risk's investment as they continue to grow and evolve their business." Socotra offers a game-changing alternative to legacy underwriting systems that rely on emails, PDFs and proprietary tools, resulting in quote times that could stretch into days. With Socotra's powerful capabilities, Annex Risk can deliver an instant quote and bind experience, aligning with retail insurance agents’ expectations and setting a new standard in the industry. About Annex Annex is a leading provider of homeowners insurance for properties with significant natural catastrophe exposure. Through its partnership with over two thousand retail agents, Annex focuses on closing critical coverage gaps in coastal areas from Texas up the Eastern Seaboard. Annex's sophisticated algorithmic underwriting and capacity enable retail agents to quote and bind high-risk homeowners insurance in less than 2 minutes. With a technology-driven approach, Annex leverages innovative solutions to deliver an exceptional customer experience. About Socotra Socotra provides insurance companies with the flexible modern core platform and ecosystem they need to adapt, innovate, and grow their business. By leveraging solutions such as Socotra CorePlus and Socotra Connected Core, insurers can streamline policy administration, enhance digital experiences, and deliver products to market faster. Socotra provides open APIs, a product-agnostic data model, and out-of-the-box capabilities to manage the entire policy lifecycle, making insurance innovation faster, easier, and more affordable.

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Compliance

NEXT Insurance Revolutionizes Agent Experience with Fully Customizable Coverage for Small Businesses

PR Newswire | September 21, 2023

NEXT Insurance, a leading digital small business insurer, today announced a differentiated new offering that will enable agents to fully customize coverage quotes to better meet the needs of their small business clients. NEXT's Coverage Builder represents a fundamental leap in allowing agents the ability to micro-tailor small business quotes for their clients, all while maintaining NEXT's superior instant bind capabilities. Coverage Builder is fast, easy to use, and tailored exclusively to agents pre-purchase, equipping them with the tools they need to select the appropriate limits and fully control the coverage they're quoting. With Coverage Builder, agents can select their base policy limits, add or remove coverage or update limits post-purchase, all while benefiting from the convenience of instant underwriting and price updates. This saves agents valuable time and money, allowing them to make changes automatically without the need to pick up the phone and connect directly with an underwriter. NEXT's Coverage Builder offering furthers the company's commitment to its agents by providing a user-friendly and accessible digital quoting experience, 100% online. Coverage Builder is also available to all NEXT customers post-purchase, allowing small business owners to tailor their policies with immediate price updates and seamless policy management. "NEXT's Coverage Builder feature is 100% hassle-free," said Cody L Slocum Lammers, Commercial Lines Agent & Broker at Affordable Insurance Solutions. "This new feature sets NEXT Insurance to a new level, above its competitors, as this allows agents the flexibility to customize policies to fit the needs of each individual small business. It's user-friendly and simple to understand- this is truly a game changer for NEXT Insurance agents!" "Agents are the go-to insurance experts and know exactly the unique types of coverage small business owners need - that's why we're offering them the opportunity to customize policies for their clients instead of standardized coverage packages," said Jack Ramsey, Vice President of Agent Business at NEXT Insurance. "Now, with NEXT's Coverage Builder, we are empowering agents to instantly quote and easily customize and bind policies that will best serve their customers. As a result, small business owners will gain the peace of mind that they're only paying for the coverage they need to protect their business and livelihood." NEXT's Coverage Builder offering comes on the heels of the company's launch of commercial umbrella/excess liability coverage to support small businesses in their entrepreneurial journey. The digital small business insurer also recently announced its integration with Ivans Download™ for General Liability and Workers' Compensation policies and its strategic hire of Jack Ramsey as the company's Vice President of Agent Business. These developments are further evidence of NEXT's commitment to agents and dedication to providing them with a smoother, more intuitive insurance purchasing process for small business clients. If you're interested in working with an insurance agent through NEXT Insurance, visit our website to find an expert to help you get the right coverage at the best price. About NEXT Insurance NEXT Insurance is transforming small business insurance with simple, digital, affordable and tailored coverage. Trusted by over 480,000 business owners, NEXT offers policies that are easy to buy and provides 24/7 access to Live Certificates of Insurance, additional insured, and more. Revolutionizing a historically complicated insurance industry, NEXT utilizes AI and machine learning to simplify the purchasing process and provide more affordable coverage. Founded in 2016, the company is headquartered in Palo Alto, has received a total of $881 million in venture capital funding, is rated "A- Excellent" by AM Best and has been recognized by CNBC Disruptor 50, Forbes Fintech 50, Inc.'s Best-Led Companies, and Forbes Best StartUp Employers. For more information, visit NEXTInsurance.com. Stay up to date on the latest with NEXT on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and our blog.

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Risk Management, Insurance Technology

Rented Mule Consulting Partners with Insurity to Quickly Implement Core System Functionality for Growth-Focused Insurers and MGAs

Businesswire | July 21, 2023

Insurity, the leading provider of cloud-based software for insurance carriers, brokers, and MGAs, today announced its partnership with Rented Mule Consulting to accelerate cloud-based software implementations for P&C carriers. As a System Integrator (SI) partner, Rented Mule Consulting will work with small and mid-sized carriers and MGAs to plan, build, and support the systems and tools required to successfully take Insurity’s cloud-based products to market. Insurity’s network of SI Partners offers insurance organizations with the collaborative, capabilities-driven deployment options they need to quickly enter new markets and take advantage of new opportunities. Rented Mule Consulting, comprised of experienced insurance technology professionals, understands the unique challenges facing the P&C industry today in order to build innovative and effective solutions for insurers. As an advisory and professional services firm, Rented Mule Consulting helps growth-focused P&C insurance entities efficiently harness the power of technology in pursuit of their business goals. Rented Mule Consulting provides in-depth guidance on the selection and implementation of a core system that allows insurers to extend product capability, expand distribution channels, move into additional jurisdictions, and increase written premium by over 20% in less than one year. “The Insurity and Rented Mule partnership speaks directly to our shared goal of helping smaller P&C insurers and MGAs compete, win, and profitably grow market share by combining innovative business models with the best mix of technologies available,” said Ben Stinson, Managing Partner of Rented Mule Consulting. “We’re thrilled to bring our combined strengths to bear on behalf of our clients and prospects.” “Insurity is excited to welcome Rented Mule Consulting as an SI Partner and expand our footprint of cloud-native policy, billing, and claims software to growth-focused insurers,” said Jennifer Saylors, VP, SI Success at Insurity. “The close partnership between Insurity and Rented Mule will provide insurers with the necessary tools, expertise, and capabilities to achieve their goals of profitable growth with confidence.” About Insurity Insurity is a leading provider of cloud-based software for insurance carriers, brokers, and MGAs. Insurity is trusted by 22 of the top 25 P&C carriers and 7 of the top 10 MGAs in the US and has over 400 cloud-based deployments. Through its best-in-class digital platform and with unrivaled industry experience and the industry's most robust analytics offerings, Insurity is uniquely positioned to deliver exceptional value, empowering customers to focus on their core businesses, optimize their operations, and provide superior policyholder experiences. Insurity is a portfolio company of GI Partners and TA Associates. For more information, visit www.insurity.com. About Rented Mule Consulting Rented Mule Consulting (RMC) is an advisory and professional services firm that helps growth-focused P&C insurance entities efficiently harness the power of technology in pursuit of their business goals. RMC maintains specific focus on helping start-ups, MGAs, and small/mid-size carriers quickly implement core system functionality facilitated by our closely coupled partnerships with leading solution providers. RMC’s depth of experience enables them to deliver successful builds to our clients with minimal expenditure of money, time, and resources.

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