In my continuing effort to make my iPad as functional as possible for personal and business travel I continue to seek the best apps to achieve this goal. Over the past few weeks two Apps have become available for the iPad that let you display and edition Microsoft Office documents and do PowerPoint presentations. There is at least another app out there that does PowerPoint presentations, but to have an app that encompasses all of the products I need would be preferable. The two apps I have been testing are CloudOn and OnLive Desktop.

The only issue I have with OnLive Desktop is that I must select which documents I want to upload to the cloud provided to me online. Updates to a file on your iPad will sync with your cloud upload. However, my experience with this and uploading revised versions of a document to the cloud were not quick and seamless. Your free cloud storage amount is 2GB.

In contrast the CloudOn app will sync with my DropBox account where I store all of my documents; along with automated backups from my website using a WordPress Plugin, my NeatReceipts backup, etc. I can also sync a number of my other iPad apps with my DropBox and have access to all of my document through a number of different resources.

Any app that has DropBox sync gets automatic consideration. The app does have to meet my needs and perform, but if two apps are equal or really close, the one that syncs with DropBox wins. For those of you that might not know, when I make a change to a document in the app it updates to the dropbox and the current version available on my Mac or anywhere else I want to retrieve it and visa versa.

If you must access and use Microsoft Office documents I encourage you to try these two apps. They are both free. Do you know of other Microsoft friendly apps for the iPad? Please share with us.

Last week I set off for an initial visit with a new client with the following technology:

• iPad2
• ZaggKeys Solo Keyboard
• LiveScribe Pen
• Samsung Android Phone
• Verizon MiFi

This was the very 1st time I have gone to a client’s office without my laptop. I have been preparing for this for several months. I have traveled a couple of times on personal business and one conference with these tools in order to become comfortable with relying on these tools. It also has taken a good deal of research and testing to find the Apps that allow me to do this.

I put off buying an iPad for a very long time. I didn’t think I would find enough of a use for it to justify the cost. Was I wrong on this call. It has become my constant companion. So, if you are going to fully embrace such a tool then it should be properly equipped to answer as many of your needs as possible. As most of my friends and business associates know I am a software junkie. I am always trying new programs to see how they improve my productivity as well as that of my clients.

While I love my MacBook Pro and I have access to a lot of Mac software, my clients all use Microsoft products as that is what their agency management systems integrate with and support. Thus, I have a virtual PC on my MacBook Pro to facilitate this. In the last few weeks two new apps have been released that aid in editing Microsoft documents. These are CloudOn and OnLive Desktop. I have downloaded both and am working with them to see which functions the best. I will keep you posted on this.

But I hear a whole bunch of you asking what is a LiveScribe Pen and why. A LiveScribe pen is a tool for capturing your notes by writing, drawing, etc. on special paper. The pen also has a recorder function. As to the why? Years ago when I started consulting I was taught and required by my employer to take notes while talking to an agency’s employees by typing them on my laptop during the interview process. An open laptop is actually a barrier between you and the individual or group that you are wanting to have an interactive conversation with.

To combat this problem for a number of years I used a tablet laptop so that I could write my notes on the laptop in its tablet configuration. Not only was this an icebreaker, but it solved the problem with an open laptop. But when it had to be replaced there was not a similar laptop in the market place that was reliable. So I invested in the LiveScribe Pen. Not only does the pen and its paper take care of my note taking, the recorder had proven invaluable.

No matter how good a note taker your are, when working with a group sometimes multiple people are talking and you miss something. I have found some really important points made while listening to the recording of a session.

So why don’t I ditch the pen and just take notes on the iPad? I have identified three great note Apps. However, I have yet to find a really good stylus for note taking. All that I have found are too fat on the tip and are not responsive enough. However, I believe that one is on the horizon. I will report back on that soon.

I am always researching and moving forward with my technology and in being able to advise my clients in their options?

What are your best tools? What questions can I answer about the tools I use?

 I continue to search for tools that will allow me to be productive on my iPad while traveling or out and about. One of the areas that I have really struggled with a great blogging app. While WordPress has an app, it just doesn’t give you the tools you really need for doing hyperlinks, adding media, etc.
One of my favorite apps is Zite. It searches the web for content based on the categories I have chosen. An article “How the iPad Became My Favorite Computer“. I already use the Zagg keyboard that is mentioned in this article. I will check out some of the other apps discussed, but I immediately downloaded the Blogsy app.

This is my first post using only Blogsy. I am still learning what all can be done, but I do think it is possible that this can be the best tool to available to manage my blogs while moving about. My previous process was very involved which was frustrating. It seemed better to just wait until I was back at my laptop.

However, as many of you know I am a software junkie. If you have other suggestions I all ears. How are you using your iPad to improve your mobile business life?

Some days new technology (at least to you) and change are imposed on you by no choice of your own. Several weeks ago my 19″ monitor that I use with my laptop just kicked-the-bucket in the middle of the day. I thought no big deal. HAH!

It seems that it is very difficult to find the “old” style square monitor. They are all wide screen now. In my mind I’m thinking:

• How is Microsoft Word and Excel going to work here?
• Won’t it distort the Word page and not look like I expect when working on a client’s template?
• I don’t game, why would I possibly need a wide screen monitor?

See, even those of us that are nerds and love technology have our own aversions and doubts to some changes. Once I had spent time finding out I could get an exact replacement for my screen but that I would have to pay shipping and it is more expensive that everything else, I decided to bit the bullet and buy a new widescreen monitor.

I go off to the store. I’m on the monitor aisle, apparently looking a bit perplexed and a nice young man asks if he can help. I ask him if one of these is hooked up to a computer with Microsoft Word so I can see how it shows up. I wish I had a picture of the look on his face. There was a mixture of:

• This old grey haired lady is a looney.
• What does she mean what does it look like on the screen?
• It looks like it is supposed to look lady.

But he proceeded to take me to a computer and show me how Word would work. Well, so what’s my problem here. Looks like it is supposed to look. He went to the back room, got me the monitor, I checked out and took it home.

Well, first of all the new one weighs about 1/2 of the old one. Next it was so easy to set up. And best of all, some programs open up full screen on this thing and the print is nice and big. I am hooked. So I went from hesitation to surprise. Change in hardware and software is not always this easy. But it shows that we should keep an open mind. We might be pleasantly surprised by the change.

What technology change challenges are you contemplating or that you have encountered? What are your concerns?

You might have been slow to get a client friendly, interactive website. You may not even be there yet. You might have been slow to get into social media. And, again you may not even be there yet. However, you DO NOT want to be slow to get an APP for your agency. Let’s discuss why this is so important to you, your brand and your agency.

Sample Contact Page

There has been  much made the past several years about the importance of your agency’s website. Most say this is what it needs to do:

• Be user friendly.
• Be user interactive.
• Provide important information for your clients and prospects.
• Drive your clients to your site, not the insurance carrier’s site.
• Keep it fresh to keep your clients coming back.

All of this is still important because it will be the basis for your APP. So you are asking, if I have a great web presence why do I need an APP?

So let me ask you a question. Do more of the people you know have smart phones as opposed to cell phones? I suspect the answer is yes. I suspect that many of you have a smart phone yourself.

What drives a smart phone? The answer is APPS. Yes, I can get to your website by going to the internet function on my smart phone and if your website is configured to render well on my smart phone I can get some information. But I am no longer likely to do that. It is time consuming and I have to type in your website name.

I am more likely to click on an APP to get where I am going.

Most of your direct writer competitors have a client app. Some of these are limited to getting your auto ID card and filing a claim. Others will allow you to make a change to your auto and homeowners via the APP.  The key here is, They have their APP up and running and can enhance it as they are ready to proceed.

While you may prefer to get online on your computer to get things done, or even take care of your insurance needs in person, but for many that is not the case today. And those of your clients that prefer to access information via APPS grows every day. The youngest generation is learning quickly from their parents the value of APPS in their busy daily lives.

Here are some things that I have seen early adopting independent insurance agencies have in their APPS.

• How to report a claim.
• Request an endorsement – form on their website accessed via APP.
• Make an online payment – list of insurance carriers with link to payment function – again at agent’s website accessed via APP.
• Access to client login screen for agencies that have client portals.
• Access to EZLynx rating.
• Map to your office.
• Your agency’s contact information.

There are so many possibilities. You think of them, they can be added to the app. Yes, it is affordable. I think it is a critical agency investment in your future and superior customer service.

See SehMobile for pricing, sign up and creating your app(s). Enter PROMO Code PAT1 for a 10% discount on the licensing fee. PROMO Code is case sensitive. The great people at SehMobile will be glad to answer your questions or you may also contact me.

Why One Agent Bought SehMobile Phone App

SehMobile and EXLynx

SehMobile is First “Build It Yourself” Insurance Phone App Builder

Download my Mobile App as an example – either from the android market or by taking a picture of the QR Code shown here.

Android Market

QR Code

As I continue to expand my work with insurance agencies further into the social media world, it became clear to me that I needed some sort of touch screen device. One cannot be clear on the why, how, when, etc. unless one is able to fully engage and experience.  I also believe that it is important to be able to show people what you are talking about and great examples of good use of technology.

I have resisted the temptation for buy a tablet a very long time.  My friends and family know that I need many technology gadgets.  So when I showed up at a recent insurance technology event I was asked by a number of people why I chose to go with a android tablet as opposed to the iPad.  Here is my reasoning:

• The iPad is bigger and heavier than I wanted.
• I didn’t think it did everything I wanted it to do. (My personal preferences – no offense to Apple)
• I have a MacBook Pro on which I also run a virtual PC. (Best of both worlds)
• I should see what the android fuss is about.
• I began working with SehMobile and they are currently programming apps in android. (iPad apps coming soon)
• I liked the quality and size of the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

I spent a good deal of time reading blogs, watching online comparisons, looking at the products and deciding what I should do.  However, I was reluctant to make a big purchase no knowing how beneficial a tablet would really be.  Also, in just a few short months there will be several more new tablets on the market that have peaked my interest.  So with further searching I found an off-brand tablet for $204.00.  It lasted less than a week before I sent it back.  It was difficult to work with and the email module quit working after 2 days and I couldn’t get customer support to respond to this issue.  I found that several other people were having difficulty in getting an answer to this same issue.

So off to the Verizon store I went to purchase Samsung’s tablet.  I have found it very responsive and easy to set up and learn to use. I am still exploring all the apps available, what apps are beneficial to my lifestyle and the possibilities for having it interact with the Mac and PC programs I use in my business. To say some of this has not been a challenge would be wrong. But I believe that the challenges have been well worth it. I have already embraced this tablet as my constant companion.  My trusted and beloved Blackberry has become only a phone in its current use.  I hope it doesn’t feel rejected and quit working.

During that recent insurance technology meeting I sat next to Rick Morgan. I consider Rick the consummate technology engager and thinker. Rick is an avid iPad user.  He was kind enough to show me the types of apps he uses and thought I might be interested in. I made a list and set out to find similar apps so I can get up to speed as quickly as possible.

After I have spent some more time with my new friend, I will post about apps I like and think you might find beneficial in your business application of a tablet.

Are you using a tablet? What kind and how? Let us hear your tips. If you are not a user, let us know your questions.

I got some great feed back on my blog Reflecting On User Group Meetings. Thanks to all that commented at this blog, on facebook and via twitter. I used a picture in the previous post that showed the audience bored and asleep. I have attended many user group meetings where, while no one had their head on a table they were dosing or not paying attention. In order to get a different result you must plan what and who should attend.

This is how I plan for any user group meeting that I am planning to attend. I also used this plan when I owned an agency and when I supervised staff that would be attending these meetings.

1.  Review the agenda thoroughly as soon as it is published.

2.  Map out sessions that are:

• Critical – must attend
• Interesting – would like to attend if time allows

3.  Who needs to attend?

• Think about this very carefully. The CEO of the agency attending a session on how to structure a word merge template is probably not the correct individual for this type of session. Select the the staff members in the agency that will be interested and engaged in the sessions.
• Verify with these individuals that they are available and get these dates booked on their schedules immediately.

4.  Register early

• Early Bird registration is a good value. This is especially important when several people will be attending.
• Some meetings required that each attendee register for their chosen sessions on line. It is very important to do this as early as possible so that you secure the sessions that are important to your firm.
• Make appointments with those individuals you might need to meet with from the vendor, exhibitors or in the user group. Pre-arranging these meetings will assure you of a time. Waiting until you arrive may find you out-in-the-cold.

5.  Make hotel and plane reservations well in advance. I find that staff is more comfortable if they know all the plans sooner than later. They usually need to share this information with their family. Often, they need to make arrangements for child and/or pet care.

6.  Make a plan for how the office will function in the absence of those attending the meeting. Today’s technology allows for instant/constant communication. However, it is important that those attending the meeting be as detached from the office as possible. Attendees cannot learn if they are not in the session because they are in the hallway on a call or sending emails during the meeting.

7.  Have a plan for how each attendee is going to capture what they hear and learn in the sessions.

• Many meetings today put meeting handouts online for download prior to arrival at the meeting. Downloading these to make notes on may be the way that works best for some attendees.
• Some meetings have tables available and attendees are welcome to bring their laptops for taking notes.
• Some meetings sell recordings of some sessions.

8.  How is this wealth of knowledge going to be shared back at the office?

• There may be some sessions that the agency decides to purchase the recording(s) for. In this case, the staff that would benefit would listen individually or as a group.
• A plan needs to be in place for the formal sharing of written notes in electronic or printed form. These should also be discussed in group sessions so the real flavor of what the session was about can be shared.

9.  What is the reward for those that remain at the office. In large corporations this is usually not a consideration. However, in a small to mid-size agency it might be an important consideration. If you are going to a user group meeting to achieve real business you will be very busy and usually tired at the end of each day. But let’s face it, we all know there is fun time also. You might consider a half day off for each of those that carried the load for those attending the meeting. Everyone always appreciates some extra time off.

I am sure I have overlooked an important point here. Please chime in via comments anything else that you think is important when planning to attend a user group meeting. These are expensive. You should get the most for your money.

Technorati Tags:
Insurance Agency processes, insurance agency workflows, insurance agency user group meetings, facebook, twitter

I am on my way to a user group meeting. I have been to many of these over the years. User groups vary in size and the structure of their meetings. Generally they are structured on the premise of providing information and training to their user base. Some user groups do a better job at this than other do. Does this picture look familiar.? Have you ever felt like this during a session or several sessions?

So what is your pan for attending the next user group meeting for one of your agency’s products?

• Who will attend?

• What sessions will each person be attending?

• How will information learned at the meeting be shared with the rest of the agency?

I would like your feed back on how your agency would answer these questions. I would also like to hear what you and your agency expect your user group to do for you.

Technorati Tags:
Insurance Agency management system, technology, technology user group meetings.

Last week I attended my first Apple school session. My One-On-One session was great. Rachel, my instructor, was knowledgeable, had great teaching skills and was fully engaged in our session. However, it was a challenge to keep my people watching habit under control and pay attention to why I was there.

This picture is not exactly representative of the two different groups I saw that morning. The 8AM group was entirely made up of over 65 students. One couple had brought in their desktop Mac and were working together with their instructor. Now sharing a computer is just not in my thought process. For a number of years Gene and I shared my laptop when we traveled together, but we rarely do that any longer. We usually travel with two laptops. I am not sure how you would negotiate who gets to use the computer when.

In the 9AM group which I was attending there was a father and his teenage daughter who is being home schooled. However, I was the youngest of the other attendees. Again in this group there was a retired couple with their desktop Mac. There was more than one occasion when there seemed to be some dispute within the couple as to how they were going to set up different areas of their system.

I have to say this may have been the quickest hour ever. I thinking I’m booking back-to-back sessions next time. There is still much to learn and master.

Technorati Tags:
technology, macbookpro, apple school, learning

I have been thinking about a new laptop for awhile. My current one is 4 years old and giving me a good deal of grief. When we visited with our granddaughter in September she had acquired a MacBook Pro. She is studying graphic arts and the classes require that she use Mac software. I enjoyed using her MacBook and added this to my list of considerations. I have spent a great deal of time researching what I want. I am tied to a windows computer in order to work with certain programs used by my clients. So who says I can’t have two laptops? Here she is all dressed up and ready for the party(ies).

Most people consider a change in technology as difficult. When I have mentioned to some of my friends and business associates, my thought of getting a Mac they have just rolled their eyes. However, there are others that think it is an awesome idea. So a few days ago I took the plunge. It arrived Friday while I was at a meeting in Dallas. When I arrived home there was other mail and packages waiting for me on the kitchen table. One of them was the new skin I purchased for the laptop. Check out skins at Decalgirl.com. My comment was, “all the parts are going to arrive before the laptop”. Some other parts and software had arrived earlier in the week. My husband laughed about it and we went to dinner.

We went to dinner. When we returned and I was through opening all of the mail and packages on the kitchen table, he went to the dining room and brought in the box containing the MacBook. He said he was afraid I wouldn’t want to go to dinner if he let me know it had come earlier than expected. He knows what he is talking about. I just can’t wait to get my hands on new technology when it arrives in the house.

I no longer even know how many windows laptops and desktops I have setup. I usually schedule time in each day to spend time loading software, updating drivers and setting up preferences until a new machine is ready to go. I have probably spent a total of 4 hours learning and setting up the MacBook. I’m off and running. It is intuitive and just fun to use. Now lets see how productive I can be.