Developing Web mashups, creating new products and services for customers, upgrading desktop productivity software, and deploying Web services are some areas where they're ahead of the pack. Many providers also are building self-service portals that their customers can access over the Web. According to one industry estimate, Web transactions cost about 50 cents each to process, compared with up to $8 for those that are paper-based.
Insurers have their work cut out for them. Competition is stiff, and customers are always demanding more. Industries in such environments often turn to IT to improve service and reduce costs. So it's not surprising that insurers are adopting certain technologies more aggressively than some other sectors.
