American Family Insurance Unveils Mobile Apps

Madison, Wis.-based American Family Insurance has released a new set of mobile applications that will enable customers to file a claim, make insurance bill payments and locate American Family agents, the carrier announced on Thursday.

The new applications are designed specifically for the Apple iPhone and BlackBerry Storm mobile devices, according to a press release.

For customers who use a different mobile device, the carrier has also launched a streamlined version of its Web site that has been optimized for mobile use. Users accessing amfam.com from a mobile device are automatically routed to the optimized version of the Web site, Jose A. Rivera, web experience manager, American Family Insurance, tells Insurance & Technology.

American Family says that the new applications and the new Web site aim to deliver a better user experience on mobile devices with smaller screens and potentially slower Internet connections. In the development process for the apps and the site, the carrier says it designed a clean interface to quickly link users to business functions, while eliminating "graphic and multimedia extras."

"Our customers are doing more from Web-enabled phones and other portable communication devices," Bill Simon, American Family Insurance's digital marketing director, said in a press release. "People rely on mobile technology so they can do business with us from virtually anywhere at any time."

The iPhone application is currently available for download from the iPhone App Store and from the American Family Web site. The BlackBerry Storm application will soon be made available in the Built for BlackBerry store and the carrier's Web site, according to the release.