American Family Insurance Launches Cell Phone Applications to Expand Customer Self-Service

American Family Insurance is making it much easier for its customers to conduct insurance business using their cell phones.

The company has unveiled new cell phone applications customers can use to file a claim, pay insurance bills, check their accounts and locate the nearest American Family agent.

The new applications are designed for Apple iPhone and Blackberry Storm users. A new, streamlined version of the company’s Web site is also available to all mobile phone users.

“Our customers are doing more from Web-enabled phones and other portable communication devices,” says Bill Simon, American Family Insurance’s digital marketing director. “People rely on mobile technology so they can do business with us from virtually anywhere at any time.”

The new applications and mobile Web site deliver a better user experience on mobile devices with smaller screens and potentially slower Internet connections. By eliminating much of the graphic and multimedia extras, the clean interface quickly links users to business functions.

The iPhone and BlackBerry applications are downloadable programs that allow the user to quickly access commonly used functions of the company’s Internet site. For example, the new applications will allow customers to immediately report a claim from the scene of an accident and even locate nearby vendors that can help repair their vehicle.

The iPhone application is now available for download from the iPhone App Store and amfam.com. The BlackBerry application (for the Storm model only) will soon be available from amfam.com and from the Built for BlackBerry store.

Many mobile phone users access the Internet on a mobile device other than an iPhone or BlackBerry. Like the iPhone and BlackBerry applications, the American Family mobile site will have fewer graphics and multimedia, making it easier for users to navigate it on a small screen. It will be optimized to display the site correctly on any mobile device making the request.

Based in Madison, Wis., American Family Insurance offers auto, homeowners, life, health, commercial and farm/ranch insurance in 19 states. American Family ranks 388th on the Fortune 500 list and is the nation’s third-largest mutual property/casualty insurance company.