The cloud is no longer an IT consideration alone – it is fundamentally changing the way executives across departments view and manage their business, creating new business models and providing a catalyst for companies to expand and grow. For more and more insurance agencies and brokerages, the cloud is a core strategy to improve business performance, increase data security and deliver cost savings. This report provides an overview of the cloud and presents a case for why it is an ideal business strategy for many independent agencies and brokerages.

1. ARE YOU
PREPARED
FOR THE
WORST?
TH
E
C
LO
U
D
KEEPS YOUR BROKERAGE IN BUSINESS
W
H
E
N
DISASTERSTRIKES

2. DISASTERS OCCUR
EVERY DAY, EVERYWHERE
IN THE
WORLD
CYBER ATTACKS, THEFT
AND DAMAGING WEATHER
HAPPEN WITHOUT WARNING.
Consider this:
> Hurricane Sandy created
business losses estimated
at $8.3 billion1
U.S. Cyber Command says
6 million2
cyber probes/
attacks occur each day

3. CAN YOUR BUSINESS
WITHSTAND A
CATASTROPHE?
DOWNTIME CAN BE DETRIMENTAL
TO ANY BUSINESS:
Small businesses can lose $3,0003
a day, and larger companies up
to $10,0004
daily
60% of U.S. small businesses don’t
have a formal emergency response plan5
75% fail within three years if they don’t
have a business continuity plan6

4. KEEP YOUR
BUSINESS RUNNING
DURING A DISASTER
THE “ALWAYS-ON” NATURE OF CLOUD TECHNOLOGY
ENABLES YOU TO:
Provide customer service during any disaster
Prevent downtime that leads to lost revenue
Recover faster

5. WHY IS
CLOUD TECHNOLOGY
IMPERATIVE FOR
YOUR BUSINESS?
DISASTERS ARE UNPREDICTABLE, BUT YOU
CAN PREPARE. MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOU CAN
BE THERE FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS WHEN THEY
NEED YOU THE MOST.
“OUR JOB AS BROKERS is to protect
the assets of our customers.”
JOHN ROE
CEO, CITY UNDERWRITING AGENCY

6. YOU ONLY NEED
AN INTERNET CONNECTION
TO KEEP YOUR BUSINESS
RUNNING
CLOUD TECHNOLOGY PROVIDES
ACCESS TO INFORMATION USING
INTERNET-ENABLED DEVICES.
Employees can retrieve data and return
customer calls, emails and social media posts
Customer portals provide 24/7 access
to policy and claims information
“WE CAN ACCESS OUR SYSTEM from anywhere with
an Internet connection, using any mobile device.”
DEB SCHILZ
MANAGER, PRAIRIE STATES INSURANCE

7. OUTAGES HAPPEN,
BUT NOT IN
THE CLOUD
REDUCE LOSS AND MITIGATE RISK ASSOCIATED
WITH POTENTIALLY CRIPPLING SITUATIONS.
Leverage cloud technology to provide continuous service
to your customers with anytime access to your data.
“WE LOST POWER DURING HURRICANE SANDY
for four days. With Applied CSR24, we were able
to reach every single client on the same day.”
DEBORAH CLANCY
SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR, CITY UNDERWRITING AGENCY

8. PROACTIVELY COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR
CUSTOMERS WHEN THEY NEED YOU THE MOST:
BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER A DISASTER.
“APPLIED EPIC ALLOWS US TO HAVE ACCESS
to our customer base from anywhere, providing
our clients with immediate service.”
ED HIGGINS
PRESIDENT, THOUSAND ISLAND AGENCY
COMMUNICATION
IS CRITICAL DURING
A DISASTER

9. CLOUD TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS YOU TO:
Protect your business and maintain revenue
Continue to service customers with claims processing
“IF OUR TECHNOLOGY WAS STILL STILL ON-PREMISE,
the hardware required onsite would have been damaged.
Recreating our IT from scratch? I have no idea how long it
would take to get up and running.”
GILLIAN VAN KEMPEN
MANAGING DIRECTOR AND EVP, BEST BUY INSURANCE
WATCH THE BEST BUY INSURANCE SUCCESS STORY
STAY OPERATIONAL
WHEN DISASTER
OCCURS

10. SAFEGUARD YOUR ASSETS AND OPERATIONS
AGAINST ANY THREAT.
Protect your data and your bottom line
Mitigate risk to your core business operations
“I DON’T HAVE THAT WORRY ANYMORE that my
people won’t be able to work. I know that the data
is accessible, and it’s safe.”
MAURA MCMAHON PRIMUS
CFO, MCMAHON AGENCY
CLOUD TECHNOLOGY
PROTECTS
YOUR BROKERAGE
WATCH THE MCMAHON AGENCY SUCCESS STORY

11. 5 WAYS YOUR COMPANY CAN BENEFIT
FROM CLOUD TECHNOLOGY:
Constantly communicate with customers and staff
Remain operational during a crisis
Leverage advanced security against cyber and
natural threats
Increase productivity by streamlining operations
Access account information online, 24/7
BEST PRACTICE:
LEVERAGE
THE CLOUD

12. PLANNING FOR THE WORST CAN BE
THE BEST THING FOR YOUR BUSINESS.
5 key steps for business continuity:
Make a plan
Consider mobility
Assemble resources
Pack essentials
Leverage the cloud
VIEW DIASTER RECOVERY CHECKLIST
PREPARE YOUR BROKERAGE
FOR THE UNEXPECTED

13. 1
National Post, 2013/12/22/ http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/12/22/canada-ice-storm-travel-chaos-power-outages-as-massive-storm-hits-ontario-quebec-and-maritimes/
2
Alberta Emergency Management Agency, Facts About Emergency Preparedness
3
The Insurance Bureau of Canada Report September 2013
4
2013 Norton Report: Protecting the Stuff that Matters
5
2013 Insurance Bureau of Canada Emergency Preparedness Facts
6
Small Business Continuity Planning.