But this is not necessarily the case: what they object to is providing information that serves the

But this is not necessarily the case: what they object to is providing information that serves the company’s purpose and not their own. The needs of the customer and those of marketing should be carefully considered.”Similarly, rather than apologising for a lengthy data-gathering process, A&A’s marketing should focus on explaining how this process allows the company to provide the lowest possible quotes for those who would normally pay more. “After all, we have to deliver an underwriting profit to the insurers or we don’t have a business.”In particular, he wonders how he can publish rates online that attract customers, without necessarily committing himself to wrecking the loss ratio, especially in a motor market where margins are dropping.The other ways in which A&A tries to reach customers are through advertising and by working in partnership with other intermediaries – if they have leads they can’t deal with, they pass the customer on.WHAT THE EXPERTS SAYChristine Cryne, Chief Executive, The Chartered Institute of Marketing”You might think consumers resent being asked for information. But the dilemma it faces is how to keep delivering traditional broking values in a market that is now dominated by the internet.”A vital part of our business is that we look at people individually, and that’s very hard to do with a computer,” Mr Allen explains. “The computer can do a certain amount but if you have someone, for example, who lives in an inner-city area who also has convictions and has a difficult occupation, the PC would probably throw out three or four quotations – and the cost of each would be out of all proportion to the actual risk. So the traditional broker side comes into play, as we need to talk to our customers and interrogate them beyond the obvious questions.”The general rule online, says Mr Allen, is for insurance intermediaries to ask 20 to 25 questions in order to provide a quote – too many more and people tend to leave the website. But A&A usually needs to ask extra questions – for instance, where is the car parked when the person is at work and how long have they had the car? “These sorts of thing affect the genuine risk and that’s why we only use the internet to get an initial picture.”Prompt action is needed as A&A is now represented by two internet firms – quoteacar.co.uk and insureyourmotor – which together attract 45 per cent of new business.”What I’d like to know is how to refine this internet approach without losing our underwriting profit,” says Mr Allen.

These days, while 1 to 2 per cent of the business is in commercial insurance, the rest is in motor cover for people who would normally attract an increased premium: young drivers; people with high-performance or modified vehicles; people who live in inner-city areas with a high crime rate; celebrities, and so on. “We act as a clearing house for people with problems in the insurance industry,” says Mr Allen, who is now chief executive for the A&A Group.
Having grown organically, the company today employs 350 people in the UK and 100 in France, with a turnover of £80m and income of around £18m. Finetuning the router’s settings – for security, say – is also easily done using the router’s web interface.Performance, in a strong 3G coverage area, feels as quick as a basic broadband connection. Should a fixed network be available, the WRT54G3G will work seamlessly with that as well.This is certainly a niche product. But for businesses that fit into its niche – from architects’ practices to event organisers – it is a flexible, cost-effective and well engineered piece of equipment.RATING: 5 out of 5.PROS: cost-effective and simple way to share a 3G data account, or to set up a temporary network.CONS: none.PRICE: from £89.99 plus VAT (with bundled data card) to £110 plus VAT.CONTACT: www-uk.linksys . Back in 1968, when Tony Allen became the first employee of his father’s insurance broking business, he persuaded his school friends to get their sports cars insured through him This set the company on a road it has followed ever since. But there is no need to take out a subscription for a new card just to use with the WRT54G3G – any Vodafone 3G card will work.If the Linksys hardware is not being used with the 3G network, it can also serve as a standard wireless router, so it is possible to set it up as part of a permanent network, and insert the data card in an emergency.Setting up the Linksys router with a Vodafone 3G data card is incredibly simple: follow the “quick start” guide in the box and a network should be up and running in a few minutes.

Vodafone charges £25 a month for 250MB of data, or £45 for unlimited use. But sometimes small teams need to work together in places where there is no fixed internet connection. Linksys, the networking hardware manufacturer, has co-operated with Vodafone to develop a device that bridges the gap between fixed and mobile networks.
The WRT54G3G works by using a single 3G data card to connect to the internet and then using wireless technology to create a local network. This allows a workgroup to share the cost of the mobile data service, but also to exchange files and share facilities such as printers or storage over the local network.Possible applications include building sites, trade shows, large events and conferences – or indeed anywhere where it would be useful to share a fast internet connection without committing to a long-term broadband contract or making expensive arrangements for a temporary, fixed internet link. Installing a 3G mobile data card is a convenient and quick way to connect a single laptop to the internet – for example, for staff who mostly work away from the office, or who travel a great deal. Key to its turnaround could be a less alcoholic version of Guinness which the company will test-run in some pubs in Limerick next month, in the hope of arresting the black stuff’s falling sales.CALENDARTomorrow 13UK RESULTS: (final)Electric Word, Royalblue, St Modwen Properties; (interim) Hargreaves Services, Tristel, WorkspaceTuesday 14UK RESULTS: (F) Matrix Communications; (I) Abcam, British LandWednesday 15UK RESULTS: (F) Arc International, Heavitree Brewery, Liberty International; (I) BHP BillitonThursday 16UK RESULTS: (F) Bradford & Bingley, Reed Elsevier, Xpertise; (I) DiageoFriday 17UK RESULTS: (I) Go-Ahead, Isotron.