Insurance company SafeAuto has released its first mobile application to give policyholders easier access to their insurance information.

The app lets consumers view billing information, make payments to their accounts, pull up a digital ID card and call SafeAuto with one click. SafeAuto decided to roll out an Android app first after realizing that most of its customers preferred that platform, but a version for iOS will be released in the near future.

"We want our policyholders to have easy and convenient ways to do business with us,? said John Kish, senior vice president and chief information officer of SafeAuto, Columbus, OH.

?For many of our policyholders, their mobile device is always with them and their primary way to connect to the Internet,? he said. ?Our mobile app gives them another way to stay on top of payments and makes it even easier to reach out to us or provide proof of insurance if they need to.

"Our priority was to roll out the app to as many of our customers as quickly as we could and we knew that the Android platform was more popular with our customers than iOS. We worked on developing apps for both Android and iOS simultaneously, but we were able to get the app for Android live more quickly."

Android app
SafeAuto?s app can now be downloaded for free in Google Play.

The app lets policyholders check the stats of their policy and make payments on-the-go with an echeck or credit and debit card. They can also pull up their ID card for proof of insurance, getting rid of the need to remember to bring a physical ID card with you.

Non-policyholders can also benefit from the app with the ability to call SafeAuto 24/7 directly from the app. They can also get a free quote at any time and read SafeAuto?s blog within the app.

It is interesting that SafeAuto decided to first launch with Android, since marketers tend to start with iOS nowadays.

Since Android covers a number of different platforms, it is a bit more complex to develop an app that works for all Android devices. IOS, on the other hand, streamlines the development process with one centralized platform.

SafeAuto, however, dared to begin with Android since that is where their policyholders are.

This points to the importance of knowing your consumers and catering to their needs.

Mobile management
While SafeAuto is a bit late to the game, the company is finally realizing that today?s world requires a mobile presence.

Even though it may have a proficient desktop presence, SafeAuto still needs to offer a mobile app to let consumers access insurance information when they want and how they want.

Some consumers may be waiting in line at a store and suddenly realize that they forgot to make a payment for their policy, and now they can easily do so from their phone without having to remember when they get home later that day.

"Mobile is important to SafeAuto because it's important to our customers,? Mr. Kish said. ?Their mobile devices play a big role in helping them manage their busy lives.

?We want to be as accessible as possible to our customers,? he said. ?When they need us, they shouldn't have to go out of the way of their routines. With our new app, we're now always just a touch away."

Final Take
Rebecca Borison is editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York