The Hartford To Sell Insurance Online To Juno Subscribers

The Hartford says it has reached an agreement with Juno Online Services LP, the world's second-largest provider of dial-up Internet services, to sell automobile and homeowners insurance to its more than six million subscribers.

Starting this week, Juno subscribers will receive offers for The Hartford's personal lines coverages and will be able to submit applications and receive quotes electronically.

The Hartford's products will be marketed with Juno through a coordinated campaign of interactive advertisements, including banner, pop-up and other advertisements. Customer inquiries will be linked electronically to The Hartford's representatives, who will be able to quote a price for the coverage within an average of 10 minutes.

The Hartford's Affinity Insurance Center in Farmington, CT will manage all related servicing of the program, including 24-hour countrywide claim service. The center also handles business derived from the company's alliances with other affinity clients, such as financial institutions and membership organizations.

Stephen J. Hasenmiller, president of The Hartford's Personal Lines Co., said the insurer's agreement with Juno reflects the company's diverse distribution strategy as well as its commitment to utilizing technology to communicate efficiently in the marketplace.

"Today, many consumers are turning to the Internet to shop for a host of products and services, especially financial ones," said Hasenmiller. "This arrangement allows us to make our insurance products readily available to those customers, as well as those we already reach through independent agents, banks and associations, such as AARP."