Drone Program Takes Flight at Farmers Insurance®

National insurer group begins deploying Kespry drone technology to enhance customer experience, increase safety

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Aug 02, 2017, 08:07 ET

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., Aug. 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Farmers Insurance^® today announced that it has enlisted a fleet of unmanned aerial aircraft systems (UAS) to enhance the claims experience for customers who have suffered significant damage to their roof following major weather events. After field tests to assess the most effective and customer-centric ways of leveraging drone technology with its existing claims operation, Farmers^® will now expand the use of UAS technology to assist with residential property damage assessments and deliver an even more enhanced experience for its customers.

"Farmers investments in technology and innovation are driven by our commitment to deliver a better experience for our customers at every point of engagement," said Keith Daly, chief claims officer for Farmers Insurance. "We believe our new drone program will help improve response time and safety for our claim representatives during their evaluations, and ensure Farmers maintains a leadership position in the insurance industry."

Drone use provides numerous benefits to Farmers and its customers, including potentially faster inspection times and less safety risks to field adjusters.

The initial squadron of Farmers drones will be provided by Kespry, a recognized leader in aerial intelligence platforms designed specifically for use in industrial sectors such as insurance. Kespry's fully-automated industrial drone system will enable Farmers to more quickly and safely gather rooftop imagery and data, generate analytic reports, supplement ladder assist capabilities, and resolve more claims with greater efficiency and accuracy.

"Through our relationship with Kespry, we believe that Farmers will have access to the latest advancements in aerial imaging equipment and software, in addition to superior training resources," added Daly.

A unique feature of the Farmers drone program will be its exclusive use of Farmers claims professionals throughout the claim handling process. Unlike other carriers who may engage third-party drone pilots as part of the evaluation, Farmers will utilize its own, FAA-licensed drone operators, who are also Farmers-trained claim representatives, to provide customers with a Farmers experience throughout.

For this initial deployment, Farmers will concentrate drone efforts in areas most impacted by hailstorms and other severe weather events.

The drones will deliver high-resolution, 3D imagery, capable of detecting granule loss and other physical damage data of residential roofs. Farmers claim representatives will have access to comprehensive roof dimensions and automated damage detection, with onsite availability of rooftop imagery made possible in just minutes.

About Farmers Insurance
"Farmers Insurance^®" and "Farmers^®" are tradenames for a group of affiliated insurers providing insurance for automobiles, homes and small businesses and a wide range of other insurance and financial services and products. Farmers Insurance is proud to serve more than 10 million households with over 19 million individual policies nationally, through the efforts of more than 48,000 exclusive and independent agents and approximately 21,000 employees. Farmers Insurance Exchange^®, the largest of the three primary insurance insurers that make up Farmers Insurance, is recognized as one of the largest U.S. companies on the 2017 Fortune 500 list.

For more information about Farmers Insurance, visit Farmers.com, Twitter and Instagram, @WeAreFarmers, or Facebook.com/FarmersInsurance.

About Kespry
Based in Menlo Park, Calif., Kespry is the leading aerial intelligence platform provider that is transforming how organizations capture, analyze and share business insights. Kespry develops drone hardware, software and cloud services that are fully integrated to deliver a seamless, accurate and highly efficient solution from field to finish. Founded in 2013, Kespry serves customers across North America, Europe and Australia such as Hancock Claims Consultants, Catastrophe Response Unit (CRU), Fluor, Lehigh Hanson/Heidelberg, Sully-Miller/Colas USA, Terus Construction, Webcor, and Whitaker Contracting.