Dive Brief:

• The new CIO of Farmers Insurance says the company may test drones that detect wildfire hazards and sensors that detect motor vehicle damage.

• Ron Guerrier says the efforts are part of a new push to embrace emerging technologies that can help agents resolve claims more quickly.

• A number of companies in the insurance sector are looking to use technology to help consumers mitigate risk and accelerate claim resolution.

Dive Insight:

Guerrier said Farmers is evaluating how it may use drones to check if brush has been cleared in California neighborhoods prone to wildfires. Allstate recently revealed that it is also testing drones for this function.

"We're looking at where technology can extend our view and better inform the customer," Guerrier said in an interview with CIO. "Emerging technologies is definitely top of mind for this organization."

IoT could play a part in automobile claims resolution. Guerrier says a sensor-equipped car that gets hit by a shopping cart in a store parking lot, for example, could notify the owner via an alert to their smartphone.

Guerrier gained attention cultivating an innovation lab at Toyota Financial Services, which explored IoT initiatives such as using beacon technologies to send text messages with car details when a customer walks past the car at a showroom.