Nuance, the company that manufactures the Dragon Naturally Speaking products, claims that Preferred 8 has a 99% accuracy rate, the highest of the software line's many versions. That figure seems a bit high to me. When using the program, I regularly encounter mistakes such as omitted text or incorrect wording. However, the program's internal correction mechanism remedies most problems and learns from the corrections, so the accuracy improves with time. If I highlight a word and say, “spell that,” the program pulls up a database of words with spellings similar to my selection. If no words resembling my selection exist, I can also add vocabulary to the database.

The transcription is not instantaneous. Once a phrase is spoken into the microphone, several seconds usually elapse before it appears on the computer screen.

Such setbacks are minor, however, and the program is still a valuable agency tool. Even the most proficient typists type at only about half the speed at which most people speak. But with the Dragon software, even personnel with poor keyboarding skills can cut their typing times in half.

If used consistently, the program also can reduce E&O exposure. Think about it: A producer returning to the office after servicing an account may fail to document the visit. But the producer could prevent a costly oversight or a misunderstanding with a brief message, such as, “I met with Jim of ABC Manufacturing today. We're going to do the renewal.” The producer could then use Naturally Speaking to send the message to a CSR or CSA with a note: “Remind me to follow up in a week if we haven't received figures.”

This application, which offers convenience and piece of mind, is available at most computer stores for $200.

Copytalk
If Dragon Naturally Speaking is too caveat-riddled for you, I suggest Copytalk. It's not software, but rather a service that turns any telephone into a dictation machine. Instead of speaking into a microphone to make a dictation, Copytalk subscribers dial a number, enter their assigned PIN and speak their recording into the mouthpiece. Copytalk sends the audio file to a typist, who transcribes it and e-mails a copy of the transcription to the inbox(es) of the subscriber's choosing. Same-day turnaround is guaranteed, and I usually receive my Copytalk e-mail within a couple of hours after making a recording.

With the standard $60-per-month Copytalk account, you receive an unlimited number of four-minute dictations. Four minutes may not sound like a long time, but it's sufficient for most agency needs. Customer service representatives and producers will find Copytalk an invaluable device for documenting meetings and remind-ers. Signing up for the service is easy at www.copytalk.com.

I also use Copytalk to delegate tasks. For example, if I were driving to a client's house, I might call Copytalk and dictate a message to my assistant, Sissi. “To Sissi: I just talked to Pat. She's agreed to write an article for the newsletter due May 1. Please send her a reminder about it.”

Sure, I could call Sissi and give her the assignment, but if I did, Sissi wouldn't have the unambiguous instruction that a text message provides. By using Copytalk, I avoid interrupting Sissi's routine with an unexpected phone call, and she can tackle this new, low-priority chore at her convenience.

ActiveWords
Despite the innovations of voice recognition software and telephone dictation, sometimes good, old-fashioned typing is still necessary. But even if belly-up to a keyboard is the last place you want to be, tools exist that can make home row more hospitable. One such wonder is ActiveWords. This interface technology allows you to program keyboard shortcuts into your computer, which by itself is nothing new. But since ActiveWords monitors keystrokes between your keyboard and the computer operating system, it works in any program in which you can type–Microsoft Word, Notepad, your agency management system, you name it. That's the innovation.

I hate keyboarding, so for me, ActiveWords is a godsend. I've configured my program so that whenever I type “date” and hit the spacebar twice, the day's date will appear at the cursor point. If I type “tan,” the program opens my Web site browser and takes me to the home page of my consulting agency, The Anderson Network. If while composing an e-mail I key in “sa-sig,” the program adds my e-mail signature to the message. With this program, a single word can open files, Web pages or programs. I can even set it up to execute a series of actions at once.

Another ActiveWords feature I like is its database. If I misspell “believe,” for instance, and hit the spacebar once, the program will automatically correct the misspelling without me having to do anything. I can even add terms and abbreviations to the database. For example, if I type “loc,” the program finishes the word “location” for me. This gadget has cut hours from my time in front of the computer.

A 60-day trial of the program is available at www.activewords.com. Visit the same site to sign up for a one-year, individual-use license, or get the enterprise license for your office at $30 per year, per user.

Google Maps
If you've spent any time in front of the computer, you know that Google produces one of the most widely used Internet search engines around. But did you know that it has a cartography service, too? Visit maps.google.com, and you can look up a location, get directions and find a business anywhere in the United States–free.

Each map is available in three versions: map, satellite and hybrid. “Map” is just that: a line drawing representing a geographical location. “Satellite” depicts a real-life aerial view of the selected area. Don't panic if you zoom in on your address and don't see your newly built house, though–Google satellite maps are usually several months old. Click “hybrid” and the program highlights and labels the roadways on the satellite picture.

So what can this program do for your office? I believe in giving underwriters as much information as possible when submitting applications. I don't want them to have to guess what risks might surround properties. Google Maps alleviates much of the ambiguity typically associated with property appraisal. With it, underwriters in California, where summer brush fires are common, can scan a prospect's address for nearby fields. In the Gulf Coast, an underwriter may look for an address's proximity to a levee. Whatever the concern may be, Google Maps enables early diagnosis without the inconvenience of leaving the office.

Trillian
Many agency principals discourage instant messaging in the office. These real-time computer-to-computer “conversations,” they say, distract employees from their duties. I'm convinced, however, that this technology will soon be the workplace communication method of choice.

Think about it: IM is a great way to relay internal agency information quickly. If a co-worker wants to discuss an issue with you immediately, but you're busy at the moment, all you have to do is send an IM saying so. If you're expecting a client, but you're on the phone when he or she arrives, an IM from the receptionist can alert you of the arrival without interrupting your call. IM is an easy alternative when e-mail just isn't quick enough.

Because of its convenience, many Internet surfers already use IM on a regular basis. So many IM service providers abound that it's not uncommon for an IM user to have multiple accounts. I have three: AOL, ICQ and MSN.

Managing them was a hassle until I discovered Trillian. Before I signed up for Trillian, to keep from missing an instant message, I had to have the IM screens for each of my messaging accounts open at once. Trillian, however, allows IM messages from all my services to appear on a single screen. Now, I can send messages to, and receive messages from, my buddies on AOL, ICQ and MSN simultaneously.

One of Trillian's best features is its price. Trillian Basic can be downloaded free at www.ceruleanstudios. com/downloads. From the same site, you can purchase Trillian Pro, which allows you to add biographical information and icons to your messages and transfer files, for $25.

Internet access card
Through your computer, you can talk to a neighbor, tour the globe and research prospects, but only with a reliable Internet connection. Finding one is easy at home or in your office, but logging on away from your base of operations can be tricky, as well as pricey. However, you'll never have to pay per-minute or search for a hot spot again with an Internet access data card.

Using it is like carrying the Web in your pocket. No wires, no jacks and no special Internet service provider arrangements are necessary. The card slides directly into most laptops. Just insert it and–voil?–you're surfing the Net at up to 700 kilobytes per second. That's high-speed, broadband access.

Many cell phone companies sell Internet access cards. I bought my card from Verizon because its cards currently work in 182 cities, which is the largest service area I've seen so far. I've used the card in Indianapolis, Baltimore, Chicago and Dallas, and had stellar service every time.

If I were to become unhappy with my Verizon card, however, switching to another company's card would be a little difficult. Not surprisingly, Internet cards require contracts similar to those for cell phones. My two-year contract with Verizon allows me to log on with the card for about $80 a month. (I'd pay $60 a month if I used Verizon for cell phone service.) For insurance personnel whose work often takes them out of the office, either expense is miniscule, and the card can save some poor soul hours of time commuting between the agency and the field.

Roboform
Surfing the Internet can be fun and, thanks to Internet access cards, convenient–that is, until someone swipes your confidential digital data. Web sites and computer programs supposedly secure your most valued information from would-be thieves, but the only person locked out of your files is you when you forget your password. Or should I say, one of your passwords. When you have a different user ID and password for each carrier, banking, news, airline and entertainment Web site you visit, it's easy to forget the magic words.

Welcome to Roboform, your virtual skeleton key. Roboform manages all of your password-encrypted playgrounds with one master password. Just list your favorite secure sites and access information once in Roboform, and every subsequent time you visit those password-protected URLs, the program will log you in automatically. For added security, your Roboform master password encrypts the user IDs and passwords it manages, rendering them inaccessible to unauthorized users and unreadable by hackers even if they are stolen.

How do you get this modern marvel? Download it free at www.roboform. com. The giveaway version of the program manages 10 Web sites. The pro version, which costs $30 and is also available for download at www.roboform.com, has no limit. There's only one drawback: Since the program downloads to a single computer at a time, its functionality isn't portable. But at home or in the office, Roboform is the cure for the plague of password-inscribed Post-Its growing on your monitor.

Copernic Desktop Search
What good is all the secure, password-protected data in the world if you can't find the information you need when you need it? Many programs have built-in sort-and-search functions, but as anybody who has lost an e-mail in Outlook knows, these don't always work or are very slow. Even information-age powerhouses Google, MSN and Yahoo! produce software designed to track down wayward files, but in my experience, their best efforts often fall short. The only search program that has consistently come through for me is Copernic Desktop Search.

Copernic organizes all of my files–and I mean everything: e-mails, Word documents, PDFs, Excel files, Powerpoint files, pictures, music, videos–in one master index. All I have to do is tell Copernic what I want and the program finds it for me. I can sort Copernic search results by a myriad of criteria, including document type or key word. I can even type in an e-mail address and Copernic will list all my messages containing that address.

In addition to being reliable, Copernic also is one of the most affordable programs I've found. Many so-called “free” software programs come with strings attached, usually in the form of unwanted adware or spyware. Download Copernic at www.copernic.com, however, and all you get is a quality desktop search program.