The rise of insurtech: ally or competitor?

Insurtech relies on tools like data analytics, artificial intelligence, and telematics to improve insurance processes.

In recent years, insurers have begun to use data from telematics systems to better understand the risk profiles of the industry and their clients, thanks to the growing integration of this technology in fleets. This has facilitated closer collaboration between insurers and insured parties through the immediate exchange of safety data provided by telematics.

The use of technology has given rise to a new term in the transportation insurance industry: insurtech. This phenomenon, which encompasses technological innovations in the sector, is rapidly growing and aims to reduce costs and increase efficiency. As a result, safe fleets can benefit from immediate savings and improved response times.

Insurtech: What is its relevance in the industry?

First of all, what is insurtech? The term comes from combining “insurance” and “technology,” referring to the use of technological innovations to increase efficiency and reduce costs in the insurance industry. Insurtech relies on tools like data analytics, artificial intelligence, and telematics to offer more competitive products and improve insurance processes in transportation.

This new branch seeks to innovate in underexplored areas. By leveraging data from connected devices, these companies create more accurate risk assessments, allowing for fairer and more competitive pricing. Insurtech plays an important role in changing how coverage is applied and paid for in various ways:

Promotes efficiency. With immediate access to information, insurtech fosters quick resolutions and greater efficiency in data collection processes for insurance cases.
Can reduce fraud. By using data, trend analysis, and machine learning, insurtech companies can identify fraudulent activities by detecting inconsistencies in information.
Reduces traffic accidents. Telematics and insurance technologies not only provide insurers with more effective risk analysis and lower costs for fleets but ultimately aim to improve the safety of these fleets.

In addition to the advantages insurtech offers, there are specific areas where it significantly contributes to execution, promoting a more agile pace, providing immediate solutions, and facilitating information collection for claims. The areas with the most impact include:

Claims management
Underwriting
Contract execution
Risk mitigation

What does the industry think of this technology?

The insurance sector is highly regulated, leading large companies to be cautious. As insurtech provides more accessible models, traditional operators may become interested in integrating these innovations. However, the adoption of these technologies raises privacy concerns, as tracking devices can monitor behaviors and track locations, which may be uncomfortable for some users.

The future promises greater collaboration between fleets and insurers, with technology and telematics continuing to provide data more quickly. The common goal will remain to improve fleet safety, reduce risks, and lower insurance costs for commercial fleets.