New SMA Blog by Karen Furtado, Partner, Strategy Meets Action
Boston, MA (May 22, 2018) – Insurers, I have some good news and some bad news. Insurers have made tremendous progress in core modernization, actively purchasing and implementing new core systems and beginning to adapt their businesses to take full advantage of modern core systems’ capabilities. This is genuine cause for celebration – insurers who have made or are marking these efforts are advancing their companies and our industry in general.
As insurers were engaged in these core modernization efforts, the personal lines market and technology itself have kept moving forward. A core system that was top-of-the-line in 2013 may be showing its age unless it has been continually upgraded to serve the capabilities needed in 2018 and beyond. This may not be the most welcome news for those still thinking about core systems with an average lifespan of ten years or more, but this is our new reality.
This is especially true for personal lines insurers, who are typically the first to catch the core modernization wave. They have also tended to be the leaders regarding new computing capabilities. It was true for mainframe systems, client servers, web-based applications. And now, heading into the new era of computing, it is true with new computing trends like microservices and serverless computing coming to the fore. This is not technology for technology’s sake – insurers need to be able to handle an increasing number of transactions, including multi-threaded calls, and that increase is approaching an infinite number.
Further pressure comes from the InsurTech startups active in the personal lines market. The original, widely-known InsurTech startups in P&C insurance were focused on personal lines. As the InsurTech movement has matured, startups’ focus has widened to commercial lines and workers’ comp as well as crossing product lines. However, they have been active in personal lines the longest, and those InsurTechs who have thrived have gained market experience and are beginning to focus on organizational maturity. That means that for incumbent personal lines insurers, their InsurTech counterparts tend to be comparatively robust and mature when compared to the commercial lines InsurTechs I discussed in my earlier blog.
A key characteristic of InsurTechs is that they are digitally native companies. That means that they are natively fluent with enormous quantities of data and digital interactions, and their technology is geared toward this.
Core systems that can be described as “digitally native” have an edge in the digital market going into the future. Even though digital has been a crucial focus area for years, the insurance industry is still learning what a truly digital business entails – and what technology is needed to support it. InsurTech startups have given the insurance industry new examples of how to operate in the digital world.
Few core systems are built with the digitally native characteristics, but the core systems marketplace is beginning to adapt. Continued evolution toward open APIs and new data sources will provide insurers with the opportunity to interoperate with the new distribution channels and directly with the customer.
Whether you are a large insurer who is trying to support new digital brands and new product models (on-demand, telematics, and others dependent on high amounts of data) or a small regional insurer trying to power consumer service portals, the key question is data availability and digital connectivity with the consumer and agent.
So, for insurers asking themselves: “Do we really need to think about modernizing our modern core systems?” the better question may be this: “Are your modern core systems digitally native?”
Learn More
12% of all new P&C core systems sold in 2017 were bought by startup MGAs and greenfield insurers. We expect them to be a stronger presence in 2018 and onward, creating substantial benefits for startup and incumbent tech providers alike and opportunities in new spaces for all forms of partnerships. As this new market wave continues, the creativity and capabilities of all will be needed to support the insurance business moving forward. Learn more about the latest trends in core systems purchasing from SMA’s recent report, Core Systems Purchasing to Thrive in the Digital World: What’s Hot – And What’s Not,
For more information on what’s happening in the InsurTech movement, see SMA’s recent report, InsurTech 2018: 10 Key Themes That Will Shape the Future.
Watch for our upcoming report on how new computing trends will help core systems to become more digitally native: The New World of Core Systems: How New Computing Trends Will Transform the Core Systems Paradigm.
About the Author
Karen Furtado, a Partner at Strategy Meets Action, is a well-known authority on insurance technology and how it fuels transformation within insurance companies. Her focus is helping insurers prepare for the future of the industry through the decisions they make today. Karen’s deep understanding of how to effect change guides insurers in the development and implementation of their transformation roadmaps. Her comprehensive knowledge stretches across core systems, the implications of InsurTech, and enhancing adaptability and flexibility in a changing market. Her commitment to promoting innovation, encouraging the exploration and adoption of new technologies, and developing proactive ways to plan for the future draws those seeking an edge. In a highly competitive world, Karen brings exceptional knowledge and experience to the challenges of connecting solutions to business and IT requirements.
During her career in the insurance industry, Karen has leveraged her business and technical experience to enable insurers to meet a wide variety of challenges. Many insurers have benefited from her advice that spans a broad field of expertise including enterprise application strategies and implementations, the influence of a rapidly changing business and technology landscape, and outsourcing services.
Karen’s opinions on insurance, technology, and transformation are highly regarded and often sought after by the press. She contributes to a number of insurance trade journals and is also a frequent keynote speaker at major industry conferences.
About SMA
Exclusively serving the insurance industry, Strategy Meets Action (SMA) is an advisory services firm offering retainers, research, consulting, events, and innovation offerings to both insurance companies and solution providers. Learn more about SMA at www.strategymeetsaction.com.
SOURCE: Strategy Meets Action (SMA)
Tags: core systems, Core Systems Modernization, Strategy Meets Action (SMA)
