IT’S TIME TO MAKE TELEMATICS
ACTIONABLE
GREG BANNON, VP, PRODUCT MANAGEMENT, CCC INFORMATION SERVICES INC.
Something is missing from the current
discussion around telematics. Usage-based
50
insurance (UBI) gets a lot of
well-deserved attention, discussions
around how telematics can be
used in claims is growing, and the
connected car vs. mobile vs. onboard
diagnostics (OBD) as the dominate/
preferred data collection method is
being debated.
But, how is any of this actually going
to work? Let us wax nostalgic.
Do you remember when a phone
(even mobile) was a phone; when a
personal music player (even the first
generation iPod and mp3 players)
just played music; and, do you
remember searching the internet
using a browser? Who knew these
would converge and become so
ubiquitous that they would be in the
hands of 4 year-olds in the form of
a “phablet”? Or that you would buy
lunch using your thumbprint while
listening to streaming internet music
apps without taking your earbuds
out! That has all happened in the last
10 years.
These examples demonstrate the
power of technology platforms,
enabling networks and data working
together. And, this killer combination
is familiar to insurance carriers –
especially those in claims.
Think back to late the 90s, early 2000’s.
Direct repair programs (DRPs) were
emerging for claims, connecting auto
insurers with repairers to improve
communication and help with more
efficient claims handling. The first
tools to support this were effective
point solutions that utilized the best
technology available at the time. We
know now that they weren’t without
limitations; insurers and repairers
often had to buy multiple products,
use multiple logins to access
Republished with the expressed permission of the author, Greg Bannon, and publisher CCC Information Services, Inc.