NZ insurers, brokers and motoring organisations planning to get into the usage-based insurance arena will get a boost from a partnership between telematics solutions provider Wunelli and insurance software solutions experts
SSP.
As part of a wider package of IT solutions to speed insurers’ entry into the
telematics market, SSP will be offering Wunelli’s mobile platform and scoring capabilities for the development of smartphone telematics apps.
While they wouldn’t name which insurers were involved, SSP head of data services strategy Adrian Coupland said those signing up would be able to go out to the mass market and collect vast amounts of data to understand how it can be used effectively for rating purposes and claims.
“The agreement with Wunelli allows us to offer insurers entry into the usage-based insurance arena at a fraction of the cost of hard-wired devices,” he said.
Wunelli’s mobile platform can identify the nuances of driving behaviour – or driving DNA - with acceleration, braking, origins and destinations ensuring the driving data fed from smartphone apps is 95% accurate.
If Wunelli’s mobile platform doesn’t recognise the driving style created from the initial ‘DNA’ driver then the trip isn’t used for scoring purposes.
Antipodean insurers will not only have the score but a quality marking from Wunelli based on recognised driving behaviour.
These new smartphone app solutions being developed by Wunelli will build on its long-standing and successful relationship with SSP in the UK and use the benefits of seeing what has worked well over there to improve on capabilities offered in New Zealand and Australia.
Penny Searles, managing director at Wunelli, said: “These markets have the benefit of seeing what has worked well in the UK.
“We have spent a number of years perfecting the app technology and alongside the advanced operating systems now available, we are able to address issues such as battery drain, and the ability to download a new app if the original phone is lost or stolen.”
Meanwhile, SSP has just announced a new general manager, Asia Pacific – Paul Miller.
Based in Melbourne, Miller will report directly to Stephen Lathrope, managing director of SSP’s insurer division.
Miller, who joins SSP from IBM, takes the reins from Michael Clarke who has decided to pursue other opportunities after helping build SSP since 2008.
