TECH TALK
needed for solutions catering for a
specific customer segment.
Pairing this AI analysis with data provided
by IoT devices, an insurance company
can more accurately understand
customer behaviour and potentially
identify how additional solutions can be
bundled into existing offerings.
Unlocking value
Because how much of what IoT does
is hidden to the end user, there is a
seamless integration with other insurance
value propositions. Once a connected
device is installed on a vehicle, the end
user can carry on as normal.
Beyond driving, there are already
examples of how IoT can help
medical professionals identify heart
attack symptoms in people who wear
pacemakers and act (and respond)
accordingly. Granted, people are
concerned about potential privacy and
security issues. However, legislation
and compliancy drive much of the
developments in insurance. Companies
therefore need to make sure that how
they gather information and analyse it
adheres to the law. The financial penalties
(and impact on brand reputation) are
significant if they fail to do so.
With AI and IoT combining to offer
competitive value, insurance companies
need to embrace the next-level data
analytics it provides for. The alternative
will have a negative impact on growth
potential and attracting an expanding,
more connected, customer pool. n
“With AI and IoT
combining to
offer competitive
value, insurance
companies need to
embrace the next-
level data analytics
it provides for.”
Gartner reveals how
communications
technologies are setting
the ICT agenda in Africa
T
echnologies and
services associated with
communications, commerce
and payments and government are
among the most transformational
featured in the Gartner Inc’s Hype
Cycle for ICT in Africa, 2017.
The Hype Cycle identifies 35 key
technologies and describes how they
will impact business performance
over the next 10 years. Of the
technologies listed that will have a
transformational or high impact on
businesses in Africa, 18 will mature
within the next five years.
“Developments in ICT are changing
how African governments and
businesses operate,” said William
Hahn, Principal Research Analyst at
Gartner. “Some technologies on the
Hype Cycle enable new ways of doing
business across industries – such as
bimodal IT operations and cloud
office – causing a shift in industry
dynamics. These technologies will
allow African businesses to engage
with global partners and benefit from
mature market expertise, leading
to the creation of an improved,
sustainable ecosystem.”
Communications technologies remain
the most impactful technologies in
Africa, and are well represented on
the Hype Cycle. They range from
advanced underserved area comms
(AUAC) at the Innovation Trigger
to direct communications service
provider (CSP) billing on the Plateau
of Productivity.
The term AUAC describes non-
traditional, airborne communication
systems that provide broadband
service to regions that receive little or
no coverage from terrestrial networks
or conventional communications
Hype Cycle for ICT in Africa, 2017
satellites. Although currently still in the
embryonic stage, AUAC will have a
transformational impact in markets such
as Africa. Over the next decade, one or
more AUAC next-generation systems
are likely to extend broadband to at
least 60% of the world’s population.
Direct CSP billing is a payment
arrangement covering any offering
purchased by end users that is charged
to a CSP’s bill on behalf of a third
party. Direct CSP billing is becoming
increasingly attractive, due to
developments in networks and devices
and to digital commerce becoming
more mainstream. As it works with old
devices and protocols (such as SMS),
it is growing in maturity in emerging
markets. “CSPs in emerging markets,
where credit and traditional banking are
underpenetrated, should think seriously
about direct CSP billing for digital goods
commerce,” said Hahn. “It provides a
means of improving margins, locking
in customers and accessing potentially
substantial new streams of revenue with
unbanked subscribers.”
Communications technologies set
the agenda for most other forms of
IT activity. “The mobile telephony
revolution that transformed
INTELLIGENTCIO
71