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BeyondMobile:ResearchTopicsforupcomingTechnologiesintheInsuranceIndustryChristianD.MüllerandHans-DieterZimmermannInstituteforMediaandCommunicationsManagement,UniversityofSt.GallenChristian.Mueller@unisg.chandHans-Dieter.Zimmermann@unisg.chAbstractThispaperprovidesafirstideaonchangesinducedbynewICTthatgoes‘beyondmobile’.Mainaspectsconsideredarevaluecreationstructures,valuepropositionofproductsandservicesandcustomerrelations.Goalistodiscussthesechangeswithintheinsuranceindustrycontext(primaryinsurersandreinsurers)andtofosterthinkingonnewresearchtopicsthatmightariseduetotheinfluenceofUbiquitousComputing(UC)technology.InordertodosoUCisdefinedinafirststep.HerebywedistinguishfromnotionssuchasPervasiveComputing(PC)andAmbientIntelligence(AmI)andprovideaworkingdefinitionforUC.InasecondstepimplicationsofUCinthebusinesscontextwillbedescribedgenerally,whichwillbefollowedbyageneraldescriptionofthecharacteristicsofinsuranceindustry.ThiswillleadtothediscussionofscenariosandthepotentialimpactofUCintheinsuranceindustry,providinguswithawholesetofresearchaspectsthatneedtobeinvestigatedfurtherinthefuture.HerebyfocusistheinfluenceUCtechnologyhasonthebusinessaspectsforinsuranceindustryratherthanontechnologicalquestionsarising.1.IntroductionWithoutdoubtthedevelopmentsintheICTareaarethemaindriversoftheDigitalEconomy.OptionsfornewformsofvaluecreationprovidedbyICTmeansarematchingsomemoregeneraldevelopmentsinwesternsocietieswhichwillnotbediscussedhereanyfurther.TheemergenceoftheDigitalEconomyhasamajorimpacton(1)valuecreationstructureswithnewintermediariesandnewformsofvaluecreationnetworksarising[35,16],(2)inter-organizationalvaluecreationprocesseswherethecustomerbecomesanintegralpartofthevaluecreationprocess[36,17],(3)informationintensiveproductsthatcanbedisaggregatedandreconfiguredflexiblyandmasscustomizedinrespecttocustomerneeds[23],and(4)infrastructurescomprisingmarketservicesliketrustbuilding,payment,orlogisticsservicesaswellastechnicalinfrastructuressuchaswirelessnetworksenablingcustomerstointeractwithcompaniesanditspeersinanyplace,anytime[19].Inacademiaaswellasinindustrycurrentlytheimpactofwirelesstechnologiesisbeingdiscussedveryintensive.Fromthebusinessperspectiveparticularlythedevelopmentofsustainablebusinessmodelsformobilecommerceapplicationsisconsideredtobeoneofthemajorchallengesarising[23].‘Wireless’clearlymarksonefurtherstepintherapiddevelopmentofICTstartingwithmainframecomputersinthesixties.IntheeightiesPersonalComputersenableddecentralizationofcomputingpowerandlaptopsmadeitmobileinacertainsense.Withtheemergenceofwirelesstechnologies–networks,devicesandstorage–theincreasinglylocationindependentInternetaccessenablesanddemandsforinnovativebusinessmodels.WithmodernmobilephonesandPDAsprovidingmorecomputingpowerthanmainframecomputersintheearlysixties,newapplicationsarebeingdevelopedandthevalueaddedofthesedevices–originallyconsideredas‘gadgets’–becomesmoreandmoresophisticated.ThenextsteprelatedtoICTdevelopmentisforeseeable:ICTmeanswillbeembeddedintheenvironmentandcomputingoraccessdevicesdedicatedtoasingleusewilldisappear.Human-Computerinteractionwilltakeplacethroughinterfacesembeddedinourenvironment,beitinabusinessorprivatecontext.Everydayobjectswillbecome‘intelligent’andwillserveasaninterfacetoinformationsystems.Examplesforproductssuchasintelligentfurniture,interactivetablesorwalls[38]orsmartclothes[21]alreadyexistandmarketlaunchisforeseeable.AsweknowtheinsuranceindustryisandalwayshasbeenoneoftheearlyusersofICTfordataprocessingofinformationintensiveproducts.SofarICThadamajorimpactontheindustryanditsbusinessalready.InthispaperwewillthereforeexplorehowfuturedevelopmentsofICTinthefieldofUCwillimpacttheinsuranceindustryofthefuturebyprovidingminiscenariosofapplications.Itshallserveasafoundationforfurtherresearchfromabusinessperspective.Particularlyconsideredwillbeaspectssuchaschangingcustomerneedsthatleadtonewproductswhichwillbeproducedintransactioncostefficient,innovativevaluecreationnetworksthatblurtraditionalindustryboundariesandprovideopportunitiesfornewentrantsandserviceproviders.ThepaperwillbasicallyProceedingsofthe36thHawaiiInternationalConferenceonSystemSciences(HICSS’03)0-7695-1874-5/03$17.00©2002IEEEraisequestionsandreflectsanexplorativestudywhichisbasedmainlyonavailableliteratureaswellasonobservationsmadeinresearchprojectstogetherwithinsurancecompanies.Thepaperdividedintofivemainsections:FirstwewillprovidedefinitionsfortheconceptsofPervasiveComputing,UbiquitousComputingandAmbientIntelligenceinordertoclarifytheirmeaningandthensetaworkingdefinitionforUbiquitousComputing(UC),whichwillbeappliedthroughoutthepaper.InasecondstepthepaperexplainstheimplicationsofUCinthebusinesscontextandwillthenbrieflyoutlinecharacteristicsofinsuranceindustry.WewillthenmergetheseinsightsinordertoexplaintheimpactofUCforinsuranceindustry.AttheendabriefoutlookonfurtherresearchaspectsthatarecrucialintheUCcontextwillbeprovided.2.DemarcationofPervasiveComputing,UbiquitousComputingandAmbientIntelligencePervasiveComputing,UbiquitousComputingandAmbientIn