Big Data adoption is slow, analytics gap looms for insurers

A new research report from advisory firm Novarica reveals that insurers have been tepid in their adoption of Big Data to date, but a significant minority are planning to build a specialized infrastructure for it within the next 12 months. In addition, the study finds that an "Analytics Gap" may soon widen between larger insurers that can afford to invest in better analytical capabilities and midsize insurers who will be left behind.

"While data analysis has always been at the core of the insurance industry, legacy technology environments and business practices have inhibited the embrace of Big Data by insurers," said Matthew Josefowicz, Novarica managing director and co-author of the report. "But the hype around Big Data has renewed focus on 'Little Data' –  traditional enterprise data and analytics – which is still an area of underinvestment for many insurers, especially midsize insurers."

The report, Analytics and Big Data at Insurers: Current State and Expectations, examines the current and likely future state of analytics capabilities and the preparation for use of Big Data. It is based on results of a survey conducted in April 2012 of 86 insurer CIO members of the Novarica Insurance Technology Research Council, a membership group of more than 300 senior insurance IT executives.

The survey's data suggests that the booming interest in Big Data that has captured many other industries could overwhelm insurers who have yet to get a handle on structured enterprise data.

"Insurers can profit immensely from the value of Big Data if they have created a culture where business leaders trust analytics and act on the insights provided," Josefowicz added. "All insurers should take steps to create the culture today if it doesn't already exist in their companies."

A preview of the report, including a discussion of key findings is online at http://www.novarica.com/reports_analytics_bigdata/.