- What are the main challenges and opportunities today in developing product solutions within the OCTO ecosystem, particularly with regard to driving behavior analytics?
In a constantly evolving market, the main challenges go hand in hand with the context in which insurance companies operate and with their respective geographic markets. Overall, industry players are increasingly looking for innovative products in a sector characterized by growing pressure on operating margins and a strong focus on portfolio technical performance.
In this context, the drive toward new business models—such as MGAs, which are more agile than traditional models—and the use of algorithms based on driving behavior and contextual data, particularly in the fleet insurance segment, represent significant opportunities for OCTO’s business. We believe there is still substantial potential in leveraging driving behavior analytics, especially when these are integrated into a broader mobility scenario that includes traffic conditions, road infrastructure and driver distraction.
This trend is reflected in the development of solutions that go beyond premium calculation from a purely technical perspective and instead aim to positively influence driving behavior through loyalty and reward programs. The goal is to increase portfolio retention for insurance companies while simultaneously improving the risk profile throughout the entire policy lifecycle.
2. How does OCTO transform DriveAbility® data into concrete and valuable insights for OEMs, insurers and mobility operators?
Transforming data collected from connected vehicles into insights that support business decision-making is the result of a structured process that OCTO has developed over more than twenty years of experience in telematics and connected mobility.
What continues to define OCTO’s uniqueness in the insurtech and mobility market is the combination of three key elements: advanced analytical capabilities, the depth and historical breadth of data—used to develop and train algorithms—and a strong technological expertise.
OCTO has consistently built and strengthened these capabilities by leveraging experience gained across different geographies, business contexts and technologies, while maintaining a coherent and scalable approach over time.
3. From your perspective, what impact do advanced driving behavior analytics have on road safety, driver experience and overall vehicle performance?
Building on the previous answer, at OCTO we have leveraged data and analytics on driving behavior and habits also in areas adjacent to the traditional insurance market. This approach is based on analyzing the same data through dimensions that go beyond risk assessment alone.
More recently, OCTO has supported several initiatives related to mobility as a whole. These include, for example, systems for managing vehicle access and usage in limited traffic zones, which contribute to safer and more orderly circulation, as well as the development of specific algorithms—such as the eco-index—which analyze the correlation between driving behavior and vehicle emissions and form the basis for new solutions supporting the green transition, particularly for fleet managers.
In addition, mobility data is used to optimize the placement of electric charging infrastructure, based on actual vehicle usage patterns and travel and parking habits.
All these real-world use cases represent concrete opportunities to expand analytics and the use of mobility data in increasingly congested and regulated environments, especially with regard to road safety and emissions.
4. What do you find most stimulating about working on the development of innovative solutions at OCTO and transforming technology into value for the mobility market?
The answer clearly emerges from what has been said so far.
Today, not only insurance companies but also other players in the mobility ecosystem—such as municipalities and electric charging infrastructure providers—have a growing need for data and analytics to quantify, plan and guide their business decisions. This continuous evolution, including from a regulatory standpoint, and the resulting demand for support—which calls for the ongoing evolution of innovative solutions—represent the most stimulating aspect of this work, as a meeting point between personal know-how and technology.
This is also the ideal context to further develop the integration of artificial intelligence into analytical processes, combining increased data availability and computing power to generate increasingly relevant information. The ultimate goal is to help manage the complexity of different businesses while focusing on the areas that create the greatest utility and value.