Cyber Security and Smart Home at the IFA

I’m in Berlin once again. This time for the IFA, incidentally my first time, although I originally come from the telecommunications sector. More than 80 industry leaders, innovators and start-ups are presenting products, services and innovations to visitors. For the market launch of our partnership with Deutsche Telekom I am here to see which products and services the colleagues have developed together with the colleagues from Bonn. The first focus of the joint solutions is Cyber and Smart Home.

Cyber insurance for internet-savvy customers

We're reading more and more frequently in the press about cyber attacks and the great damage they cause. But this is also a growing concern for consumers. Online purchases are continually increasing, but what happens if my information is misused? How can I protect myself from this? And if it happens anyway: Who will cover the damages caused? This is where our new cyber-insurance package with Deutsche Telekom comes in: The product “Computer Help Plus”, which will be available as of the beginning of 2018, actively provides support to the user with a wide range of services to get their computers up and running again. The comprehensive cyber protection assistance from ERGO also gives the user the assurance that he will not suffer any great financial losses as it protects him financially against phishing and other criminal activities. My wife, our family’s online shopper, is already excited about the product launch.  

From secure house to Smart Home

For me, the highlight at the IFA is our joint Smart Home product. The joint solution with Telekom is a “tangible insurance solution” – as our exhibition stand impressively demonstrates. Together with Deutsche Telekom we offer a combination of hardware, emergency service and insurance coverage. If there's a fire in the near future and I’m on vacation, I’ll not only be informed about it – the ERGO emergency service will also make sure that the fire is put out. Even in the case that water should undesirably leak in or out, the service becomes active.

This is the insurance model of the future. On the one hand, ERGO customers can co-opt for this insurance coverage with their existing ERGO household and homeowner's insurance; on the other hand, for ERGO, insurance coverage means a lot more than just paying out when damages occur: We fully take care of our customers, working together to avoid or minimising damages and we utilise strong partners and the latest technology to do so.

My impressions from our Smart Home stand at the IFA demonstrate to me how important insurers and cooperation are – how we can, in other words, together with partners, score with our customers with an all-round service. And: The Smart Home offer shows once more the opportunities digitalisation offers. It helps us insurers namely to transition from risk carriers to risk managers. In addition to risk protection, we simply have to offer customers such custom-fit services – and continually develop them.

I also look forward to your comments, questions or suggestions.
Regards, Mark Klein