Robin Roberson

The California Consumer Protection Act's penalties for data breaches will boost demand for cyber coverage.

The California Consumer Privacy Act amps up the need for cyberinsurance -- and for "tokenization."

Tokenization is the key to significantly reducing the likelihood of a cyber event resulting in a claim.

The on-demand model can relieve pressure by revolutionizing how the insurance industry responds to natural disasters.

Insurance carriers can leverage an on-demand model that gives them immediate access to an affordable and scalable workforce.

Investment in insurance technology has reached $3.4 billion since 2010, but most insurers are falling behind in digital innovation.

Because of technology disruption, 89% of insurers expect to compete on customer experience, versus only 36% four years ago.

While many Canadians will benefit from the expansion of the sharing economy, traditional insurance companies will need to adapt.

Gig economy platforms are now beginning to offer drone services, making drones more accessible than ever for insurers.

Many insurers think 20% of their business could be soon lost to insurtech startups, so staying ahead of technology trends is vital.

Insurers can create better policies, identify their lowest-risk policyholders and obtain alerts when policyholders are at risk.

Even though the insurtech industry has been progressing very swiftly, not every major insurtech startup is a roaring success.

The sharing economy is exposing situations in which new liabilities need coverage. Many are not covered by standard insurance policies.

Some key trends have started to emerge that will affect how the insurance industry as a whole progresses in the coming decade.

Insurers are staying on the cutting edge by looking for ways to speed up processes, and to operate more efficiently.

Insurance thrives on data -- and the Internet of Things offers brand new, high volumes of data to work with. The combination could be powerful.

Processes within every agency can be adapted to the gig economy, saving money and allowing access to experienced personnel at the same time.

Between Series B and Series D funding, $2 billion to $3 billion is being directed to insurance startups annually -- and the amounts will keep growing.

Insurance will have to adapt to both the on-demand nature of work and the on-demand nature of consumption. This is the industry's Uber moment.

Insurers are learning that they can streamline claims, and cut costs, by embracing the on-demand workforce.

Although the term “sharing economy” can be elusive, it is leading to a world of reduced costs for both consumers and businesses.

Consider that a claims adjuster could directly tune in via VR for a detailed view of property damage, via a gig worker who is on-site.

It doesn't have to end that way. Traditional insurers are already positioned well -- if they play their cards right.

Yet an outdated law keeps New York consumers from taking advantage of a convenience that millions of other drivers already enjoy.

Simply put, the sharing economy and the short-term exchange of assets for a fee have created headaches for insurers.

...Now what? According to a study at Harvard University, nearly 24% of those between ages 55 and 74 were working in the gig economy.

Insurers can access this workforce to scale back on costs -- and on-demand workers are a market for various insurance products.

And are insurers ready to go beyond home-sharing and ride-sharing, to cover all the other things now being shared rather than purchased?

Many carriers fail to realize that speed of claims resolution is just as important to consumers as professionalism and courtesy.

For starters, insurance carriers can use skilled gig workers to create efficiencies across many channels in their organizations.

Instead of owning assets, people are increasingly electing to merely access them -- and that's just the beginning of the story for insurers.

Crawford's purchase of WeGoLook is the precursor for deals that will drive innovation by merging the gig economy and the insurance industry.

Car insurance companies haven’t quite fallen in love with this new world of car sharing, as it poses some interesting challenges.

Although we are at the early stages of "reputation capital," we will soon be able to carry our reputation with us across online platforms.

The integration of the gig economy is the next step in the business evolution of the traditional insurance sector.

Those participating in the sharing economy require one thing above all: trust. Here are three ways to foster it.

Rather than worrying about status, ownership and hierarchy, think about the benefits of access, collaboration, trust and sharing.

What do new collaborative marketplaces, particularly ridesharing ones, mean for traditional insurance carriers? This is a great question.

For one, PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts that the sharing economy will grow to a $335 billion industry by 2025.

The rise of the gig economy isn't just a positive for independent workers but provides five benefits for insurance carriers.

Insurers are discovering that the gig economy presents an opportunity to leverage crowdsourcing to solve inefficiencies.

All companies must take advantage of the disruptive gig economy to remain smart and streamlined, adapting to consumer needs.

The existence of "crowdworkers" in the gig economy creates four main opportunities for insurers.

What if there was an Uber for insurance? There is, sending people with smartphones to quickly gather the information needed for claims.