Information technology and design

We combine modern information technology and creative design in the development of new insurance products with added value, to consistently achieve new milestones in the market.

New kilometre-based automotive insurance product

After two years of development work and a broadly based pilot project in which 300 of our customers participated, the technology and safety services were improved and perfected, making it possible for us to introduce to the market a new type of automotive insurance rate in November 2007. “SafeLine” is the first kilometre-based automotive insurance rate that ushers in a new age of “pay as you drive” car insurance and secures for us a clear competitive advantage in Europe.

Advantage through innovation

The new product from the design workshop of the innovation leader in Austrian insurance offers customers, for the first time, the ability to affect their premiums through their individual driving habits, in addition to offering modern services for safety in emergencies. Since automobile traffic is frequently blamed for problems such as climate change and particulate matter pollution, all SafeLine customers can track the CO² balance sheet resulting from their own individual driving habits on an Internet portal. The SafeLiner, a small device installed out of sight in the car, represents the technical innovation that makes this market advantage possible. It supplies the connection to satellite navigation, a mobile telephone network and the Internet to allow the calculation of premiums based on the number of kilometres driven and the types of roads taken, as well as enabling the safety service functions.

Drive less, pay less

Anyone who drives fewer kilometres in a year than the average driver and who prefers motorways over city and rural roads will see significant premium savings. Even extensive drivers can profit from the many safety services. For instance, drivers who accumulate fewer than 10,000 kilometres per year can save between 10% and 35% on their premiums. In addition, kilometres driven on Austrian motorways and expressways are calculated at 20% lower rates due to the lower risk of accidents.

Environmental bonus with 'Auto & Network'

UNIQA is concerned not only with safety but also with the environment. For this reason, we would like to promote environmentally conscious driving habits and support the use of public transportation. The Auto & Network campaign rewards drivers who have an annual pass for public transportation by eliminating the first two monthly premium payments. We are also planning to expand the advantage we have gained through the first kilometre-based automotive insurance rate with innovative safety services to include automotive insurance for companies as well.

The business variant of SafeLine should awaken particular interest among operators of vehicle fleets thanks to the supplemental services for fleet management.

In 2007, we also supported a new GPS-based alarm system for bikers in cooperation with the mobile telephone market leader A1. We reward installation of the small “Satalarm Bike” box with a 20% premium discount on the liability and partial comprehensive premiums. The customer also saves E49 on the activation of the A1 SIM card. In the event of a crash, the system automatically triggers an alarm at the dispatch centre, which immediately directs the nearest ambulance service to the accident site using GPS.

Multi-talented SafeLine

Multitalent SafeLine

The safety system built into the vehicle operates as a crash sensor that detects moderate and severe accidents and alerts the response centre in emergencies, as well as transmitting the location of the vehicle. The dispatch centre attempts to contact the driver by mobile phone to determine whether, and what types of, assistance are required or sends help directly to the accident site if the driver cannot be reached. SafeLine offers proactive help via an emergency button installed in the car that allows drivers to trigger an alarm at the dispatch centre and initiate the dispatching of assistance in the event of a medical emergency, breakdown or other threatening situation. The emergency button and crash sensor also function outside of Austria, since the dispatch centre will communicate with local emergency services in other European countries. If the car is stolen, SafeLine takes on its function as CarFinder. When informed of the theft, the dispatch centre locates the vehicle and sends the position data to the competent authorities in Austria or abroad.

Our reliable competence partners

call us Assistance International is a UNIQA Group company that is responsible for customised services available through its global partner network. As the largest Austrian drivers’ association, ÖAMTC is the central partner for arranging emergency assistance measures. Dolphin Technologies is our general contractor partner for all technical issues and responsible for the technological framework of UNIQA SafeLine.

Protection for homes and solar systems

Innovative old-age provision with complete flexibility

Our product developers created a unique product platform for long-term old-age provisions called “FlexSolution” that offers impressive flexibility and, for the first time, combines the guaranteed benefits of classic life insurance with higher yield prospects in a single contract.

This product allows the customer to modify the various elements at any time to create personal old-age provision coverage that is both reliable over time and profitable. The insurance policy is concluded without a time window for an indeterminate duration to offer complete, optimal flexibility. The amount of risk protection, the amount of the premium as well as the type of capital investment can be adapted to new individual life circumstances and investment preferences at any time, and at no cost.

In the area of health insurance, we were able to highlight our position as Austria’s market leader with a unique, compact package. The combination of first-class services in the event of an illness and optimal prevention makes the “Private Supreme” rate system yet another innovation.

Setting new standards in health insurance

Private Supreme sets new standards on the market by combining top medical insurance protection with effective prevention measures and useful assistance services. The service package bundles five key aspects into a single rate and guarantees outstanding, top-quality medical care as well as effective opportunities for learning how to maintain health and fitness.

The insured then enjoys all the advantages of a private patient while at the hospital. UNIQA covers all additional costs arising from the special class of treatment. When seeing a doctor or specialist, the customer selects the physician they trust independent of the health fund contracts, and may select the best treatment methods (orthodox or complementary medicine). As an instrument of prevention, VitalCheck determines the health status of the customer based on various examinations.

Finally, the customer’s personal VitalCoach develops a customised wellness plan with six annual training units based on an individual FitnessProfile. In addition, the team of physicians at the medical CallCenter of UNIQA is available to answer the customer’s questions at any time.

UNIQA has developed “FirstCare”, a new form of private health insurance for children and youths that automatically adapts to their growing insurance needs. Up to the age of twelve, the full costs for an accompanying person are covered in all Austrian hospitals and public hospitals in Europe. For children aged 12 to 18, FirstCare pays the costs for special class treatment in a two-bed room for accident-related hospital stays, in lieu of the costs for an accompanying person. Upon reaching adulthood, we cover all additional costs for special class treatment in the hospital after an accident as well as for many serious illnesses.

We have expanded our health insurance product range with two flexible insurance plans in the form of “Private Supreme” and “FirstCare”.

Adaptation of the rates to EU requirements

Nearly our entire line of health insurance rates was revised and optimised in 2007, according to the requirements of the European Union. Seven benefit enhancements were applied to the special premium class insurance – including global coverage protection for planned treatments abroad, an expanded health exam and the obtaining of a second medical opinion for recommended operations.

With the implementation of the UNIQA customer information system (U.KIS), we have already taken the critical step toward optimal harnessing of our customer potential. We utilise this online database to monitor and evaluate the customer relationship in its entirety – independent of product-line perspectives – and can share this advantage with our customers through more risk-appropriate premiums since we also include the customer information in determining the premiums.

The customer information system predicts sales prospects, warns against potential risks and makes all data available to sales personnel online. It is a valuable instrument of sales and customer policy that secures for us a decisive advantage on the market.

Second phase of U.KIS started

We put the second phase of our customer information system into operation in mid-2007. It now also includes a customer compass, a scheduling system and integrates the online rate fixing for various products. We demonstrated in a roadshow how these new tools can be used in customer management as well as by sales employees and partners.

U.KIS is the customer instrument of the future. It fulfils many important functions: providing a complete customer perspective, identifying customer potentials, supporting the management of customer relationships, optimising time allocation by sales personnel, enabling targeting of high-yield customers, supporting in selection processes, permitting more efficient total customer policy and increasing the competence of sales partners.

Raiffeisen Versicherung expanded its electronic application forwarding service on the RV-WEB technical platform. The advising of customers at the Raiffeisen bank and the forwarding of the contract for purposes of processing were completely decoupled from each other, which now contributes significantly to improved user-friendliness.

Electronic access to the individual profile of every policyholder offers the opportunity for service tailored to individual needs as well as access to untapped potential through cross-selling. The system allows for improved service quality and thereby customer loyalty.

Policies are now issued in record time

After entry at the Raiffeisen bank, application data are now sent electronically and directly to Raiffeisen Versicherung. In the ideal case, the policy can be printed overnight and sent to the customer in a record 48 hours. The level of service provided by RV-WEB to the Raiffeisen banks as sales partners was significantly improved in 2007, by implementing the ability to query all sales statistics and expanding the information content and other processing options of the integrated electronic commission report.