PTOLEMUS Names Top 4 Insurance Telematics Suppliers

Among insurance telematics technology and service providers, MetaSystem, Verizon Telematics, Danlaw and Octo Telematics achieved top ranking for footprint, product range and track record, according to the 2013 “Telematics Insurance Supplier Ranking 2013,” by PTOLEMUS Consulting Group. This is the first year MetaSystem and Verizon were included in the telematics and location-based services firm’s report.

“The ranking shows that less than a dozen leaders now command the vast majority of the business, both in service and device provision,” said Frederic Bruneteau, PTOLEMUS’ managing director. “Yet the number of suppliers forming the long tail has grown rapidly – with noticeable effects on price competition.”

As a new addition to the “Usage-Based Insurance Global Study 2013,” the ranking identifies 78 technology suppliers and 44 UBI service providers in Europe, North America and elsewhere. Companies that have been included in the study more than once include: AnyData, ATrack, CalAmp, Cobra Automotive Technologies, cTrack, Danlaw, DriveFactor, DriveProfiler, Geotab, Himex, IMS, Masternaut, MetaSystem, Mobile Devices, Movelo, MyDrive, Octo, Orion Technology, Pointer Telocation, Quartix, Redtail, Scope, Telefonica, Teletrac, TomTom Business Solutions, Tracker South Africa, Trimble, Verizon, Webtech Wireless and Wunelli.

Italian companies, including Octo Telematics and MetaSystem, clearly benefited from the early success of insurance telematics in Italy, PTOLEMUS said. “Octo Telematics’ current leading position may be challenged by the multiplicity of solutions and its primary focus on the black box model, yet, with more than 50 trials and programs, it remains the world leader in UBI service provision, commanding a 43 percent share of the worldwide equipped vehicles, down from 60 percent in 2012.”

MetaSystem was both a new entrant and top ranked, attributable largely to working directly with British insurance company InsureTheBox. “Today, with more than 40 programs and trials, it is the global leader in insurance telematics Technology provision,” PTOLEMUS said.

Verizon Telematics also is a new entrant and earned it top ranking as a service provider for the nationwide roll-out of State Farm’s Drive Safe & Save program, PTOLEMUS said.

Danlaw was recognized for becoming the biggest provider of OBD dongles in North America through Allstate’s Drivewise program and others, PTOLEMUS said.

“The landscape is changing rapidly due to the emergence of many more smaller players,” PTOLEMUS said. “As a result, the 2013 edition of the Suppliers Ranking has seen many new entrants such as Redtail, Orion and MyDrive, but also departures by companies such as Steria, Texa and Airmax, which redirected their attention to other markets.”