AAR Insurance inks deal with Safaricom to migrate digital services to the Cloud
Medical underwriter AAR is migrating its digital tools and core systems to the Amazon Web Services (AWS) platform in a Sh20 million investment that is billed to offer customers more secure and efficient digital services.
The move comes after AAR Insurance signed a deal with tech giant Safaricom to deploy new technology infrastructure riding on the AWS as the firm turns fully digital.
The AWS cloud computing service will also help interface AAR Insurance digital channels such as the Mobile Apps, USSD services, web portals and chatbots – with the underwriters’ core technology systems, enhancing the operational efficiency while cutting costs and service downtime.
AAR Insurance Kenya Managing Director, Nixon Shigoli, says migrating all the core insurance platforms and business Applications to AWS will help the company achieve its strategic goals on digital transformation including moving all client interactions to mobile.
“AWS offers services that are affordable and flexible to grow with us as our business evolves. Besides providing enhanced and robust security features to support our business data infrastructure, AWS is reliable and customizable to our unique environment,” said Mr Shigoli.
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He added that Cloud infrastructure is critical to AAR operations as it will facilitate the rapid deployment of applications.
“Moving our information assets, core systems and digital tools to the Cloud presents attractive opportunities for the realization of our goal of being a fully digital insurance provider, by creating an environment for customers to enjoy end-to-end services through their phones and digital devices,” he added.
In practice, AWS Cloud service uses the pay-as-you-go model, implying that AAR Insurance will no longer have to meet the costs of deploying costly hardware infrastructure.
On his part, Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa says the AWS Cloud infrastructure offers businesses, including insurance firms, a highly scalable and secure experience to grow and support digital channels.
“AAR Insurance Kenya becomes the first insurance company locally for whom we are implementing the AWS Cloud platform. We are delighted to be part of the digital transformation at AAR and the overall growth of digital insurance in Kenya,” said Mr Ndegwa.
He pointed out that an increasingly digital consumer ecosystem requires robust technology infrastructure to support web Applications among other critical tools underpinning a superior customer experience.
“Cloud is the new normal and most businesses today have either already moved their operations into the cloud or are in the process of migrating,” noted the Safaricom boss.
So far, AAR Insurance has rolled out a number of digital platforms through which clients can enroll and pay for medical, travel and personal accident insurance, manage and track treatment expenses, using phones and other devices.
