ERGO Group and Deutsche Telekom will join forces to offer digital services for private and corporate customers in future.
The agreement concluded today covers the areas of the smart home and cyber security; additional activities are being planned. The partners will launch their initial services at the IFA international trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances to be held in Berlin from 1 to 6 September.
Mark Klein, Chief Digital Officer of the ERGO Group, stated:
“Our customers are already intensive users of networked products. Digitalisation enables us to develop innovative insurance benefits for these customers.”
“Our plan is to work with Deutsche Telekom on the seamless combination of advice, insurance coverage and repair services with the objective of making life easier for our customers and restricting claims by digital means.”
Reinhard Clemens, a member of the Board of Management of Deutsche Telekom and CEO of T-Systems added:
“In the future we want to offer our clients not just inspiring technology but also protection for their networked life and work. That’s why ERGO and Deutsche Telekom are combining their skills. The possibilities in this future-oriented field of digital insurance services can only be exploited by cooperation. Neither one of the partners could achieve this on its own.”
A secure solution for the smart home
The two companies will be presenting a joint offering for the intelligent home at IFA. The Deutsche Telekom product “Magenta Smart Home” helps customers to identify or avoid hazards in the networked house. In future, Telekom’s Smart Home clients will also have innovative and immediate assistance available to them in the form of the ERGO SmartHome protection. If sensors in the smart home detect a hazard, for example smoke, leaking water or a window being opened, and if the customer is unable to react to the alarm himself, the sensors automatically transmit an alarm signal to the ERGO Emergency Service. The insurer then takes care of emergency procedures round the clock, every day of the year. The service is particularly suitable for situations in which the occupants cannot be contacted. Smoke alarms have to be installed in all private new buildings and conversions in all of Germany’s federal states. Customers can also add this insurance coverage to an ERGO home contents or residential buildings insurance. The two companies will be presenting further details of the new service at the IFA international trade show for consumer electronics and home appliances in Berlin.
Working together for Internet security
Anyone using the Internet should protect themselves and minimise risks. Deutsche Telekom and ERGO are therefore also cooperating on insurance coverage against cyber-attacks. Telekom is planning to extend the “Computerhilfe Plus” product as well as many other services involving reputational protection, home network and data security by a comprehensive cyber protection insurance policy. In future, customers will be able to protect themselves against financial losses caused by misuse of customer and account information as well as fraud when buying or selling online. All family members living in the same household will be covered. The product is expected to be available from the beginning of 2018.
