Role of IoT in the insurance industry

This bachelor thesis explores the possibilities of using Internet of Things in the insurance industry. Its goal is to use a combination of theoretical knowledge and a designed practical model to analyze the potencial benefits, that insurers could gain from using IoT technologies. The first half of the theoretical part introduces the reader into the general issue of Internet of Things. At the beginning, the term IoT itself is defined along with a description of the history leading up to its establishment. Then, there is an analysis of its basic structure and related technologies. The chapter is then concluded with a look into the current development of IoT.The second half of the theoretical part quickly describes the insurance industry itself, followed by a look into the current development in the insurance market, associated with technological advancement. This is then followed by an analysis of the impact IoT has on insurance companies and obstacles impeding its further adoption. The end of this chapter describes the uses of IoT for individual insurance lines along with a few cases of its successful implementation by both foreign and domestic insurer.Practical part then concerns a draft of a model, which would allow insurers to calculate an estimated saving gained from using IoT to reduce claims costs in homeowners insurance. Furthermore, there is also a calculation of the maximal discount that the insurer could offer to their customers as motivation. These calculations are then also demonstrated on several model scenarios.