The agreement marks the insurtech’s first move into Northern Ireland

Telematics insurtech ThingCo is expanding into Northern Ireland thanks to a new deal with independent broker association Provincewide Ltd.

Provincewide is Northern Ireland’s largest independent broker association.

ThingCo will be providing its full service telematics proposition to the association’s 10 broker members, offering everything from onboarding support through to the telematics firm’s smart first notification of loss (FNOL) process.

James Bashford, ThingCo’s head of business development, said: “This deal is significant because it is our first entry into Northern Ireland and our first [deal] with a broker association.

“It demonstrates how ThingCo is becoming the telematics partner of choice for the broking community, which has been keen to leverage next generation technology to respond to the changing demands and needs of drivers.”

A ‘compelling’ proposition

A fundamental element of ThingCo’s telematics proposition is Theo, a solar-powered, self-installed telematics device.

Theo combines artificial intelligence and voice technology to support customers following a collision, reduce claims costs and combat fraud.

The device is posted to customers at the beginning of their insurance policy - once received, they install and activate Theo themselves.

Jos Briggs, Provincewide Ltd’s director, said: “ThingCo’s technology does so much more for the customer than existing telematics solutions, giving our members a compelling consumer proposition that supports pricing accuracy and helps them compete more effectively in this challenging market.”

The second-by-second driving data collected by Theo will help Provincewide Ltd brokers deliver flexible and competitive motor insurance premiums that accurately reflect customers’ driving habits, without the friction and operational costs that are often associated with telematic black box installations.