South African short-term insurance provider Admin Plus will now be able to tap into HYLA Mobile’s machine learning (ML) technology to determine whether a mobile device is functional and free of screen damage prior to insuring it.
The US-based HYLA Mobile, which provides lifecycle management and diagnostic solutions for pre-owned smartphones, revealed it has partnered with Admin Plus, marking its second collaboration with an insurer on the continent.
“In the past, insurance companies needed to physically inspect devices in-person to accurately assess their condition or accept the risk of fraud while selling device insurance. With the implementation of HYLA’s advanced diagnostics, our inspections can be completed remotely, thereby reducing the risk of fraud while increasing the convenience to our customers,” says Admin Plus’s Mark Clark.
Explaining how HYLA’s tech solution helps determine the condition of a device, Joe Settimi, SVP and GM for emerging business group at HYLA Mobile, told ITWeb that multiple diagnostics are completed on a device, including a ‘screen selfie’ captured in a mirror, which is then uploaded to HYLA’s cloud and analysed by an ML algorithm to determine if the device’s screen is damaged.
The ‘screen selfie’ can return the results in one minute, helping the insurer to determine the condition of a device, especially whether the camera, digitiser and accelerometer function as expected, according to Settimi.
Furthermore, it employs advanced fraud detection by capturing the unique International Mobile Equipment Identity number that can be recalled and matched to any future claims made for the device.
“Admin Plus brings great experience and connections in the South African region and was actively looking for unique technology solutions to support growth and a great customer experience for mobile device protection,” says Settimi about partnering with Admin Plus to expand services in Africa.
According to Settimi, his company has seen rapid adoption of its artificial intelligence-based diagnostics in the mobile device insurance and protection space across Europe, Asia, the US and now Africa.
“Insurance companies, wireless carriers and retailers are all looking to grow their business and can now easily and securely reach customers and remotely determine the condition of a mobile device. Whether it’s to insure new or pre-owned devices, this process minimises the risk of fraud and can also add value for the customer at the point of trade-in.”
Although HYLA’s diagnostic technology is used on mobile phones currently, it will be available for tablets and wearables later this year, adds Settimi. “Further, the technology is also being leveraged to remotely check and value devices in real-time for trade-in and buy-back.”
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