About
The Metaverse and Mixed Reality will fundamentally change the way (insurance-) services and products are experienced in the future. However, we are still at the beginning. In our early adapter app, customers can “discover” what insurance is all about
Innovation presentation
By 2016, almost 3 million VR glasses had been sold worldwide. Five years later the amount had increased almost sevenfold. And eight years later, Apple launched its own glasses. Market leader Meta has also announced further models. At ERGO, we interpret these developments as a clear signal that mixed reality will become widespread in everyday life. Gaming and leisure experiences will see the strongest growth in the short term, but other industries will follow, including the insurance industry.
Since 2018, ERGO has been researching VR applications and the Metaverse, testing new technical approaches and solutions to improve the experience of customers and employees. Since 2019, we have been holding department manager meetings in virtual rooms using glasses, and we now hold entire conferences virtually using glasses. We have introduced virtual meeting rooms and training applications within the ERGO Academy and the Metaverse Web at DKV Seguros. Due to the positive results, we have now expanded our focus to customer applications: with a standalone app for VR-based insurance advice.
We believe that one day data glasses will become an everyday device alongside the smartphone. However, this only will happen, if they create added value, if they are use cases that actually offer “more” than conventional solutions for customers and sales partners. This is the challenge that we are devoting ourselves to in the ERGO Berlin Innovation Lab.
Uniqueness of the project
The VR app is a further component in the ERGO Group's already successfully established omni-channel strategy. By using mixed reality technologies, the application aims to pilot and establish a new and innovative consulting service in the long term.
The VR experience makes it possible to experience insurance products immersively. What was previously rather abstract can now be presented in a clear, understandable and tangible way. For the first time, customers are able to virtually immerse themselves in an insurance scenario and receive advice on it in real time. For this purpose, interested parties meet with an ERGO advisor using a VR app and headset, who guides them through a selected setting.
The application takes advantage of mixed reality and VR and takes the consulting experience to a new level. The VR pass-through feature allows Meta Quest Pro users to take part in the experience from the comfort of their own home. By tracking facial expressions and assigning them to avatars, the VR experience becomes even more appealing, especially during live consultations.
It is clear that ERGO is operating in a pioneering environment with this new type of pilot. Since the service was made available, several appointments and consultations have been booked every week. In this trial mode we learn quickly and collect valuable feedback.
