Cellcontrol™ Expands Usage Based Insurance Market Potential By Adding Distracted Driving Protection

Insurance carriers that integrate Cellcontrol’s patent protected technology into their UBI platforms can expect greater consumer interest, faster program adoption, and consistently lower loss ratios

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cellcontrol™, the industry’s leading developer of distracted driving solutions, announced today at the Insurance Telematics USA 2012 conference that it has successfully proven its ability to integrate its technology into third party hardware platforms targeting the consumer-focused usage based insurance markets. Usage based insurance (“UBI’) platforms, such as Progressive’s well-advertised Snapshot program, are growing rapidly in this country because they reward safer drivers with lower insurance premiums. Already widely adopted in Europe, UBI is becoming a critical competitive offering for consumer insurers in the US and almost every major underwriter is currently believed to be launching or at least investigating these platforms. Cellcontrol’s distracted driving technology specifically addresses one of the greatest safety risks on the road today, and its inclusion as a component of UBI platforms will drive success for insurers offering such solutions.

“By offering our technology and patent coverage to insurance partners, we believe we can deliver safety leadership to this industry and build truly effective solutions for incenting safer driving”

UBI platforms are almost universally based on a hardware device that plugs into a vehicle’s onboard diagnostics (OBD) port which then communicates driving habits to the insurer using a built-in cellular modem or via scheduled data uploads. The insurer then uses this data to risk-adjust insurance premiums. Cellcontrol’s technology works in concert with these devices by either using the device’s cellular communication to trigger a phone-based distracted driving application or by leveraging the Bluetooth capabilities of certain devices to send a trigger signal within the vehicle cabin. Either way, integrating Cellcontrol into a UBI platform results in safer driving habits because the driver is unable to use their phone while driving except in a safe and approved manner.

Cellcontrol has been actively working with select insurers to integrate its technology into their offerings and has recently demonstrated its ability to work in multiple environments and with multiple hardware and software platforms. This integration capability is further boosted by its unique patent protection, which provides only Cellcontrol with freedom to operate and offer a distracted driving solution that links a vehicle to the phone, whether via a vehicle head unit, an OBD device or any other form of telematics trigger. This patent protection is a part of Cellcontrol’s licensing program with UBI insurance partners.

“By offering our technology and patent coverage to insurance partners, we believe we can deliver safety leadership to this industry and build truly effective solutions for incenting safer driving,” said Chuck Cox, COO of Cellcontrol. “In addition, there is virtually no upfront manufacturing or technology development costs for an insurer to add this capability because our solution was developed for adaptability and ease of integration. Any UBI platform that an insurer offers in this fashion will work immediately with the Cellcontrol apps that run on mobile phones, tablets, laptops and other handhelds. No other technology can match our patented approach, and only Cellcontrol can give insurers the ability to build in this powerful safety feature. Insurer loss ratios will decrease because drivers will behave more safely, and that is our ultimate objective.”

About Cellcontrol

Cellcontrol, based in Baton Rouge, La., is the most accurate, secure and dependable solution for distracted driving caused by cellular phones and other mobile devices. Cellcontrol uses the automobile's computer and phone-based software to put a stop to texting, e-mail, web browsing and phone use while operating a vehicle. For more information on Cellcontrol and its technology and patent offerings, go to www.cellcontrol.com.