Insurance for service level agreements in e-utilities and other e-service environments
View Patent ↗A method and system for indemnifying an insurance purchaser by an insurance provider against losses resulting from specified events. In one embodiment, the specified events include quality of service penalties of a service level agreement between a service provider and service purchaser. The invention may include at least one risk metric monitored via a communication network, such that a premium payable to the insurer by the insurance purchaser is dependent on the risk metric. In a particular configuration of the invention, the risk metric is monitored in real-time or near real-time.
1. A method of indemnifying an insurance purchaser by an insurance provider, the method comprising:
receiving an insurance premium from the insurance purchaser against a loss resulting from an unavailability of one or more computer services provided over a computer network, the insurance purchaser and insurance provider being coupled to a communication network;
monitoring changes in at least one risk metric by a computer via the communication network, the risk metric indicating a likelihood that the one or more services will be unavailable over the computer network; and
calculating an adjusted insurance premium against the loss resulting from the unavailability of the one or more computer services according to changes in the at least one risk metric; and
wherein the at least one risk metric includes the number of logged calls to a technical support phone number.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one risk metric includes the amount of data transferred to and from the insurance purchaser.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one risk metric includes the amount of disk space utilized by the insurance purchaser's customers.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one risk metric includes the number of customers being serviced by the insurance purchaser.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the at least one risk metric is performed in real-time.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising compensating the insurance purchaser for the loss if the specified event occurs.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein compensating the insurance purchaser includes compensating the insurance purchaser against quality of service penalties.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the at least one risk metric includes receiving values of the at least one risk metric periodically.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring the at least one risk metric includes receiving values of the at least one risk metric asynchronously.
10. A method of indemnifying an insurance purchaser by an insurance provider, the method comprising:
receiving an insurance premium from the insurance purchaser against a loss resulting from an unavailability of an information storage service provided by the insurance purchaser over a computer network, the insurance purchaser and insurance provider being coupled to a communication network;
monitoring changes in at least one risk metric by a computer via the communication network, the risk metric including an amount of data transferred to and from the information storage service; and
calculating an adjusted insurance premium against the loss resulting from the unavailability of the information storage service according to changes in the at least one risk metric; and
wherein the at least one risk metric includes the number of logged calls to a technical support phone number.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one risk metric includes the amount of disk space utilized by the insurance purchaser's customers.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the at least one risk metric includes the number of customers being serviced by the insurance purchaser.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein monitoring the at least one risk metric is performed in real-time.
14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising compensating the insurance purchaser for the loss if the specified event occurs.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein compensating the insurance purchaser includes compensating the insurance purchaser against quality of service penalties.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein monitoring the at least one risk metric includes receiving values of the at least one risk metric periodically.
17. The method of claim 10 , wherein monitoring the at least one risk metric includes receiving values of the at least one risk metric asynchronously.