SaaS and cloud are hot topics in the insurance industry, but are they for real? Celent's research says it is. Insurers may not yet be moving their core systems to the cloud, but it is a key capability for any system decision.

Celent’s frequent discussions with insurers have shown a distinct shift. Insurers have a different view of SaaS and the cloud. A few short years ago, they would never consider it for core systems. Now they won't buy a system that isn't cloud-ready.

“We expected positive progress in insurers’ view of the cloud, or SaaS implementations, but the size of the shift surprised us,” said Tom Scales, Head, Life and Health, Americas for Celent. “This is very positive news for quality of service, expense management, and especially the ability to move quickly.”