Insurance for service level agreements in e-utilities and other e-service environments

• US 7,873,527 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2003
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dan, Asit, Iwano, Kazuo, Dordick, Rowan L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rines; R. D
• Application Number:
  US10/437,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20040230459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,806 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

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.

Claims

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.