A joint worldwide study of insurance customers suggests that thebest way carriers can snatch business from rival firms is to focuson buyers who seek coverage information on the Internet.

The findings were made in the 60-page 2008 World InsuranceReport by New York-based Capgemini consulting firm and thenon-profit European Financial Management & MarketingAssociation in Paris.

According to the study, there has been a "highly significant"increasing shift to the Internet, and 34 percent of the 11,000surveyed in the United States, United Kingdom and Europe said thatthey will buy property insurance online in the next threeyears.

Half of the people who go online to do research, the studyfound, ultimately buy their insurance over the Internet.

The report advised that insurers can capture business fromcompetitors if customers can be made to shake their "traditionalapathy about switching providers."

It said further that insurers could only "steal a share" if asizeable number are switching carriers. Switching insurers has beenon the increase in the United Kingdom where auto coverage customersswitch every three years on average, and property insurance everyfive.

The most likely targets for switching, the study said, arecustomers labeled "opportunist" customers, who are described asmembers of the middle class who have an above-average number ofpolicies and continually scan the market.

About 10-15 percent of the population in the survey were said tobe opportunists with that number rising to 25 percent inGermany.

So called "traditionalist" customers, who rarely switch are themainstay for insurers' dependable income and asset potential, thestudy said. It suggested that companies should try to use theirphysical arrangements to provide advice and business development totry to "nudge" traditional customers into using the Internet forpurchases.

Product distribution via physical networks is still the dominantmethod used by insurers.

The report said, "Insurers need to understand when to drivemarket evolution, and even encourage certain volatile behaviors"and also need "to be more proactive than they have traditionallybeen in managing their interactions...and work to differentiatetheir brand and reputation."

It said that that three information technology areas can helpinsurers succeed, mentioning use of enterprise data warehouses,analytics and customer intelligence to "hone behavioral-drivencustomer segmentation.

"Technology integration and service-oriented architectures(SOAs) could allow insurers to adapt and change their distributioncapabilities according to market dynamics. Next generation customerrelationship management (CRM) tools can help insurers and networksto manage customers under a global, enterprise-wide umbrella," thereport suggested.

According to the study, the average number of non-life policiesper customer in various countries breaks down as follows:

France, 4.6; Switzerland, 4.4; Netherlands, 4; Germany, 3.7;United States, 3.5; Spain, 3.5; Italy, 3.2 and United Kingdom,2.9.