Modernizing a Life Insurance Core in the EU: A Practical Path
The Legacy Trap: Batch Cores and Paper Reality
Most European life insurers still run on batch-oriented cores from the 1980s–90s:
- New product launches require months of IT effort
- Servicing requests queue for overnight batch processing
- Customer data scattered across policy, claims, and finance systems
- Beneficiary changes require wet signatures and paper forms
- Surrenders and fund switches remain manual, multi-day processes
The Compliance Imperative: KIDs, Governance, KYC/AML, Auditability, Resilience
EU regulations demand technical foundations, not just documentation:
- PRIIPs KIDs must be generated dynamically at point of sale with current NAV data
- IDD product governance must be embedded in distribution workflows
- GDPR consent evidence and DSAR handling need technical infrastructure
- DORA expects operational resilience designed into the platform
- KYC/AML must be workflow-native—Jumio-ready integration + provider-agnostic adapters

A Pragmatic Modernization Path: Move Fast Without Breaking the Business
You don't need a multi-year big-bang migration. Start with high-value capabilities:
- Strangler pattern: new capabilities go live while legacy stays operational
- Quick wins: digital underwriting workbench, policyholder portal, agent quote-to-bind
- Incremental value: CFO sees ROI, operations sees relief, regulators see progress
- Keep your actuarial pricing stack intact (Prophet, AXIS, MoSes, Addactis, Radar)
- API and batch adapters for rating engines—no model re-platforming required


