Prudential plc and Google Cloud Announce Strategic Partnership to Make Healthcare and Financial Security More Accessible Across Asia and Africa

HONG KONG, and LONDON, and NEW YORK, and SINGAPORE, Oct. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading insurance group, Prudential plc (Prudential) and Google Cloud today announced a strategic partnership to enhance health and financial inclusion for communities across Asia and Africa. 

Under this alliance, Prudential will leverage Google Cloud's data analytics capabilities, secure and sustainable infrastructure, and the broader Google ecosystem, to accelerate its digital transformation and to enhance user engagement of its health and wealth platform, Pulse. For Google Cloud, this partnership presents an opportunity to collaborate with a leading insurance provider to make protection, health and savings solutions simpler and more accessible across Asia and Africa.

Pulse is part of Prudential's multi-channel strategy to make healthcare more accessible and increase financial inclusion. The app provides users with access to services such as health risk assessment and online doctor consultation to help them better manage their health needs, as well as digital wealth tools to make financial decisions simpler¹. Pulse is available in 17 markets and 11 languages.

Solmaz Altin, Managing Director, Strategic Business Group, Prudential, said: "Across our markets, people are living longer, but not necessarily healthier and better. Harnessing technology, we want to empower people to live well for longer by making it easier for them to take care of their health and plan for their financial futures.

"Through this strategic partnership, we will leverage new technology solutions to make the Pulse platform more intelligent and engaging with the aim of reaching out to more people across Asia and Africa, in particular those who cannot easily access health and financial information and services."

This announcement deepens the existing relationship between Prudential and Google that began in 2019. Prudential is using Google Maps in the Pulse application, and further projects with Google Health, Document AI and Fitbit are being explored to enhance efficiency, functionality and user engagement.

Prudential expects to benefit from Google's suite of data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools such as Kubeflow, Looker, BigQuery and Vertex AI, to enhance customer interactions and to provide more personalised, accurate healthcare information and education to Pulse app users.

In the longer term, Prudential will look to adopt Google's AI across a broader digital strategy to make accessing insurance simpler, to drive greater efficiency, and to increase agent productivity. For example, through technology such as advanced analytics and AI, Prudential aims to use data to help its agents better understand the needs of their customers. It is also looking to improve customer experience, by digitising the entire claims process, making submission, assessment, and approval more seamless and efficient.

"At Google Cloud, our aim is to help our enterprise customers use technology to deliver outstanding experiences for their customers," said Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud. "Prudential is a significant partner of ours and a leading insurer that has been protecting lives for nearly 175 years globally. Our work together will make it easier for people to safeguard their health and protect their finances for the long term with digital tools that are accessible."

Prudential has more than 530,000 agents across its 23 markets in Asia and Africa and over 170 bancassurance partners with access to circa 27,600 bank branches, serving more than 19 million customers². 

Notes:
¹ Pulse's health and wealth features/services vary in different markets
² As at 30 Jun 2022

Prudential plc provides life and health insurance and asset management in Asia and Africa. The business helps people get the most out of life, by making healthcare affordable and accessible and by promoting financial inclusion. Prudential protects people's wealth, helps them grow their assets, and empowers them to save for their goals. The business has more than 19 million life customers and has dual primary listings on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong (2378) and the London Stock Exchange (PRU). It also has a secondary listing on the Singapore Stock Exchange (K6S) and a listing on the New York Stock Exchange (PUK) in the form of American Depositary Receipts. It is also a constituent of the Hang Seng Composite Index.

Prudential is not affiliated in any manner with Prudential Financial, Inc. a company whose principal place of business is in the United States of America, nor with The Prudential Assurance Company Limited, a subsidiary of M&G plc, a company incorporated in the United Kingdom.

https://www.prudentialplc.com/

Google Cloud accelerates every organisation's ability to digitally transform its business. We deliver enterprise-grade solutions that leverage Google's cutting-edge technology – all on the cleanest cloud in the industry. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud as their trusted partner to enable growth and solve their most critical business problems.

SOURCE Google Cloud