Throwback Thursday: Computer warning; Sedgwick’s expansion
Insurance Post’s Throwback Thursday steps back in time to August 1975 to remind you what was going on this week in insurance history when concerns were raised about reliance on computers and Sedgwick was opening offices in the world’s “developing areas”.
28 August 1975: Computer warning
“It is an unfortunate fact that many managements fail to appreciate how dependent they are upon computer systems,” wrote Sue Perry, account executive at Risk Management Consultants.
At the end of summer 1972, she wrote: “Computers take over by stealth! First one, then another essential business routine goes inexorably on to the computer.
“Unfortunately the modern computer’s efficiency is our undoing. There is no way in which it can be satisfactorily replaced with manual methods if it should fail for any reason.”
Showing wisdom and how far ahead of her time she was, Perry added: “The computer is essentially susceptible to three main classes of risk: environmental, accidental and deliberate.”
Sedgwick heads to Singapore
Sedgwick Forbes formed Sedgwick Forbes Private Limited in Singapore as part of the group’s strategy of bring strategy to bring international insurance to what bosses then called “the world’s developing areas.”
The move came just after Sedgwick had opened six offices in the Middle East, bringing the group’s coverage up to 58 offices in 24 countries.
Only users who have a paid subscription or are part of a corporate subscription are able to print or copy content.
To access these options, along with all other subscription benefits, please contact info@postonline.co.uk or view our subscription options here: https://subscriptions.postonline.co.uk/subscribe
You are currently unable to print this content. Please contact info@postonline.co.uk to find out more.
You are currently unable to copy this content. Please contact info@postonline.co.uk to find out more.
Copyright Infopro Digital Limited. All rights reserved.
As outlined in our terms and conditions, https://www.infopro-digital.com/terms-and-conditions/subscriptions/ (point 2.4), printing is limited to a single copy.
If you would like to purchase additional rights please email info@postonline.co.uk
Copyright Infopro Digital Limited. All rights reserved.
You may share this content using our article tools. As outlined in our terms and conditions, https://www.infopro-digital.com/terms-and-conditions/subscriptions/ (clause 2.4), an Authorised User may only make one copy of the materials for their own personal use. You must also comply with the restrictions in clause 2.5.
If you would like to purchase additional rights please email info@postonline.co.uk
More on Technology
Q&A: Richard King, Ticker
Richard King, founder and CEO of Ticker, discusses the journey from being a telematics “market maker” when it first launched to building a sustainable telematics MGA in the current landscape.
Could AI widen the insurance gap?
While artificial intelligence dominates forecasts for the future of insurance, Jarrod Johnson, director of Scenario Risk Partners, argues other technologies like drones and mobile risk-assessment tools may be the ones that hold the key to closing the UK’s persistent insurance gap.
Cytora acquisition won’t change Applied’s UK strategy
Graham Blackwell, president of Applied Systems, has told Insurance Post the firm’s purchase of Cytora is not a signal that it may be making a UK comeback.
Insurtech forecast for 2026
Insurtech sector leaders expect to stand stronger, smarter and more pragmatic than ever in 2026 by shifting from experimentation to execution, embedding artificial intelligence at scale, strengthening data foundations and proving their value through real, measurable innovation.
Insurers could deploy quantum computing within five years
Lewis Guignard, director of data science solution at Guidewire, has predicted insurers will have applications of quantum computing in production within three to five years.
Insurance Post’s star-studded Christmas Special for 2025
The award-winning Insurance Post Podcast has signed off the year with a Christmas Special featuring industry heavyweights, newsroom favourites and even a CBeebies-style bedtime story.
Blog: What you told me you want from risk management
Risk management needs to scale, hit harder and modernise fast. Johnny Thomson, head of strategic planning at RiskSTOP Group, reveals the industry’s top demands – and how data and AI are already reshaping what insurers, brokers and clients expect.
Insurtech Review of the Year 2025
Insurtechs came of age in 2025, shifting from disruption to deep integration, proving artificial intelligences real-world value, expanding globally, and cementing their role as essential partners driving insurance innovation and modernisation.