We’re pleased to make available for review the first openIDS data standard, built around an insurable object (a residence) and aligned with core insurance records. The Residential Structure Model defines a large range of attributes that help insurers evaluate residential risks.
The openIDS Residential Structure Model includes code lists, risk indicators, and coverage indicators.
We’re pleased to make available for review the first openIDS data standard, built around an insurable object (a residence) and aligned with core insurance records. The Residential Structure Model defines a large range of attributes that help insurers evaluate residential risks.
Residential Structure Model
In insurance, an “insurable object” refers to any item that may be covered or excluded by a policy. By standardizing how residential structures are described and recorded, we’re enabling:
Improved risk assessment – Consistent data means more accurate underwriting.
Regulatory readiness – Quicker responses to regulators with data in recognized formats.
Seamless interoperability – Shared definitions reduce the need for costly one-off data translations.
Better insights – Rich, structured data unlocks more powerful analytics and product innovation.
The insurance industry has long struggled with fragmented data — every carrier, regulator, and service provider using its own formats, slowing down compliance, innovation, and collaboration. That’s where openIDL and openIDS come in.
openIDL
openIDL (Open Insurance Data Link) is the umbrella initiative under the Linux Foundation. It was launched in 2018 to bring insurers, regulators, and technology providers together around a common mission: make insurance data exchange faster, more secure, and more useful for everyone. Early on, openIDL proved blockchain could handle sensitive insurance data through a successful pilot in North Dakota, where carriers, the DMV, and regulators exchanged data on uninsured motorists.
But the industry asked for more. Carriers and regulators didn’t just want a faster pipe for data — they wanted a shared language. That’s why openIDL pivoted to focus on building a true data standard.
openIDS
openIDS (Open Insurance Data Standards) is that standard. It is the workhorse inside openIDL, creating the actual data models and specifications that allow insurers, regulators, reinsurers, and service providers to communicate seamlessly.
It provides a core insurance model (covering policy, claims, and risk) and extension points (for jurisdiction-specific regulations, emerging risks like climate or cyber, and industry innovations like IoT).
It is governed openly under Linux Foundation rules, ensuring neutrality, transparency, and long-term sustainability.
Understanding openIDL and openIDS
People sometimes get confused about how openIDL and openIDS relate to each other. Here’s the straightforward way to think about it:
openIDL is the Linux Foundation project. It provides the overall umbrella — the legal home, the resources, and the organizational structure. It’s what makes this work possible in an open, neutral, and anti-trust compliant environment.
openIDS (Open Insurance Data Standards) is the working group inside openIDL. It is where the community actually does the work:
Hosting the meetings.
Defining the standard.
Running the governance process around that standard.
In other words:
openIDL = the umbrella + resources + home within the Linux Foundation.
openIDS = the community that meets, builds, and governs the data standard under that umbrella.
Together, they make sure the insurance industry has both the structure to support long-term collaboration (openIDL) and the active community and standards development that drives real progress (openIDS).
The openIDS Homeowners Working Group has officially kicked off development of the Residential Structure Model v1.0, and momentum is strong. Building on the solid foundation contributed by Cloverleaf’s model, we’re now laser-focused on refining, enhancing, and filling any gaps needed to make this standard a robust, industry-ready resource.
Why the Residential Structure Model Matters
The Residential Structure Insurable Object Template provides a structured way to capture detailed information about an insured risk. In insurance, an “insurable object” is any item covered (or excluded) in a policy. By defining this model for residential structures, we are creating a common framework for insurers to record and analyze critical details about homes, their conditions, and their exposures.
This is essential for:
Risk assessment – More accurate underwriting with standardized data.
Regulatory compliance – Faster responses when regulators request information in familiar formats.
Industry interoperability – Shared definitions that eliminate costly translation between company-specific models.
Data-driven insights – Stronger analytics for trends, geographic risk analysis, and product development.
What’s Inside the Model
The Residential Structure Model v1.0 aims to define a wide range of attributes that help insurers evaluate residential risks. Some examples include:
Construction and condition details – Construction type, siding, roof condition, plumbing, electrical, and wiring inspections.
Occupancy and usage – Number of families, apartments, or household residents, weeks rented, and presence of businesses on premises.
Risk-reducing and exposure factors – Security systems, sprinkler indicators, fire protection classes, alarm types, and distance to tidal water.
Property value and features – Year built, purchase price, replacement cost, living area, garage/carport type, and swimming pool exposure.
Special indicators – Vicious animal presence, ongoing additions, business at residence, or long-term residency.
This comprehensive approach ensures that insurers can capture not just the physical structure, but also its use, condition, and potential exposures.
Call for Collaboration
Right now, our priority is identifying and closing any gaps. This is where the community comes in. If you have resources, insights, or data that can strengthen the Residential Structure Model, your input is needed. Workstream members are providing industry standards/references the group can review and use to consolidate the gap analysis. Before our next meeting our plan is to:
Review gaps and determine additions or subtractions for openIDS Residential Structure model v0.1.
Align on standard naming conventions for openIDS Residential Structure model v0.1.
Confirm logical format/structure for openIDS Residential Structure model v0.1 and subsequent data standards.
Our next Homeowners Workstream call will be on Monday, August 25th at 2:30pm ET and open to anyone who wants to join us. Click here to access the Zoom link for our next meeting.
The more perspectives and data we gather, the stronger and more adaptable this standard will become for the entire industry. We look forward to working together!
Earlier this week, openIDL took a significant step toward modernizing how the insurance industry collaborates around homeowners data. We officially launched the Homeowners Workstream, an initiative focused on developing a resilient, flexible data standard that supports smarter reporting, analysis, and regulatory transparency — all while preserving privacy and control for participating insurers.
The kickoff featured a presentation by Rob Clark, President and CEO of Cloverleaf Analytics, who laid the groundwork for what will become the foundation of a standardized approach to homeowners insurance data. The team is moving quickly but thoughtfully to translate the flexible model into a usable data standard for homeowners reporting.
From Concept to Reality: A Future-Proof Homeowners Data Standard
Rob’s presentation walked the group through the initial structure of the homeowners data model — a framework designed to be:
Resilient, adapting to changing regulatory requirements and market conditions
Flexible, so it can serve both insurers’ internal analytics and external data calls
Privacy-preserving, in line with openIDL’s distributed architecture
Interoperable, with other industry standards and reporting frameworks
Work on this continues with our next call on Monday, August 4 at 2pm ET — open to anyone who wants to join the effort – click here to access the Zoom link.
Written by Josh Hershman, Executive Director of OpenIDL
The insurance industry is facing a data reckoning. Whether it’s regulatory reporting, third-party interactions with vendors, reinsurers, and fronting carriers, or even internal transfers between departments, the movement of data across the ecosystem remains painfully outdated. Legacy statistical reporting models were built for a different era, and ad hoc data calls are often too late, too costly, and too fragmented to deliver real value. These inefficiencies slow progress, increase costs, and expose the industry to growing regulatory risk or slowing down progress derived from efficiencies.
At openIDL, we believe there’s a better way. That’s why we’ve shifted our focus onto solving the “Data Problem” — not with another stopgap, but by building the open, modern data standard the industry needs.
From Concept to Consortium: The Birth of openIDS
Earlier this year, we launched a new working group under the banner of openIDS — open Insurance Data Standards. The mission is clear: create a modern, flexible data model that enables the industry to standardize how data is structured and shared. Rather than focusing on any single technology, openIDS is about getting the format right — so that any interactions with any organizations, including regulatory reporting, becomes faster and more reliable. Third-party data exchanges are more consistent and easier to manage and deploy.
To frame the challenge and build momentum, we released two white papers outlining the deep inefficiencies in the current system and calling for industry-wide collaboration. These papers lay out a difficult but necessary truth: if the industry doesn’t act, regulators — including federal agencies — will act for us, imposing their own standards and processes. Read the white papershere.
We believe there’s a better path — one where insurers and regulators work together to define the solution.
Standing on Strong Shoulders: IP Contributions from Cloverleaf Analytics
Our working group isn’t starting from scratch. Thanks to a foundational IP contribution from Cloverleaf Analytics, we have a well-developed data model to build from. This model offers a head start in creating something both resilient and implementable across the industry — a practical core to start, affording the data standards process the best foundation.
This contribution will be the starting point for our first line of business: homeowners insurance. We’re building the first work stream around this line, with the goal of demonstrating real progress on the data standard challenges associated with this line. Once the homeowners model is complete, we’ll expand to other lines in rapid succession, as determined by openIDS.
A Big Tent for Real Change
This isn’t just a carrier project. It’s not just for regulators, either. Our effort is intentionally designed as a multi-stakeholder consortium, open to:
Insurance carriers / reinsurers / MGAs
State insurance regulators
Trade associations and advisory organizations
Not-for-profits / Academic and research institutions
Third Party Data Vendors / Actuary Firms
Other standards-setting organizations
By bringing everyone to the table, we’re working to build a truly adaptable, robust, and open data standard — one that serves the needs of many and adapts to what is now a fast-changing insurance landscape.
Powered by Open Governance
Crucially, openIDS is governed under the Linux Foundation, one of the world’s most respected open source governance models. That means every decision we make is transparent, consensus-driven, and structured for long-term stability — not vendor lock-in or proprietary dependence.
The standard we’re building will be:
Open source
Governed by consensus
Designed for real-world implementation across carriers of all sizes
Why Now?
The stakes are clear. State regulators are overwhelmed. Federal agencies are stepping in. Carriers are spending resources on one-off data calls that deliver limited insight. Third Party Vendors and Carriers expel a huge amount of resources on aligning data when they start working together. Everyone agrees the current approach is unsustainable.
But here’s the opportunity: if the industry builds the solution, the industry can shape its future.
By joining openIDS, insurers, regulators, and other stakeholders can finally collaborate on a shared standard — one that is trusted, adaptable and built by an ecosystem of stakeholders.
What’s Next?
The openIDS working group is live and growing. Join us
The first work stream (homeowners) is underway, built on contributed IP.
In an industry where data is paramount, the lack of standardized protocols has long been a barrier to efficiency and innovation. The recently released white paper by the open Insurance Data Standards (openIDS) initiative sheds light on this challenge and introduces a transformative framework designed to revolutionize data interoperability across the insurance sector.openIDL
Key Highlights from the White Paper:
The Data Challenge: The insurance industry relies heavily on data for risk assessment, pricing, claims management, and customer engagement. However, the absence of universally adopted data standards has led to fragmented systems, increased operational costs, and hindered collaboration among stakeholders.openIDL
The Problem: Without common data standards, insurers expend significant resources translating data for various purposes, including regulatory reporting and catastrophe modeling. This inefficiency not only escalates costs but also impedes timely and accurate data exchange, affecting decision-making processes.openIDL
It’s Time for Something New and Non-proprietary!: The white paper advocates for an open-source approach to data standardization. By making data model architectures publicly accessible, the initiative aims to foster widespread adoption, enabling insurers to implement these standards at no cost and facilitating a more cohesive industry framework.openIDL
Extensibility: A Framework for All
A standout feature of the proposed openIDS framework is its inherent extensibility. Designed to be technology-neutral and adaptable, this framework is not limited to a specific segment of the insurance process. Whether it’s underwriting, claims management, actuarial analysis, or regulatory compliance, the openIDS framework provides a versatile foundation that can be tailored to various applications. As long as the data standards work through the governance of the working group, they can be extended.
This adaptability ensures that as the insurance landscape evolves—be it through the introduction of new products, regulatory changes, or technological advancements—the framework can seamlessly accommodate these developments.By eliminating proprietary barriers and promoting an inclusive model, the openIDS framework paves the way for enhanced collaboration, innovation, and efficiency across the entire insurance ecosystem.Linux Foundation
Conclusion
The openIDS white paper presents a compelling case for the urgent need for standardized data protocols in the insurance industry. By embracing an open, extensible framework, stakeholders can look forward to a future where data flows seamlessly, operational costs are reduced, and innovation thrives. For those interested in delving deeper into the specifics of this transformative initiative, the full white paper is available for review.
In a major step toward modernizing the insurance industry, openIDL (the open Insurance Data Link) has officially launched the openIDS Data Specifications Working Group — a collaborative effort aimed at revolutionizing how insurance data is standardized and shared across the sector.
This initiative comes at a pivotal time for carriers, regulators, and vendors alike, all of whom are navigating a rapidly evolving digital landscape. By introducing an open, shared data framework, the openIDS Working Group aims to break down data silos, foster meaningful collaboration, and unlock new opportunities for innovation and speed-to-market.
Why This Matters
The insurance ecosystem is filled with talented partners — from insurtech startups to legacy system providers — but too often, outdated data structures and inconsistent formats get in the way of collaboration. The openIDS Working Group is tackling this challenge head-on, creating a modern, flexible, and community-driven data standard that makes it easier to build together.
Key goals of the openIDS initiative include:
💡 Fuel Innovation: With a shared language for data, organizations can more easily build new tools, products, and services that work across systems and partners.
🤝 Simplify Vendor Collaboration: A common data standard reduces integration friction and shortens the time it takes to launch new solutions.
📊 Support Smarter Regulation: While not the sole focus, the framework also streamlines regulatory reporting by reducing redundancy and making compliance faster and more consistent.
⚙️ Increase Operational Efficiency: By eliminating duplicative data efforts, organizations can reallocate resources and improve accuracy.
Whether you’re modernizing core systems, testing new data partnerships, or simply tired of reinventing the wheel with every integration, openIDS offers a smarter, more scalable path forward.
Join the Conversation: April 21 at 4PM EST
If you’re a carrier, technology partner, regulator, or insurance innovator, we’d love to collaborate with you.
📅 The next openIDS Working Group meeting is April 21 at 4:00 PM EST. 📩 Message us to find out how to be invited to the meeting.
This is your opportunity to shape the future of insurance data and contribute to an open, interoperable foundation that benefits the entire industry.
About openIDL
openIDL is a Linux Foundation project that brings together stakeholders from across the insurance ecosystem to improve the way data is shared, secured, and utilized. Through open-source governance and community-led development, openIDL promotes transparency, trust, and innovation — while giving participants full control over how and when their data is used.
The openIDS community is excited to announce the release of our latest white paper, “The Case for Open Insurance Data Standards,” which delves into why the Property and Casualty (P&C) insurance industry is at a pivotal moment of rapid technology advances, increasing regulatory demands, market expectation shifts, and the extreme need for seamless and secure data exchange. Proprietary data formats have long dominated the industry, but they come with limitations—high costs, lack of interoperability, and vendor lock-in. Now, a new open-source initiative is poised to revolutionize how the industry shares and utilizes data.
This document lays out the urgent need for a universal, open, and non-proprietary data-sharing framework in the P&C insurance industry.
Key Highlights
Why Open Standards?
The insurance industry remains one of the few global sectors without widely adopted open data standards. Other industries, such as finance and healthcare, have reaped the benefits of standardization, including reduced costs, improved efficiency, and accelerated innovation. Now, it’s time for insurance to follow suit.
Open data standards offer numerous advantages, including:
Enhancing Interoperability – Creating a seamless exchange of data between carriers, reinsurers, brokers, regulators, and third-party providers.
Improving Transparency and Compliance – Providing regulators with more consistent and accessible data formats.
Driving Innovation – Enabling the development of AI-driven analytics, real-time risk modeling, and blockchain-based smart contracts.
What is openIDS?
openIDS is an open-source framework developed and maintained by the Linux Foundation, the world’s largest open-source development platform. This initiative is built on principles of transparency, collaboration, and long-term sustainability. Unlike proprietary systems, openIDS provides a flexible, extensible data standard that supports all lines of business within P&C insurance.
Key features of openIDS include:
A unified, future-proof core model that facilitates seamless data exchange across the insurance ecosystem.
An extensible framework that allows for customization while maintaining interoperability.
Compatibility with advanced technologies like AI-driven underwriting, blockchain contracts, and real-time risk analysis.
Support for multiple languages and global adoption, ensuring a broad industry impact.
Join the Movement
The adoption of open standards is a crucial step in modernizing the P&C insurance industry. We invite industry leaders, insurers, reinsurers, regulators, and technology providers to collaborate in shaping this transformation.
We encourage you to read and share this resource with colleagues and peers who may be interested in insurance data and data exchange transformation. Your feedback is valuable to us; please feel free to share your thoughts and questions after reading.
Stay tuned for Part II of this openIDS White Paper series and for more updates & resources as we continue to grow and support the industry.
Together, we can build a more efficient, transparent, and innovative insurance industry. Join the openIDS community today and be part of the future of insurance data exchange.
Why the Property and Casualty Insurance Industry is CreatingNew Open Standards for Information Exchange
The property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry is at a critical juncture. For decades, insurers, reinsurers, brokers, and third-party vendors have relied on proprietary data formats resulting in limited agility, inefficiencies, and increased costs. In an era where data is the cornerstone of competitive advantage now for every industry, these legacy constraints are no longer sustainable.
A shift toward open data standards presents a transformative opportunity. By collectively building and widely-adopting a universally accepted, non-proprietary framework for data exchange, the industry can enhance interoperability, streamline operations, and accelerate innovation. This white paper explores why the adoption of open standards is not just an option — it is an imperative for the future of insurance.
Abstract
Can you imagine a universal and widely-adopted data sharing process for the P&C industry? What if the only thing that needs to be done is “turning on the spigot” to allow other parties to receiveyour data as a feed across it through a query? Wouldn’t it be greatif a consensus-built format is open, non-proprietary, and futureproof?Can you see the opportunities in joining every other majorglobal industry in their mutual industry benefits resulting fromcollective contribution to open source platforms – that actually shiftbottom lines?
The Property and Casualty (P&C) insurance industry is undergoing significant
transformation as technological advancements, increased regulatory scrutiny, and market
demands for efficiency drive the need for seamless data exchange. Historically,
proprietary data formats have been widely used to facilitate communication between
carriers, reinsurers, and regulators. However, these formats often introduce barriers such
as high costs, lack of interoperability, and vendor lock-in. In contrast, free and open
standards offer a compelling alternative by providing universally accessible data
exchange protocols that enhance collaboration, reduce costs, improve transparency,
and foster innovation. Such standards should be non-proprietary and open through an
organization that has decades of proven success in open governance and the capacity to
maintain these frameworks and characteristics indefinitely. This paper explores the
benefits and value proposition of building non-proprietary and open standards in
comparison to proprietary and closed formats and frameworks – highlighting key
advantages in areas such as cost efficiency, scalability, regulatory compliance, and longterm
adaptability. openIDS (open Insurance Data Standards) is proposed as a launched
and currently functioning open standards framework-building project, built with,
supported, and managed by the Linux Foundation, the largest global open source
development platform.
The openIDS community seeks your support and participation in building the new and open
The insurance industry traditionally and historically benefits from operating behind closed doors, using proprietary systems and custom data formats. The benefits are shrinking and have created silos and increasing inefficiencies, unnecessary costs, and risks.
Meanwhile, every other major global industry has discovered the opportunities and proven solutions of open-source software (OSS), technology, and collaborative governance models to accelerate innovation, improve security, and reduce expenses.
With the rapid rise of AI and digital transformation, insurers are dipping their toes into open data ecosystems—leveraging APIs, external data sources, and machine learning tools—yet they are hardly contributing leaders, the overarching benefit to leveraging open platforms; nor does the industry have paired open standards, enabling these emerging technologies and systems to be leveraged efficiently, safely, and truly effectively.
“Over many years, new industries and thousands of organizations have entered the open source ecosystem. In the early days, some organizations leapt into OSS without a proper strategy and an execution plan; they did not emerge as winners. Others took a deliberative approach that embraced OSS methodology and engineering practices; they came out as leaders for open source activities in their industries or verticals.” – LF Research Guide to Open Source
Global non-profit organization, the Linux Foundation ("LF") is the largest open source operating system in the world.
The LF is governed, run, and maintained by its members, some of which are the largest global corporations including (but certainly not limited to as there are 14 Platinum, 17 Gold, 1,208 Silver, and 319 Associate members): AT&T, AWS, Cisco, Coinbase, Ethereum, Fujitsu, Google, Hitachi, Huawei, IBM, Intel, Meta, Microsoft, Oracle, Qualcomm, Samsung, Tencent, and VMware. Over 850 open source projects, 17,000+ contributing organizations, 777,000+ developers contributing code, and 76,300,000+ lines of code added weekly, the LF has and continues to maintain the beat of the world’s technological heart, openly.
This “take but don’t give” approach comes at a cost: without clean, governed, and standardized data, insurers risk feeding AI models with messy, inconsistent, inaccurate, and even dangerous information that leads to flawed risk assessments, regulatory penalties, lawsuits, reputational blows, and financial losses.
Innovation impact and ability to securely and effectively generate scalable products, services, and implementation of technological advancements to match the times has also been stunted by the industry’s under-involvement in open platforms.
Opportunities to leverage cross-industry partnerships for access to more and better data and existing global cross-industry digital advancements (think: IoT, real-time data exchange, quantum computing, and optimized security…) has also been diminished by sitting in the bleachers of complacency and de facto loyalty to restrictive systems.
“Today, OSS powers the digital economy and enables scientific and technological breakthroughs that improve our lives [and business]. It’s in our phones, our cars, our airplanes, our homes, our businesses, and our governments.
Organizations involved in building [technology / software] products, regardless of their specific industry or sector, are likely to adopt OSS and contribute to open source projects deemed critical to their products and services.”
The world is shifting toward data democratization, yet insurance companies continue to rely on outdated, closed systems that increase operational costs and slow down business processes. The industry’s long-held competitive advantage through exclusive data access is eroding, and those who fail to adapt will continue to face the increasing inevitable consequences.
Moving past current data standard and format reliances (holding the industry majority back from revolutionizing and innovating) will open doors to the next era of insurance data utilization.
Unfortunately, there has not been a solid and scalable alternative to build and host necessary participation and wide-adoption. This gap, the lack of a universal, non-proprietary insurance data standards-building platform, has now been solved with the inception of openIDS. 🚀
Next Step: Gather industry leaders to shape and build the new open standards!
Coming next: Why the Insurance Industry Needs Open Governance, the realistic approach to revolutionizing insurance data standards with open governance and a non-proprietary, open platform to collaboratively build
