While SCAI (Scalable Cloud Actuarial Infrastructure) is a somewhat lighthearted reference to “the Cloud,” the implications of cloud-based infrastructures such as Microsoft Azure are serious business.

Cloud computing is a major disruptor to nearly all software products, and actuarial software is no different. Insurers need to start thinking about how they are going to work with their vendors to move to the next level of actuarial infrastructure—“touch the SCAI.”

This article was published in the October 2011 issue of CompAct, a quarterly newsletter distributed by the Society of Actuaries.