a Word about oPPortunIsm Frequently and unfairly, there are negative connotations attached to the words, opportunism and opportunistic. Why? Competition, commercial or otherwise, depends on nimble responses to opportunity. In this specific case, insurers need to be opportunistic in response to market developments, consumer demand, technological potential, and other emergent matters. Ironically, when insurers are not so nimble or responsive, they’re likely to refer to their failures to capitalize as lost opportunity and to refer to what’s been lost as opportunity cost. But the new world of insurance, which will necessarily require a new operational approach, will leave little room for lost opportunity. Rather, it will require insurers to be agile enough to examine all opportunities and to have the resources at their disposal to take advantage of the ones that have the most potential for competitive advantage and category dominance. In this context, SOS lets insurers maximize opportunities and minimize opportunity costs.