Abstract: A method for underwriting an insurance policy includes sending an electronic query from an insurance company to a central vehicle operator rating agency. The method further includes receiving at the insurance company an electronic response to the query from the central vehicle operator rating agency. The response includes data maintained by the central vehicle operator rating agency with respect to a vehicle operator. The data reflects a vehicle operating record of the vehicle operator. The vehicle operating record is a collation of data concerning vehicle operation activities of the vehicle operator over a period of at least two years. The method further includes routing the received data to an underwriter in the insurance company. The underwriter determines whether to issue or renew or adjust an insurance policy that covers the vehicle operator or an employer of the vehicle operator.

Abstract: Two or more data sets, arranged in mutually inconsistent formats, are stored in a computer. Software is applied to each data set to discover and generate a topology for a respective Bayesian Belief Network for each of the data sets. The resulting individual constituent Bayesian Belief Networks are combined to produce a combined Bayesian Belief Network. The combined Bayesian Belief Network represents a virtual data set that does not exist but which stands in for a combination of the original data sets. The combined Bayesian Belief Network is a convenient representation that may be analyzed to investigate causality relationships among all of the variables in the constituent data sets.

Abstract: A method for underwriting an insurance policy includes sending an electronic query from an insurance company to a central vehicle operator rating agency. The method further includes receiving at the insurance company an electronic response to the query from the central vehicle operator rating agency. The response includes data maintained by the central vehicle operator rating agency with respect to a vehicle operator. The data reflects a vehicle operating record of the vehicle operator. The vehicle operating record is a collation of data concerning vehicle operation activities of the vehicle operator over a period of at least two years. The method further includes routing the received data to an underwriter in the insurance company. The underwriter determines whether to issue or renew or adjust an insurance policy that covers the vehicle operator or an employer of the vehicle operator.