Data Strategy articles from February 2007

Data Strategy archives from February 2007

Bridge the gap between aspiration and delivery.
February 14, 2007... Is the job you carry out every day the same job you are measured for doing? It is by no means standard practice for performance to be assessed on the work that's actually done. Just think about the Government's targets in the public sector. A...

Govt data-sharing proposal under fire.
February 14, 2007... Legal practitioners and civil rights groups have slammed Government plans to allow data sharing between public sector agencies; a move which will result in a key principle of the Data Protection Act being ditched. The proposals, contained...

IN BRIEF: 'Police lack cyber-crime skills', inquiry told.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... Police in the UK lack the skills and expertise to deal effectively with cases of Internet crime that are reported to them. The claim was made by Jerry Fishenden, national technology officer for Microsoft UK, at a hearing of the House of...

NHS fights fraud with data mining strategy.
February 14, 2007... NHS Counter Fraud Service is deploying data mining software to identify potentially fraudulent trends and anomolies in payment systems. The service is using SAS Intelligence Platform to look at payment data, covering all claims, including...

Consultation launched for death registration.
February 14, 2007... Proposals to allow the timely disclosure of official death registrations are underway in a move intended to reduce fraud and identity theft. A joint consultation paper has been drawn up by the Registrars General for England and Wales, Northern...

SPSS boosts data mining capabilities with Clementine.
February 14, 2007... Enhanced data mining techniques and graphic capabilities have been included in the new release of SPSS's Clementine solution. Version 11.0 includes new algorithms developed to support credit scoring, using discriminant function analysis,...

IN BRIEF: DMA chair issues of 'green fog' warning.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... The new chair of the DMA (UK) has warned members that the sector must act to prevent the industry disappearing into a 'green fog'. Rosemary Smith, who was voted in late last month, fears that the direct marketing industry may be a...

ER voter opt-out hits record levels.
February 14, 2007... The proportion of voters choosing to use the opt-out from the Electoral Register reached 36.71 per cent in 2006, up from 32.14 per cent the previous year, according to Equifax. Having loaded the full 45 million-plus file, the company has...

Acxiom 'total picture' solution bolsters offer.
February 14, 2007... Acxiom has boosted its segmentation product portfolio with a double initiative. The company has launched the Personicx v2, an improved version of its household segmentation tool with new clusters, dynamic deployment and online profile...

IN BRIEF: Jaywing bought by Ben Langdon group.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... Data business Jaywing has been acquired by the Digital Marketing Group (DMG) - spearheaded by former adman Ben Langdon - in a #24m deal which also includes media planning and buying agency Cheeze. The acquisitions will allow DMG to offer...

Unica strengthens links with Netezza.
February 14, 2007... Data warehouse operator Netezza is to expanded its strategic relationship with Unica Corporation. The move will see product integration extending to include Unica's recently launched Web analytics solution, Affinium Netinsight 7.1, to...

LA Fitness gets data in shape with EuroDirect.
February 14, 2007... LA Fitness has selected Microvision from EuroDirect to improve customer targeting and optimise gym location. EuroDirect will work in partnership with data marketing experts MDS Global to deliver a fully integrated solution, using...

Jaywing releases scheme to back credit applications.
February 14, 2007... Jaywing is launching a service, Smartdecisions, which employs bespoke data analysis and access to multiple data sources, to support robust risk decisions on credit applications. The service aims to allow users to enjoy substantial bad...

IN BRIEF: Guardian signs up to Stop Dead scheme.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... Guardian News & Media (GNM) has joined Help the Aged, Boots and Direct Wines by signing up to the Stop Dead Consortium. The move has been rubber-stamped by Charles Ping, the retiring chairman of the DMA and head CRM at Guardian...

Callcredit unveils home movers file.
February 14, 2007... Callcredit is releasing its updated credit-ready New Movers list, based on people who have changed addresses since the last Electoral Roll. It contains details of individuals and households who will be extremely responsive to home...

Third of firms lax on B2B data cleaning.
February 14, 2007... One third of companies never check their B2B customer and prospect data against suppression files or preference services, increasing their risk of non-compliance with data protection regulations and incurring unnecessary costs. Despite...

IN BRIEF: Trillium launches data quality dashboard.(Brief article)
February 14, 2007... Trillium Software has unveiled a data quality dashboard system, called TS Insight, which provides trending and scorecards through a Web-based application. It monitors data quality statistics and key performance indicators across customer...

Business failures raise debt threat.
February 14, 2007... A record number of businesses failed during 2006, with a 10.7 per cent rise compared with the previous year. According to Experian, 20,067 companies collapsed in the past 12 months. Failures also hit a peak during the fourth quarter of...

Towards a shared data security culture.
February 14, 2007... EU proposals on enacting US-style data security breach laws to protect client and customer information are important steps in furthering the EU's growing culture of security. Data security breach laws in the US have forced companies to shine...

LETTER: Business approaches work to mutual benefit.(Letter to the editor)
February 14, 2007... The widespread belief across the IT industry seems to be that SaaS and SOA are competitive, rather than complementary, approaches to business. I propose we should look at the issue differently. In a recent IBM white paper, the focus was...

LETTER: Time is running out to get industry in order.(Letter to the editor)
February 14, 2007... Your readers are no doubt getting somewhat bored of my warning about this Government's agenda to legislate irrevocably against our industry. Environment Secretary David Milliband's vow to provide legislation to make direct mail opt-in...

Data the heartbeat of fundraising strategy.
February 14, 2007... Data is powerful and increasingly underpins our key business decisions, requiring us to constantly adapt and develop our products and processes. Cancer Research UK's data management strategic goals act as a framework, guiding us so that...

MEASURE UP: Made to measure.
February 14, 2007... The problem with performance management metrics is that the act of measurement itself changes the results. But new systems are enabling organisations to gather data that is more accurate than ever, says David Reed When a measure becomes a...

'A bizarre way to earn a living but with rewards'.
February 14, 2007... Sean Glover, managing director of sports broadcasting and graphics provider HourGlass Vision Q What does the job of a sports analyst involve? Our role is to record, analyse and disseminate data and information for a variety of sports...

CASE STUDY: Outsourcing the chores.
February 14, 2007... Emap Glenigan had difficulties in getting staff to process accurate, consistent data on construction projects, so it passed the work on to a specialist Emap Glenigan is the leading supplier of market intelligence and data to the...

DATA FINANCIALS: Clicks and bricks key to consumer trust.
February 14, 2007... All you ever wanted to know about making profit from data but were too afraid to ask Online and high street retailers have the greatest degree of consumer trust, increasing their potential to become distributors of financial products...

DATA FINANCIALS: Retailers missing out on cross-selling opportunities.
February 14, 2007... Cross-selling and up-selling to existing customers is the fastest way to profitability. Yet only one in five (21 per cent) e-retailers is using transactional emails to deliver promotional messages. That is one of the key findings from a...

Legal column: Susan Mann.(Column)
February 14, 2007... Susan Mann, counsel, Reed Smith Richards Butler Watch out, Starbucks. Wireless Internet access, or 'hot spots', have been around for a few years now, but were largely restricted to indoor applications. Until now, you could only access a...

DATA INTEGRITY: Getting to grips with freedom.
February 14, 2007... Many private and public bodies are breaking the law by failing to store and provide data in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. As the public gains confidence in its right to access such data, there is an urgent need for...

TFM PREVIEW: They have the technology.
February 14, 2007... TFM is always a popular destination for industry professionals seeking a one-stop-shop solution to keeping ahead of the latest technology. Patrick Dye rounds up the innovations on show this year Forget April, it is February that could...

LMS senior analyst with strong support network.(Interview)
February 14, 2007... Data Strategy talks to data practitioners who toil unnoticed behind the scenes What is your name and job title? Emma Shindler, senior account analyst, Loyalty Management Services What does your job involve? Is there a lot of...

Why sorry seems to be the hardest word in business.
February 14, 2007... It is hard to believe in the age of Big Brother and road rage, but British reserve still exists. The problem with having a stiff upper lip, however, is not only that its owner endures poor service but also that companies never learn where they...