Data Strategy articles from September 2006

Data Strategy archives from September 2006

LEADER: Roadmap data needs to cut variable costs.
September 13, 2006... Astronauts are not imaginative people. They are selected precisely for their lack of fanciful thoughts. The last thing you want when preparing to be fired into space is to start thinking about being the last human between Earth and the rest...

Liberty warns airlines over 'positive profiling'.
September 13, 2006... Civil rights group Liberty has warned the Government and airline industry that they must tread carefully over plans to introduce 'positive profiling' of passengers, despite assurances that it will not involve screening by religious or ethnic...

IN BRIEF: Data Strategy revamp creates new sections.(Brief article)
September 13, 2006... Contributing editor David Reed has taken over the role of editor, as part of a revamp which sees the introduction of a number of new sections. The changes, kicking off this month with Data Quality news (see page 10) and the Back Room (see page...

Norwich Union in tracking overhaul.
September 13, 2006... Norwich Union (NU) is overhauling its data strategy by implementing an enterprise marketing management solution to provide greater visibility of marketing spend and boost campaign results tracking. The move, which follows the company's...

Debenhams appoints Sunopsis to data task.
September 13, 2006... Debenhams has hired Sunopsis, a technology firm in the data and application integration market, to load information from its transactional databases into its new Enterprise-class Netezza Performance Server. Sunopsis Data Conductor is being...

IT chiefs express concern at poor list management.
September 13, 2006... The vast majority of IT managers are deeply concerned about their business' approach to data management, with the biggest worry being the ability to react to a disaster, according to a report. The research, carried out by InTechnology,...

IN BRIEF: Identex chief quits for EuroDirect.(Brief article)
September 13, 2006... Tim Pottinger has left Identex and joined marketing intelligence firm EuroDirect as database solutions director at its headquarters in Leeds. Pottinger will be responsible for developing and executing a divisional strategy. John Dobson,...

More2 snaps up GLTC business.
September 13, 2006... Mail order firm the Great Little Trading Company (GLTC) has appointed more2 to host and manage its end-user marketing database. The business, launched in 1995, offers 'practical products for parents and kids'. The company is now looking...

CACI in UKChanges link for system launch.
September 13, 2006... CACI is launching an online data enhancement and cleaning service which it claims will improve and bolster consumer marketing databases significantly. DataACE has been developed in conjunction with UKChanges. With the system, customers...

IN BRIEF: Barnardo's hands Celerity business.(Brief article)
September 13, 2006... Barnardo's has tasked Celerity with developing a donor reactivation programme to track down current and lapsed supporters. The firm will provide new address records for goneaways and lapsed donors, each being verified using records from UK...

Neopost appoints Data HQ to brief.
September 13, 2006... Neopost, Europe's largest mailroom manufacturer, aims to bolster its multichannel customer management programme - and market share - with the appointment of Data HQ, following a four-way pitch. The business-to-business customer management...

Company failures put pressure on B2B lists.
September 13, 2006... Companies which do not pre-vet their business-to-business (B2B) marketing databases have received another stark warning with news that British business failures rose to 4,720 (2 per cent) in the second quarter of 2006 compared with the same...

DQM Group rolls out Euro list/mail tracking system.
September 13, 2006... DQM Group, the UK-based list protection and mailing measurement company, is launching a European mail- and list-tracking service. The system will work through DQM's new European mail and list network, as well as its UK network, to provide...

IN BRIEF: Focus on accuracy gives Abacus lift.(Brief article)
September 13, 2006... Abacus' mail order data cooperative has seen an improvement in volumes and quality over the past year, by focusing on the accuracy of its database rather than just its quality. Abacus has been working with Alliance members to maximise the...

Experian unveils geographical tool.
September 13, 2006... Experian is boosting its analytical services with the release of Micromarketer Generation 3 - a geographical tool that offers customers extensive profiling. The new version is designed to provide customers with analytical profiling on area...

Conservative policy may slow PAF change.
September 13, 2006... The Conservative Party is opposing planning regulations which encourage urban infill and contribute to the 1.2 million annual changes to Royal Mail's Postcode Address File (PAF). Under new rules from the Department for Communities & Local...

IN BRIEF: Harte-Hanks grabs global address.(Brief article)
September 13, 2006... US-based direct and targeted marketing services provider Harte-Hanks has acquired UK-based Global Address. The data quality software provider supports address information from 230 countries worldwide. As well as continuing to support its...

DVLA data use to get clamped.
September 13, 2006... Strict new rules governing access to DVLA data will crack down on controversial usage by car clamping firms, bailiffs and debt collectors. The announcement of 14 new measures by Minister of State at the Department for Transport (DfT) Dr...

Clever creative reliant on smart targeting.
September 13, 2006... As purveyors of data-related services, my colleagues and I receive numerous communications which promote the wares of various companies in the field. I cannot fault these firms for trying to put themselves about a bit. New business is vital to...

LETTER: UK plc must start to take customer data seriously.(Letter to the editor)
September 13, 2006... Nigel Grimes, director of insight at AirMiles, highlighted that UK firms are failing the address change test (DS June). Nigel's ordeal when changing address details with suppliers after moving home is typical of address mismanagement and...

LETTER: Don't forget paper-based directories have a place.(Letter to the editor)
September 13, 2006... You'd think businesses are always trying to save money and find ways to use their resources better. So how come they're still wasting valuable time (DS June)? The main problem is all the excitement around search-engines. Let's face it,...

Pay agencies by outcomes not outputs.
September 13, 2006... We recently carried out a major data-cleaning project for a client that involved suppressing all incorrect, goneaway and dubious records, reducing the mailing file by around 40 per cent. However, I subsequently found that the direct marketing...

FEATURE: Different class.
September 13, 2006... As traditional definitions of class and status become increasing outdated, social categories are diversifying, with businesses increasingly forced to rely on indicators such as property prices, says David Reed Class is a national...

DATA INTEGRITY: Making a clean break.(Company overview)
September 13, 2006... Cleansing prospect databases is always superior to scrapping files in favour of outsourcing. But first the board needs to see this as a profit, not a cost, issue, says Emma Rubach Waiting for the results of data-quality surveys has...

CASE STUDY: Drink problem.(Company overview)
September 13, 2006... Innocent Drinks chose a Microsoft Hosted Exchange Service from Cobweb Solutions to support its growing data and communications requirements Innocent Drinks was established in 1999 as a small stall selling smoothie recipes at a music...

Government consults on jail for data rogues.
September 13, 2006... The Government has launched a consultation on whether those found guilty of selling data illegally should be sent to prison for up to two years. The Department for Constitutional Affairs is to oversee the process after calls from the...

UK companies wising up to need for data asset strategy.
September 13, 2006... More and more companies are waking up to the need to adopt an enterprise strategy to manage the quality of data assets, according to a study. The survey of 216 information professionals, administered by Harte-Hanks Trillium Software, found that...

Firms chase new business at expense of customers.
September 13, 2006... Two-fifths of all European businesses claim that this year customer acquisition will take preference over long-term activity, such as customer retention and customer service, in a survey of firms operating in a range of industries, including...

Legal column: Peter Wainman answers pressing legal questions.(Column)
September 13, 2006... Previous editions of this column have explored some of the issues relating to the processing and the transferring of personal data. Another crucial aspect of the effective management of such data is the implementation of a clear and cohesive...

DATA WAREHOUSING: Storing up problems?
September 13, 2006... Given that most data warehouses are prone to failure at some point, companies which do not enforce tough governance standards will see problems mount. The more stakeholders, the greater the risks, says David Reed Failure is not an option...

ICLP data analyst reveals nature of the job.
September 13, 2006... Q What is your name and job title? A Wesley Greenhead, database analyst Q What does your job involve? Is there a lot of pressure? A I work in the database services department for ICLP, a loyalty marketing agency. My job involves...

Front-loaded debt problem.
September 13, 2006... There has always been a bell curve in the cost of living. With rising property prices and higher consumer expectations, the peak of that curve is occurring earlier in life than ever - at age 34, to be exact. A survey carried out on...