Royal Mail County Controversy Misses the Point, Says Postcode Anywhere

Aug. 16, 2010 - PRLog -- Royal Mail’s announcement that county names are to be completely dropped from their address database has met with a mixed response from marketers and the public – but the controversy ‘misses the point’ according to address data specialist Postcode Anywhere.

County names, removed in 2000 from Royal Mail’s complete address database the Postcode Address File (PAF®), are currently still available in the complementary Alias File - which after extensive consultation is to be phased out by 2016.

Postcode Anywhere’s Sales and Marketing Director Phil Rothwell said: “The decision to completely remove county names from Royal Mail’s files has been a long time coming. We have one of the most sophisticated postal systems in the world – but also the most idiosyncratic, and Royal Mail do a good job maintaining it.

“Getting the right county for an address can be a surprisingly complex and contentious issue. A series of 1970s boundary changes, affecting mainly Londoners, confused the matter. Then the mid 1990s saw the introduction of unitary authorities around major cities – leading to bizarre scenarios where, for example, Derby isn't in Derbyshire - at least administratively speaking!

“County names are an important part of our culture, from cricket clubs to sales patches, and Postcode Anywhere will continue to support all three county definitions after they have been removed from the Alias File. We will also continue to offer a fourth ‘common-sense’ view of the data to aid address capture and database management.

“The reality is that little will change. Details such as counties can be something very personal to the British mentality. Regrettably it may lead to confusion internationally, where address formats tend to be stricter.

“But old habits die hard and people will still be able to add what Ian Beesley, the chairman of the PAF® database advisory board, calls ‘vanity attachments,’ as long as the postcode is correct.

“The crux of the matter is that the county problem has never been with addresses – it’s been in defining geographical areas. We simply don’t have consistent conventions for this, leading to confusion when mapping out sales areas and definitive boundaries.

“As far back as 1966, The Times commented that ‘children will no doubt wonder why their address should refer to a county in which they have never lived’ due to inconsistencies between geographical and postal counties. Counties such as Avon don’t technically exist anymore.

“Providing and maintaining definitive boundary data is the thorny problem most commentators seem to have missed. The storm in a teacup surrounding so-called ‘postcode snobbery’ completely misses the point.”

Postcode Anywhere provides address auto-fill products for e-commerce websites and database applications, as well as a range of services including maps and geographic data. More information can be found at www.postcodeanywhere.com.

ENDS

Media contact for Postcode Anywhere
Jim Williams – PR Executive, Postcode Anywhere
jim@postcodeanywhere.com
+44 (0) 1905 888 570

Press centre at: http://www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk/press-centre/
Press Pack download: http://www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk/assets/PDFs/press-pack-...
County map image at: http://www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk/assets/Stock/ye-olde-ma...

Notes to Editors:

About Postcode Anywhere

Postcode Anywhere has been providing address services for ten years and is the fastest-growing reseller of Royal Mail’s Postcode Address File (PAF). A multi-award-winning organisation, it has also appeared in successive Deloitte fast-growth European technology company lists. Postcode Anywhere supplies software and services which improve the day-to-day operations of over 8,000 organisations worldwide. Best known as a provider of address auto-fill and verification software, the company offers a range of data-driven services, including route planning and customer profiling. For more information about Postcode Anywhere, please visit www.postcodeanywhere.com.

Recent Awards and Recognition for Postcode Anywhere

•   Red Herring Top 100 Europe - 2010
•   Best Small IT Supplier of the Year - UK IT Industry Awards (finalist) – 2009
•   One of Europe's fastest-growing IT firms - Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA 2008/9 & 2009/10
•   Dell Small Business Excellence Award (UK finalist) – 2009
•   Small-Medium Sized Business of the Year (regional finalist) - National Business Awards 2009
•   Orange Best Use of Technology (Midlands) - 2008 National Business Awards
•   Growth Business of the Year - Chamber Awards 2008
•   Small Business of the Year - Chamber Awards 2008
•   Customer Service Team of the Year (finalist) - National Customer Services Awards 2008

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Postcode Anywhere is a UK-based company best known for its market-leading “what’s your postcode” technology. Its services include route optimisation, international addressing, data cleansing, business information services and lifestyle profiling.