Gazetteer Specialists Aligned Assets are pleased to announce the creation of ‘WebEx Wednesdays’.
From January through to March, every Wednesday, both morning and afternoon, WebEx demonstrations will be available, through which members of the public sector can watch, hear and interact with presentations on a range of innovative and powerful gazetteer solutions, all from the comfort of their own office.
Available without obligation and completely free of charge, there will be demonstrations on gazetteer connectivity software, Symphony iExchange, which gives the user the ability to share their gazetteer data throughout their organisation. As a standalone module, it has no limit to the systems they can send to – automatically and in a variety of formats.
Also available will be demos of Symphony SNN, which gives all Street Naming and Numbering Officers a method to speed up the entire process of naming a street or numbering a property. It allows multiple plots to be created with only a few clicks of the mouse, whilst the sending of notifications benefits from automation at every step of the way.
Demos will be available for SinglePoint, which gives access to both local and national address data via web services. Creating significant savings through reduced infrastructure costs and the removal of unnecessary licensing, SinglePoint allows for an organisation’s address data to be held centrally and accessed by all.
Dinesh Thanigasalam, Managing Director at Aligned Assets said, “WebEx demos are an exceptionally effective and efficient method for people to see products, and considering the recent inclement weather, they’re significantly more convenient for all.”
He went on to say, “With the announcement of the National Address Gazetteer, addressing in the public sector has been placed firmly at the heart of the agenda. I’m pleased that we are able to offer these WebEx demonstrations to show how address management can be advanced and made more cost-effective through simple software solutions.”
To find out more visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/events
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Aligned Assets Make Corporate Access to LLPGs Easy with iExchange
Gazetteer specialists Aligned Assets are pleased to announce that their LLPG (Local Land and Property Gazetteer) connectivity software, Symphony iExchange, is now available as a stand-alone module.
Previously only available to the users of the Symphony gazetteer management system, iExchange can now be used by everyone in local government to centralise their address data and give access to it across all departments.
By doing so, all local authorities can place their LLPG at the very heart of the organisation and through that enjoy huge gains in efficiency and quantifiable financial savings.
Examples of the savings that could be made through the greater use of the LLPG were demonstrated in a recent report produced by ConsultingWhere Limited and ACIL Tasman on behalf of the Local Government Association (LGA) entitled 'The Value of Geospatial Information to Local Public Service Delivery in England and Wales'.
Clear financial benefits are shown through an increase in tax revenue in both council tax and non-domestic rates through the identification of unbilled properties, whilst further financial savings come from the removal of multiple address databases and the expense incurred from having to maintain them all.
The gains are tangibly spelt out in the report with the assertion that the average benefit per linked system is £12,500 for district councils, rising to over £22,000 for Unitaries and London Boroughs.
Symphony iExchange works by allowing the user to export changes in their LLPG to other systems, where the data can be imported. For each separate system, the frequency can be set individually, as can the format used and the type of data sent e.g. only approved LPIs, only commercial properties etc.
Speaking about the announcement, Managing Director Dinesh Thanigasalam said, “It’s fantastic to be able to offer the opportunity for all local authorities to share and integrate their LLPGs into their back office systems, without restriction.”
“Because all our solutions are open, iExchange has no limit to the systems you can send your LLPG data to – automatically and in a variety of formats. Many existing suppliers allow linkages between their own systems, but iExchange enables the sharing of data well beyond this, regardless of department, regardless of supplier.”
“We don’t charge based on how many systems you link to and iExchange is intuitive enough that if you have good internal ICT skills, you can make virtually all the connections yourself.”
He concluded by saying, “As with all our software solutions, iExchange is available via software by subscription, which means there are no upfront fees to pay and savings can be recognised almost instantly.”
To find out more visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/iexchange.
Previously only available to the users of the Symphony gazetteer management system, iExchange can now be used by everyone in local government to centralise their address data and give access to it across all departments.
By doing so, all local authorities can place their LLPG at the very heart of the organisation and through that enjoy huge gains in efficiency and quantifiable financial savings.
Examples of the savings that could be made through the greater use of the LLPG were demonstrated in a recent report produced by ConsultingWhere Limited and ACIL Tasman on behalf of the Local Government Association (LGA) entitled 'The Value of Geospatial Information to Local Public Service Delivery in England and Wales'.
Clear financial benefits are shown through an increase in tax revenue in both council tax and non-domestic rates through the identification of unbilled properties, whilst further financial savings come from the removal of multiple address databases and the expense incurred from having to maintain them all.
The gains are tangibly spelt out in the report with the assertion that the average benefit per linked system is £12,500 for district councils, rising to over £22,000 for Unitaries and London Boroughs.
Symphony iExchange works by allowing the user to export changes in their LLPG to other systems, where the data can be imported. For each separate system, the frequency can be set individually, as can the format used and the type of data sent e.g. only approved LPIs, only commercial properties etc.
Speaking about the announcement, Managing Director Dinesh Thanigasalam said, “It’s fantastic to be able to offer the opportunity for all local authorities to share and integrate their LLPGs into their back office systems, without restriction.”
“Because all our solutions are open, iExchange has no limit to the systems you can send your LLPG data to – automatically and in a variety of formats. Many existing suppliers allow linkages between their own systems, but iExchange enables the sharing of data well beyond this, regardless of department, regardless of supplier.”
“We don’t charge based on how many systems you link to and iExchange is intuitive enough that if you have good internal ICT skills, you can make virtually all the connections yourself.”
He concluded by saying, “As with all our software solutions, iExchange is available via software by subscription, which means there are no upfront fees to pay and savings can be recognised almost instantly.”
To find out more visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/iexchange.
Monday, 8 November 2010
One Wales – One Voice Declared a Resounding Success
With over 60 delegates from 35 different organisations, the latest Gazetteer Best Practice Day from Aligned Assets has been declared a resounding success.
Held at the Media Resource Centre in Llandrindod on 2nd November, it saw six presentations focusing on best practice in gazetteers, all against the backdrop of unique complexities faced by the public sector in Wales.
The event started off with two presentations showing the diversity of addressing across the Principality. Phil Hall and Matthew Seymour from Cardiff Council spoke about the management of an urban gazetteer and how they work closely with other council departments such as non-domestic rates to maintain accuracy.
This was followed by Lynne Roberts from Gwynedd Council discussing the issues of running a bilingual gazetteer, an issue often underestimated by English custodians, yet essential to the commitments made by the Welsh Assembly Government.
After cups of tea and welsh cakes, the delegates were treated to a presentation from Dave Bennett of South Wales Fire & Rescue Service who spoke about poor quality address data, pointing out that joint working towards the full integration of the NLPG (National Land and Property Gazetteer) was the solution.
Sue Beetlestone from Powys County Council looked at how land & property gazetteers and the Location Wales programme have a mutually beneficial role to play in improving the quality and use of location information in Wales. She particular focused on collaborative working and data sharing, both of which would lead to far greater efficiencies.
The day was rounded off with two higher level presentations, firstly from Shaun Powell of the Welsh Assembly who gave a well-received presentation on efficiency savings and how to attain them. This was followed by Pete Roberts of the Ordnance Survey who spoke about the PSMA (Public Sector Mapping Agreement) and its implications for those present.
The event was best summed up by Marc Davies of Isle of Anglesey County Council, who described it as a, “Very informative day, which provided me with many ideas to take back and apply at Anglesey.” This was reiterated by Phil Mountain of Caerphilly County Borough Council, who said it was, “Becoming an important date in the annual addressing calendar.”
For more information visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/events
Tuesday, 19 October 2010
Combined CRM and Gazetteer Creates Cost Savings Across The Public Sector
Front line staff across local government and the emergency services can now more effectively manage contact and address data through a new software offering from proven Microsoft Dynamics CRM reseller and integrator Optevia.
Optevia has joined forces with gazetteer specialists Aligned Assets to offer a CRM solution that not only offers a means of managing contacts and the information relating to those contacts, but sources all of its address data directly from an organisation’s locally held Land and Property Gazetteer data.
Currently, the sources of address data can vary tremendously with multiple departments relying on multiple legacy systems – Excel spreadsheets, membership databases and their own in-built address applications for example. This results in contact record duplication, mis-addressed mail and out of date and inaccurate information, which in turn leads to unnecessary costs through wasted effort and the need for unnecessary resources and money. This lack of accurate data also has a detrimental effect on the image of the local authority or emergency service.
To overcome the problems inherent in other CRM systems, Optevia and Aligned Assets are delivering a solution based on Microsoft Dynamics CRM acting as the master system for contacts and Aligned Assets’ Symphony Gazetteer forming the master system for address data. Close working between the two companies has achieved a seamless integration that ensures contacts and their addresses are accurate, completely consistent across the entire organisation and constantly up to date.
Kent Fire and Rescue Service is an early adopter of the combined Optevia, Microsoft CRM and Aligned Assets solution and benefits are already clearly evident. Jon Chapman, Head of Community Safety at Kent Fire and Rescue Service explained:
“We are using the combined solution to enable the more effective delivery of Home Safety Visits (HSVs) to the 1.6 million residents of Kent. We had a number of address databases across the organisation which often resulted in data duplication. Now if a change is made in one source it will be reflected elsewhere in the organisation. As a result, we now have increased accuracy of our HSV marketing campaigns which enables us to more accurately target the most vulnerable members of our communities and help protect them from the risk of fires in their homes”.
“We can also now use the combined solution to add important information relating to an address, such as potentially hazardous materials located at a particular address and relate this to an individual associated with that property, so helping improve the safety of the public and our officers on the ground.”
Dinesh Thanigasalam, Managing Director of Aligned Assets explained that, “Optevia has a proven track record and was the national launch partner for Microsoft CRM in the UK. They were the first organisation to successfully start integrating Microsoft CRM into UK local authorities and continue to be the preferred Microsoft CRM supplier across local government and the emergency services.”
He went on to say, “The benefits of an integrated Microsoft CRM and gazetteer solution will help public sector organisations quickly realise efficiency gains and cost savings through greater contact record accuracy and a reduction in processing errors.”
Tim Vernon, Managing Partner, Optevia Ltd comments, “Aligned Assets is one of the leading providers of Gazetteer Management Systems to local government and the emergency services.
“We have combined our expertise and best of breed products to develop a practical and cost effective solution to help organisations make the best use of their contacts and address data. Through our provision of one, central source of contact information and associated address data, there is simply no longer any need for the public sector to have multiple sources of address information.”
ABOUT ALIGNED ASSETS
Aligned Assets are an industry leader in gazetteer and address management solutions. They supply software to over 100 Local Authorities and Fire & Rescue Services as well as the British Transport Police and Transport for London. They are the UK’s first reseller of the NLPG, providing superior address management across the commercial and public sectors. In addition to software and data solutions they can offer a complete range of consultancy, training, bespoke development and project management.
ABOUT OPTEVIA
Optevia are a proven, CRM reseller and integrator, dedicated to the UK and Ireland’s public sector with a special focus on fire & rescue services, central government agencies and local authorities. Optevia also serves regulators and licensing & grant management organisations, including regional development agencies. Since helping launch Microsoft Dynamics CRM in January 2004, Optevia has evolved to become Microsoft’s premier Dynamics CRM public sector partner successfully completing over 60 deployments. Optevia has a range of value-add sector specific Optevia Essentials software products for all of the public sector markets it serves and a range of cross sector Optevia Dynamics software products – Optevia Dynamic Audit, Optevia Dynamic Decision, Optevia Dynamic Correspondence and Optevia Dynamic Portal. These help reduce the cost & timeframe for delivering high quality, low risk Microsoft Dynamics CRM solutions. The Optevia Essentials and Optevia Dynamics software products are provided with a portfolio of supporting Optevia business analysis, design, development & deployment services, so helping ensure good end-user adoption, post implementation support, and a return on investment in Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
ABOUT MICROSOFT
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.
Wednesday, 13 October 2010
Saving Money Through The NLPG: Hot Topic At This Year’s Everything Happens Somewhere Conference
At this year’s Everything Happens Somewhere conference on 20th October in Sheffield, efficiency savings and how to save money with the NLPG will be the hot topic of the day.
During the Solution Stream being held in the Main Banqueting Hall, gazetteer specialists Aligned Assets will be chairing a forum in which all delegates will be able to hear three presentations on how they can make very real savings through the better use of the NLPG.
The first presentation will be from Stephen Gray of AXESS West Sussex, a partnership of county, district and borough councils, which has seen a streamlining of the process by which street cleaning service requests are received, processed and responded to. The work that Stephen and his team have done has seen an estimated saving of £20,000 per annum.
The second presentation will be from Richard Healy, GIS Manager at Monmouthshire Council, who will be focusing on specific ways in which the NLPG can be used to save money in the public sector. He will be discussing ways that NLPG data can be integrated throughout an organisation, looking at cashable savings that will be available to all.
The final presentation will be from Shaun Powell, who is the Access Transformation Delivery Manager at the Welsh Assembly Government. Shaun will be discussing efficiency savings across the public sector and primary to his presentation will be the ways in which joint working can receive very tangible savings and how these can underpin both regional and national initiatives.
Chairing the Stream will be Director of Aligned Assets, Phil Gee, who said of the event, “Everything Happens Somewhere is the premier event in the NLPG/NSG calendar and is a ‘must-attend’ for anyone involved with gazetteers in the public sector.”
“Finding ways to save money and develop greater efficiency in working practices is now an essential component for local government and the emergency services. This Solution Stream will provide a wealth of practical ideas that all attendees can take away with them to aid their own organisations.”
If you’ve not yet signed up to attend ‘Everything Happen Somewhere’, you can do so via the following link www.surveymonkey.com/s/EHS10.
During the Solution Stream being held in the Main Banqueting Hall, gazetteer specialists Aligned Assets will be chairing a forum in which all delegates will be able to hear three presentations on how they can make very real savings through the better use of the NLPG.
The first presentation will be from Stephen Gray of AXESS West Sussex, a partnership of county, district and borough councils, which has seen a streamlining of the process by which street cleaning service requests are received, processed and responded to. The work that Stephen and his team have done has seen an estimated saving of £20,000 per annum.
The second presentation will be from Richard Healy, GIS Manager at Monmouthshire Council, who will be focusing on specific ways in which the NLPG can be used to save money in the public sector. He will be discussing ways that NLPG data can be integrated throughout an organisation, looking at cashable savings that will be available to all.
The final presentation will be from Shaun Powell, who is the Access Transformation Delivery Manager at the Welsh Assembly Government. Shaun will be discussing efficiency savings across the public sector and primary to his presentation will be the ways in which joint working can receive very tangible savings and how these can underpin both regional and national initiatives.
Chairing the Stream will be Director of Aligned Assets, Phil Gee, who said of the event, “Everything Happens Somewhere is the premier event in the NLPG/NSG calendar and is a ‘must-attend’ for anyone involved with gazetteers in the public sector.”
“Finding ways to save money and develop greater efficiency in working practices is now an essential component for local government and the emergency services. This Solution Stream will provide a wealth of practical ideas that all attendees can take away with them to aid their own organisations.”
If you’ve not yet signed up to attend ‘Everything Happen Somewhere’, you can do so via the following link www.surveymonkey.com/s/EHS10.
Monday, 27 September 2010
PSMA and National Address Gazetteer to be Debated at One Wales – One Voice
A presentation from the Ordnance Survey on the PSMA (Public Sector Mapping Agreement) is the most recent to be confirmed in the latest instalment of Gazetteer Best Practice Days: One Wales – One Voice.
Being held at the MRC in Llandrindod on 2nd November, the Ordnance Survey will present on what the PSMA means to the gazetteer community in Wales, with specific focus given to the National Address Gazetteer and any potential impact on the public sector.
This presentation is the fifth to be confirmed, with the other presentations from the Welsh Assembly Government, Cardiff Council, the AGI and one from Gwynedd Council on bilingualism in addressing. Additionally there will be an open debate session chaired by Shaun Powell from the Welsh Assembly.
One Wales – One Voice is ideal for local government, the emergency services and indeed anyone working in address management in Wales. For those that create address data they will gain from being with the end-users and hearing their needs; whilst those end users will gain from the opportunity to influence the people who create and maintain addresses.
One Wales – One Voice is being hosted by gazetteer specialists Aligned Assets who currently work with over 50% of local authorities in Wales. Managing Director Dinesh Thanigasalam explained the reason for the day, “Requirements in address data naturally varies depending on the organisation and it’s important for all these requirements to be heard so that we can all move forward with a greater understanding.”
“We already have 22 different organisations signed up to attend and I very much look forward to some constructive and worthwhile debate. It’s great also that all attendees will receive four AGI CPD points.”
The event is open to anyone who is involved in the creation, management or use of address data in Wales. For further information or to reserve a space email carl.hancock@aligned-assets.co.uk or visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/events.
ABOUT ALIGNED ASSETS
Aligned Assets are an industry leader in gazetteer and address management solutions. They supply software to over 100 Local Authorities and Fire & Rescue Services as well as the British Transport Police and Transport for London. They are the UK’s first reseller of the NLPG, providing superior address management across the commercial and public sectors. In addition to software and data solutions they can offer a complete range of consultancy, training, bespoke development and project management.
Being held at the MRC in Llandrindod on 2nd November, the Ordnance Survey will present on what the PSMA means to the gazetteer community in Wales, with specific focus given to the National Address Gazetteer and any potential impact on the public sector.
This presentation is the fifth to be confirmed, with the other presentations from the Welsh Assembly Government, Cardiff Council, the AGI and one from Gwynedd Council on bilingualism in addressing. Additionally there will be an open debate session chaired by Shaun Powell from the Welsh Assembly.
One Wales – One Voice is ideal for local government, the emergency services and indeed anyone working in address management in Wales. For those that create address data they will gain from being with the end-users and hearing their needs; whilst those end users will gain from the opportunity to influence the people who create and maintain addresses.
One Wales – One Voice is being hosted by gazetteer specialists Aligned Assets who currently work with over 50% of local authorities in Wales. Managing Director Dinesh Thanigasalam explained the reason for the day, “Requirements in address data naturally varies depending on the organisation and it’s important for all these requirements to be heard so that we can all move forward with a greater understanding.”
“We already have 22 different organisations signed up to attend and I very much look forward to some constructive and worthwhile debate. It’s great also that all attendees will receive four AGI CPD points.”
The event is open to anyone who is involved in the creation, management or use of address data in Wales. For further information or to reserve a space email carl.hancock@aligned-assets.co.uk or visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/events.
ABOUT ALIGNED ASSETS
Aligned Assets are an industry leader in gazetteer and address management solutions. They supply software to over 100 Local Authorities and Fire & Rescue Services as well as the British Transport Police and Transport for London. They are the UK’s first reseller of the NLPG, providing superior address management across the commercial and public sectors. In addition to software and data solutions they can offer a complete range of consultancy, training, bespoke development and project management.
Monday, 20 September 2010
How to Save Time and Money in Street Naming and Numbering
Woking, Surrey 20th September 2010 – The new, subscription version of the Street Naming and Numbering module from gazetteer specialists Aligned Assets, has been released.
Known as Symphony SNN, it has been completely remodelled to make it a standalone product, which means Street Naming and Numbering Officers from Shetland to Cornwall can all enjoy the efficiency savings that it offers.
The main power of Symphony SNN to illicit efficiency savings is in the way that it can speed up the entire process of naming a street or numbering a property. For large developments, multiple plots can be created and edited with only a few clicks of the mouse, whilst the huge swathes of notifications that need sending out to organisations from the emergency services through to the post office can all be automated at every step of the way.
June Shobbrook of Pembrokeshire County Council gave an insight into why she uses it, “I could never go back to how it was before! Previously I had several access databases and volumes of paper work. I found it difficult to look up old historical issues, but I am now able with the assistance of Symphony SNN, to create entries in the summary console and look at outstanding historical issues. In the new version, I look forward to generating emails with location plans attached – it will be so much easier and will assist the utilities.”
Managing Director of Aligned Assets Dinesh Thanigasalam explained further, “Many local authorities are still using manual processes and a combination of spreadsheets, databases and pieces of paper. Symphony SNN not only brings all of this process into one place, but through its links to the LLPG (Local Land and Property Gazetteer), the double entry of data is significantly reduced.”
To find out more, visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/snn
ABOUT ALIGNED ASSETS
Aligned Assets are an industry leader in gazetteer and address management solutions. They supply software to over 100 Local Authorities and Fire & Rescue Services as well as the British Transport Police and Transport for London. They are the UK’s first reseller of the NLPG, providing superior address management across the commercial and public sectors. In addition to software and data solutions they can offer a complete range of consultancy, training, bespoke development and project management.
Known as Symphony SNN, it has been completely remodelled to make it a standalone product, which means Street Naming and Numbering Officers from Shetland to Cornwall can all enjoy the efficiency savings that it offers.
The main power of Symphony SNN to illicit efficiency savings is in the way that it can speed up the entire process of naming a street or numbering a property. For large developments, multiple plots can be created and edited with only a few clicks of the mouse, whilst the huge swathes of notifications that need sending out to organisations from the emergency services through to the post office can all be automated at every step of the way.
June Shobbrook of Pembrokeshire County Council gave an insight into why she uses it, “I could never go back to how it was before! Previously I had several access databases and volumes of paper work. I found it difficult to look up old historical issues, but I am now able with the assistance of Symphony SNN, to create entries in the summary console and look at outstanding historical issues. In the new version, I look forward to generating emails with location plans attached – it will be so much easier and will assist the utilities.”
Managing Director of Aligned Assets Dinesh Thanigasalam explained further, “Many local authorities are still using manual processes and a combination of spreadsheets, databases and pieces of paper. Symphony SNN not only brings all of this process into one place, but through its links to the LLPG (Local Land and Property Gazetteer), the double entry of data is significantly reduced.”
To find out more, visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/snn
ABOUT ALIGNED ASSETS
Aligned Assets are an industry leader in gazetteer and address management solutions. They supply software to over 100 Local Authorities and Fire & Rescue Services as well as the British Transport Police and Transport for London. They are the UK’s first reseller of the NLPG, providing superior address management across the commercial and public sectors. In addition to software and data solutions they can offer a complete range of consultancy, training, bespoke development and project management.
Thursday, 2 September 2010
Aligned Assets’ Events and Training Receive AGI Accreditation
Gazetteer specialists Aligned Assets are pleased to announce that both their upcoming
BS7666 training courses and November’s Gazetteer Best Practice Day, ‘One Wales – One Voice’ have been accredited by the AGI (Association for Geographic Information).
Attendance at either event will see the awarding of four AGI CPD points, which help those aiming to become a Chartered Geographer or are looking to keep their skills and knowledge up-to-date through Continuing Professional Development.
One Wales - One Voice is an event in the series of Gazetteer Best Practice Days hosted by Aligned Assets. It will see presentations and debate from across the Welsh gazetteer community including local government, the emergency services, Welsh Assembly Government and the AGI.
One Wales – One Voice seeks to bring these varying requirements together to discuss, debate and ultimately gain consensus, and will benefit anyone working in address management in Wales.
An Introduction to BS7666 is a one day training course being offered either onsite or from the Aligned Assets offices in Surrey. The course provides an introduction to BS7666 for those unfamiliar with its purpose but who will be affected by its implications. Those attending will gain an insight into all the important BS7666 legislation that is underpinning change within Local Authorities, the Police and the Fire & Rescue Service.
Managing Director, Dinesh Thanigasalam said of the AGI Accreditation, “By gaining AGI Accreditation and being able to offer CPD points, I believe this further demonstrates the core value and innate benefits that people gain from attending our training and events.”
“We are very proud to continue offering ways to help both the public and private sectors, and are delighted that this has been acknowledged by the AGI.”
For more information visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/events
BS7666 training courses and November’s Gazetteer Best Practice Day, ‘One Wales – One Voice’ have been accredited by the AGI (Association for Geographic Information).
Attendance at either event will see the awarding of four AGI CPD points, which help those aiming to become a Chartered Geographer or are looking to keep their skills and knowledge up-to-date through Continuing Professional Development.
One Wales - One Voice is an event in the series of Gazetteer Best Practice Days hosted by Aligned Assets. It will see presentations and debate from across the Welsh gazetteer community including local government, the emergency services, Welsh Assembly Government and the AGI.
One Wales – One Voice seeks to bring these varying requirements together to discuss, debate and ultimately gain consensus, and will benefit anyone working in address management in Wales.
An Introduction to BS7666 is a one day training course being offered either onsite or from the Aligned Assets offices in Surrey. The course provides an introduction to BS7666 for those unfamiliar with its purpose but who will be affected by its implications. Those attending will gain an insight into all the important BS7666 legislation that is underpinning change within Local Authorities, the Police and the Fire & Rescue Service.
Managing Director, Dinesh Thanigasalam said of the AGI Accreditation, “By gaining AGI Accreditation and being able to offer CPD points, I believe this further demonstrates the core value and innate benefits that people gain from attending our training and events.”
“We are very proud to continue offering ways to help both the public and private sectors, and are delighted that this has been acknowledged by the AGI.”
For more information visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/events
Thursday, 12 August 2010
One Wales – One Voice: Aligned Assets Announce Welsh Gazetteer Best Practice Day
Following on from the success of previous events, gazetteer specialists Aligned Assets can today announce the next date in its popular series of Gazetteer Best Practice Days.
Specifically for the Welsh Gazetteer community, this best practice day will be held at the Media Resource Centre in Llandrindod on 2nd November 2010 and will see presentations from local authorities, the emergency services and the Welsh Assembly Government.
Departing slightly from the structure of former events, One Wales – One Voice will see more opportunity for discussion and debate, and through this an opportunity to have a say on the future of addressing throughout Wales.
Wales has unique requirements when it comes to address management, going from the large metropolitan areas such as Cardiff and Swansea, through to the vast mountainous expanses covered by the County of Powys. This uniqueness not only affects the creation of address data, but has large repercussions for those relying on the data such as the police, fire and ambulance services.
Speaking of the latest addition to the Best Practice Calendar, Managing Director of Aligned Assets, Dinesh Thanigasalam said, “With the recent licensing of the NLPG by the Welsh Assembly Government the landscape of addressing in Wales is changing.”
“We are moving toward a convergence and a time in which the whole of Wales will be using the same data source. With convergence though comes a need for greater understanding, which is why we are bringing so many diverse voices together to create One Wales – One Voice.”
The event is open to anyone who is involved in the creation, management or use of address data in Wales. For further information or to reserve a space email carl.hancock@aligned-assets.co.uk or visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/events.
Specifically for the Welsh Gazetteer community, this best practice day will be held at the Media Resource Centre in Llandrindod on 2nd November 2010 and will see presentations from local authorities, the emergency services and the Welsh Assembly Government.
Departing slightly from the structure of former events, One Wales – One Voice will see more opportunity for discussion and debate, and through this an opportunity to have a say on the future of addressing throughout Wales.
Wales has unique requirements when it comes to address management, going from the large metropolitan areas such as Cardiff and Swansea, through to the vast mountainous expanses covered by the County of Powys. This uniqueness not only affects the creation of address data, but has large repercussions for those relying on the data such as the police, fire and ambulance services.
Speaking of the latest addition to the Best Practice Calendar, Managing Director of Aligned Assets, Dinesh Thanigasalam said, “With the recent licensing of the NLPG by the Welsh Assembly Government the landscape of addressing in Wales is changing.”
“We are moving toward a convergence and a time in which the whole of Wales will be using the same data source. With convergence though comes a need for greater understanding, which is why we are bringing so many diverse voices together to create One Wales – One Voice.”
The event is open to anyone who is involved in the creation, management or use of address data in Wales. For further information or to reserve a space email carl.hancock@aligned-assets.co.uk or visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/events.
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
NLPG-Based Property Management System Available By Subscription
Aligned Assets are pleased to announce that they have made their state of the art property and asset management system, Symphony PMS, available through Software By Subscription (SBS).
For less than £5,000 per year, users across housing associations and local government can now enjoy using property management technology that would normally cost in the tens of thousands.
Symphony PMS is a system designed for the complete management of a property portfolio and contains everything from asbestos and tenant management through to back office and GIS integration.
In local authority use, Symphony PMS is fully BS7666 compatible and can source all its address information directly from the Local Land and Property Gazetteer. For housing associations, Symphony PMS can be supplied pre-populated with data from the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG), giving access to the UPRNs necessary for NROSH submissions.
Managing Director of Aligned Assets, Dinesh Thanigasalam said, “There are too many property management systems, which although functional, are perceived as old, cumbersome to use and having too many screens to enter data when only a small fraction of the fields are actually needed.
“Symphony PMS changes that and through Software By Subscription is now the most cost-effective property and asset management system available”
For more information, visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/pms
For less than £5,000 per year, users across housing associations and local government can now enjoy using property management technology that would normally cost in the tens of thousands.
Symphony PMS is a system designed for the complete management of a property portfolio and contains everything from asbestos and tenant management through to back office and GIS integration.
In local authority use, Symphony PMS is fully BS7666 compatible and can source all its address information directly from the Local Land and Property Gazetteer. For housing associations, Symphony PMS can be supplied pre-populated with data from the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG), giving access to the UPRNs necessary for NROSH submissions.
Managing Director of Aligned Assets, Dinesh Thanigasalam said, “There are too many property management systems, which although functional, are perceived as old, cumbersome to use and having too many screens to enter data when only a small fraction of the fields are actually needed.
“Symphony PMS changes that and through Software By Subscription is now the most cost-effective property and asset management system available”
For more information, visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/pms
Monday, 2 August 2010
Aligned Assets bring NLPG affordability to smaller organisations through Software By Subscription
With their new business model, Software By Subscription, Aligned Assets can now offer smaller organisations such as District and Borough Councils, National Parks and Passenger Transport Executives an affordable, yet powerful method to start making use of the NLPG (National Land and Property Gazetteer).
Via the MSA (Mapping Services Agreement) these organisations are entitled to make use of the NLPG, but deployment was often prohibitively expensive with many suppliers charging tens of thousands of pounds for the necessary software.
This has changed dramatically with SinglePoint NLPG now available on subscription, which means organisations can hold the NLPG centrally and utilise advanced web services to give all users access to the NLPG data for a fraction of what this would previously have cost.
With SinglePoint NLPG, organisations can start to take full advantage of UPRNs (Unique Property Reference Numbers) for better joined up working, the NLPG’s geographical coordinates for more accurate use of GIS, BS7666 standardisation for ongoing consistency, and a creation methodology that allows for updates as frequently as required.
Speaking of SinglePoint NLPG, Managing Director Dinesh Thanigasalam explained, “The SinglePoint NLPG web services have seen uses from CRMs and box office ticketing systems, right through to police mobilisation.”
“Huge savings can be made through the wider use of the NLPG, but all these potential savings have to be off set against the up front cost of the required software. Since we’ve scrapped up front software costs, with SinglePoint NLPG, this is no longer an issue and the NLPG is now affordable for all.”
To find out more visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/singlepoint or email sales@aligned-assets.co.uk.
Via the MSA (Mapping Services Agreement) these organisations are entitled to make use of the NLPG, but deployment was often prohibitively expensive with many suppliers charging tens of thousands of pounds for the necessary software.
This has changed dramatically with SinglePoint NLPG now available on subscription, which means organisations can hold the NLPG centrally and utilise advanced web services to give all users access to the NLPG data for a fraction of what this would previously have cost.
With SinglePoint NLPG, organisations can start to take full advantage of UPRNs (Unique Property Reference Numbers) for better joined up working, the NLPG’s geographical coordinates for more accurate use of GIS, BS7666 standardisation for ongoing consistency, and a creation methodology that allows for updates as frequently as required.
Speaking of SinglePoint NLPG, Managing Director Dinesh Thanigasalam explained, “The SinglePoint NLPG web services have seen uses from CRMs and box office ticketing systems, right through to police mobilisation.”
“Huge savings can be made through the wider use of the NLPG, but all these potential savings have to be off set against the up front cost of the required software. Since we’ve scrapped up front software costs, with SinglePoint NLPG, this is no longer an issue and the NLPG is now affordable for all.”
To find out more visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/singlepoint or email sales@aligned-assets.co.uk.
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Aligned Assets Planning and Prioritisation To Play A Key Role At The Next Symphony User Group
The next meeting of the Symphony User Group, which is a biannual meeting held by users of Aligned Assets’ Symphony products, is scheduled to be held at the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton on 23rd September 2010.
This meeting, in addition to best practice, case studies and new product demonstrations will see the users taking part in development planning and prioritisation sessions.
These sessions will involve the attendees actively discussing, debating and ultimately deciding on the key functionality to be included in the Symphony range of gazetteer software solutions.
The Symphony User Group was started in 2005 and has grown steadily ever since, providing an important forum between user and software provider. It is open to all users of Aligned Assets’ Symphony products including local government, the fire & rescue service, the police force, national parks and passenger transport executives.
Dinesh Thanigasalam, Managing Director explained, “All too often, companies presume to know what it is that their customers want and at Aligned Assets we have always endeavoured to buck this trend.”
“There is simply no denying that the customer knows best, so at the forthcoming meeting of the Symphony User Group, we are going to listen to our users and most importantly, we are going to do what they say.”
To find out more visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/events
Monday, 26 July 2010
Aligned Assets release Symphony iMatch 5.4
Gazetteer specialists Aligned Assets can announce today the release of Symphony iMatch 5.4, which will be made available through Software By Subscription.
Symphony iMatch is their flagship data matching and geocoding product, which has played a key role in many organisations across the public sector achieving synchronisation to the NLPG (National Land and Property Gazetteer).
With Symphony iMatch the user is able to match legacy address data to the NLPG and so tag these addresses with UPRNs (Unique Property Reference Numbers). In doing so, organisations can create definitive links between systems and ensure a consistently high level of inter-departmental accuracy.
In addition to address matching, Symphony iMatch can be used to geocode legacy address data so that it can be used in GIS, as well as enabling departments to quickly identify any gaps or errors that might exist in their data.
Speaking of the release, Managing Director Dinesh Thanigasalam said, “Symphony iMatch 5.4 will see an even higher level of address matching accuracy and an improvement in search logic, which makes it the most intuitive data matching product ever released by Aligned Assets.”
Because it available on a subscription basis, the power of iMatch 5.4 is now available for less than £2,000 per annum so to find out more visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/imatch or email sales@aligned-assets.co.uk.
Symphony iMatch is their flagship data matching and geocoding product, which has played a key role in many organisations across the public sector achieving synchronisation to the NLPG (National Land and Property Gazetteer).
With Symphony iMatch the user is able to match legacy address data to the NLPG and so tag these addresses with UPRNs (Unique Property Reference Numbers). In doing so, organisations can create definitive links between systems and ensure a consistently high level of inter-departmental accuracy.
In addition to address matching, Symphony iMatch can be used to geocode legacy address data so that it can be used in GIS, as well as enabling departments to quickly identify any gaps or errors that might exist in their data.
Speaking of the release, Managing Director Dinesh Thanigasalam said, “Symphony iMatch 5.4 will see an even higher level of address matching accuracy and an improvement in search logic, which makes it the most intuitive data matching product ever released by Aligned Assets.”
Because it available on a subscription basis, the power of iMatch 5.4 is now available for less than £2,000 per annum so to find out more visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/imatch or email sales@aligned-assets.co.uk.
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
Aligned Assets to offer Software By Subscription
Gazetteer specialists Aligned Assets can today announce a revolutionary shift in their business model that will significantly change software procurement across the public sector.
From today, they will offer ‘Software By Subscription’, which will allow users to pay a simple, annual subscription fee for the ongoing use of their software, without incurring any initial software costs.
This annual subscription will entitle them to regular updates of their software, ongoing legislative compliance and complete support.
Aligned Assets are suppliers to over 100 local authorities, police forces, fire & rescue services and national parks. Software By Subscription will usher in a method through which public sector procurement will be easier, software usage more flexible and the costs of purchase will be significantly reduced.
Managing Director of Aligned Assets, Dinesh Thanigasalam explained the move, “The public sector has been particularly badly hit by the recession and it seems likely that budgets are going to continue to be squeezed.”
“By moving to Software By Subscription, we have completely scrapped up front software fees and as a consequence have be able to lower our year-one pricing by an average of 60% across our entire product range.”
Gazetteer management systems, web services, data matching and integration tools for local government, the emergency services and beyond, are all now available as Software By Subscription from Aligned Assets.
To find out more about Software By Subscription, visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/software_by_subscription
From today, they will offer ‘Software By Subscription’, which will allow users to pay a simple, annual subscription fee for the ongoing use of their software, without incurring any initial software costs.
This annual subscription will entitle them to regular updates of their software, ongoing legislative compliance and complete support.
Aligned Assets are suppliers to over 100 local authorities, police forces, fire & rescue services and national parks. Software By Subscription will usher in a method through which public sector procurement will be easier, software usage more flexible and the costs of purchase will be significantly reduced.
Managing Director of Aligned Assets, Dinesh Thanigasalam explained the move, “The public sector has been particularly badly hit by the recession and it seems likely that budgets are going to continue to be squeezed.”
“By moving to Software By Subscription, we have completely scrapped up front software fees and as a consequence have be able to lower our year-one pricing by an average of 60% across our entire product range.”
Gazetteer management systems, web services, data matching and integration tools for local government, the emergency services and beyond, are all now available as Software By Subscription from Aligned Assets.
To find out more about Software By Subscription, visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/software_by_subscription
Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Aligned Assets hold another successful Gazetteer Best Practice Day
Best Practice in focus, as everything from NLPG integration to the INSPIRE Directive are debated at the latest Aligned Assets event
Woking, Surrey 16th June 2010 – On Thursday 10th June 2010, Bolton Council played host to yet another hugely successful, Aligned Assets sponsored Gazetteer Best Practice Day.
Fifty attendees from across the public sector came together to hear best practice presentations ranging from the use of web services for NLPG integration at Kent Fire & Rescue Service to a hugely well received presentation on the INSPIRE Directive.
Also included on the day were presentations on LLPG integration at Stockport Council, the work the British Transport Police are doing to combine the NLPG with the OSG (One Scotland Gazetteer), Cheshire East Council’s amalgamation of three gazetteers in one and the Strategic Alliance between High Peak Council and Staffordshire Moorlands.
The event was summed up by Managing Director of Aligned Assets, Dinesh Thanigasalam, who explained to the delegates, “Today is not about dictating how to do things, but rather to offer ideas, thoughts and suggestions that can be taken away to create what might best be termed, ‘better practice’.”
This sentiment was positively received by the delegates with Marc Davies of Isle of Anglesey Council saying, “The day was very useful for myself, as a newly appointed custodian, to see the work being undertaken across the UK”. This was reiterated by Darren Butler of Peak District NPA who described the day as, “A good opportunity to discuss with like minded individuals from other organisations the methods of tackling the same or similar issues.”
If you would be interested in attending or presenting at a future best practice day, please email carl.hancock@aligned-assets.co.uk or visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk.
Woking, Surrey 16th June 2010 – On Thursday 10th June 2010, Bolton Council played host to yet another hugely successful, Aligned Assets sponsored Gazetteer Best Practice Day.
Fifty attendees from across the public sector came together to hear best practice presentations ranging from the use of web services for NLPG integration at Kent Fire & Rescue Service to a hugely well received presentation on the INSPIRE Directive.
Also included on the day were presentations on LLPG integration at Stockport Council, the work the British Transport Police are doing to combine the NLPG with the OSG (One Scotland Gazetteer), Cheshire East Council’s amalgamation of three gazetteers in one and the Strategic Alliance between High Peak Council and Staffordshire Moorlands.
The event was summed up by Managing Director of Aligned Assets, Dinesh Thanigasalam, who explained to the delegates, “Today is not about dictating how to do things, but rather to offer ideas, thoughts and suggestions that can be taken away to create what might best be termed, ‘better practice’.”
This sentiment was positively received by the delegates with Marc Davies of Isle of Anglesey Council saying, “The day was very useful for myself, as a newly appointed custodian, to see the work being undertaken across the UK”. This was reiterated by Darren Butler of Peak District NPA who described the day as, “A good opportunity to discuss with like minded individuals from other organisations the methods of tackling the same or similar issues.”
If you would be interested in attending or presenting at a future best practice day, please email carl.hancock@aligned-assets.co.uk or visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk.
Friday, 14 May 2010
New method of saving money in local authorities
With public sector budgets being dramatically slashed, gazetteer-specialists Aligned Assets can provide a quick, simple and very cost-effective solution to enable large savings in council expenditure.
With its SinglePoint product, it can allow local authorities that currently hold numerous, disparate address databases to have all departments access their local land and property gazetteers (LLPG) via easy to use web services.
The considerable savings are made through the removal of the excessive licensing costs that come from holding many separate datasets, with the reduction in the time it takes to manage one database as opposed to many leading to further cost savings.
SinglePoint was originally designed for use in the British Transport Police to give them sub-second access to the full 32 million records of the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG), but is now available throughout the public sector. Departments from customer services and education, through to waste management and revues & benefits can all benefit from access to the council’s most definitive and accurate source of address data.
In addition to the direct savings that will come from the removal of unnecessary licensing, by enabling all departments access the LLPG as the single source of addresses, significant gains in efficiency will also be seen. Not only will the misidentification of properties between departments be a thing of the past, but all changes in the address data, such as new developments, will be instantly accessible to all.
This latter point becomes ever more critical when one considers that in some instances up to two thirds of a council’s net expenditure will be covered by council tax revenue. With the average council tax bill standing at over £1200, the ability to identify and invoice ALL new properties is clearly an advantage. Since it is a statutory requirement for all new properties to be entered into the LLPG, the advantages of linking to it are clearly evident.
SinglePoint can also be used to give corporate access to the full NLPG, enabling ‘out of area’ searching, which is crucial for those council departments who work with people coming into their area such as leisure and tourism.
One local authority who is using SinglePoint to give corporate access to the full NLPG is Cardiff Council. Matthew Seymour, Senior Gazetteer Officer explained, “By using the NLPG corporately, Cardiff stand to save approximately £40,000 in licensing costs over the next 12 months and it’s SinglePoint that has facilitated this.”
He went on to say, “SinglePoint has three main benefits – firstly it compiles the entire NLPG into one, single database. Secondly it easily receives change only updates from the National Hub, which means all departments have new address data far quicker than then did through previous suppliers. Thirdly, the web services mean that our corporate ICT team can very quickly create links into new systems using approved ICT standards.”
Speaking of SinglePoint, Managing Director of Aligned Assets, Dinesh Thanigasalam said, “Almost one in ten local authorities already use our web services to give corporate access to the LLPG or NLPG. Each local authority spent considerable sums of money to create their gazetteers and through SinglePoint, they can start to see a real return on that investment.”
To find out more visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/singlepoint
With its SinglePoint product, it can allow local authorities that currently hold numerous, disparate address databases to have all departments access their local land and property gazetteers (LLPG) via easy to use web services.
The considerable savings are made through the removal of the excessive licensing costs that come from holding many separate datasets, with the reduction in the time it takes to manage one database as opposed to many leading to further cost savings.
SinglePoint was originally designed for use in the British Transport Police to give them sub-second access to the full 32 million records of the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG), but is now available throughout the public sector. Departments from customer services and education, through to waste management and revues & benefits can all benefit from access to the council’s most definitive and accurate source of address data.
In addition to the direct savings that will come from the removal of unnecessary licensing, by enabling all departments access the LLPG as the single source of addresses, significant gains in efficiency will also be seen. Not only will the misidentification of properties between departments be a thing of the past, but all changes in the address data, such as new developments, will be instantly accessible to all.
This latter point becomes ever more critical when one considers that in some instances up to two thirds of a council’s net expenditure will be covered by council tax revenue. With the average council tax bill standing at over £1200, the ability to identify and invoice ALL new properties is clearly an advantage. Since it is a statutory requirement for all new properties to be entered into the LLPG, the advantages of linking to it are clearly evident.
SinglePoint can also be used to give corporate access to the full NLPG, enabling ‘out of area’ searching, which is crucial for those council departments who work with people coming into their area such as leisure and tourism.
One local authority who is using SinglePoint to give corporate access to the full NLPG is Cardiff Council. Matthew Seymour, Senior Gazetteer Officer explained, “By using the NLPG corporately, Cardiff stand to save approximately £40,000 in licensing costs over the next 12 months and it’s SinglePoint that has facilitated this.”
He went on to say, “SinglePoint has three main benefits – firstly it compiles the entire NLPG into one, single database. Secondly it easily receives change only updates from the National Hub, which means all departments have new address data far quicker than then did through previous suppliers. Thirdly, the web services mean that our corporate ICT team can very quickly create links into new systems using approved ICT standards.”
Speaking of SinglePoint, Managing Director of Aligned Assets, Dinesh Thanigasalam said, “Almost one in ten local authorities already use our web services to give corporate access to the LLPG or NLPG. Each local authority spent considerable sums of money to create their gazetteers and through SinglePoint, they can start to see a real return on that investment.”
To find out more visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/singlepoint
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
UK Gazetteer Best Practice Day Announced for 10th June 2010
The date for latest UK Gazetteer Best Practice Day, which is to be held in Bolton, has been announced as 10th June 2010.
It will be the third meeting of this best practice community, with previous meetings in both Cardiff and London being hailed successes.
The event is sponsored by gazetteer specialists Aligned Assets and held in association with GEO:connexion UK. Being held at the offices of Bolton Council, it is designed for all people involved in either gazetteer management directly or those who use gazetteer data such as GIS specialists.
The UK Gazetteer Best Practice Day is an opportunity for people from across the public sector to come together to share ideas and hear presentations on all facets of best practice. Both the speakers and the audience will encompass the creators of the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG), as well as the end users of that data such as the Fire & Rescue Service and the Police.
Jayne Hewstone from Arun District Council was a delegate at the last Best Practice Day in London. She described it as, “Well presented, well run and what can I say but well done! A really informative and interesting day, well worth a day away from the office”.
These sentiments were reiterated by Michael Binns of London Fire Brigade, who succinctly described it as, “Informative thinking – The big picture"
Attendance is completely free of charge and organisations that will benefit include local authorities, Fire & Rescue Services, Police forces, ambulance services, national parks, and passenger transport executives – indeed anyone who has involvement with gazetteers.
For more information visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/events or call Carl Hancock on 01483 717950
It will be the third meeting of this best practice community, with previous meetings in both Cardiff and London being hailed successes.
The event is sponsored by gazetteer specialists Aligned Assets and held in association with GEO:connexion UK. Being held at the offices of Bolton Council, it is designed for all people involved in either gazetteer management directly or those who use gazetteer data such as GIS specialists.
The UK Gazetteer Best Practice Day is an opportunity for people from across the public sector to come together to share ideas and hear presentations on all facets of best practice. Both the speakers and the audience will encompass the creators of the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG), as well as the end users of that data such as the Fire & Rescue Service and the Police.
Jayne Hewstone from Arun District Council was a delegate at the last Best Practice Day in London. She described it as, “Well presented, well run and what can I say but well done! A really informative and interesting day, well worth a day away from the office”.
These sentiments were reiterated by Michael Binns of London Fire Brigade, who succinctly described it as, “Informative thinking – The big picture"
Attendance is completely free of charge and organisations that will benefit include local authorities, Fire & Rescue Services, Police forces, ambulance services, national parks, and passenger transport executives – indeed anyone who has involvement with gazetteers.
For more information visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/events or call Carl Hancock on 01483 717950
Monday, 19 April 2010
New data source for Housing Associations and NROSH
NLPG data is now available for use by Housing Associations for gaining UPRNs and for more accurate use of GIS
Woking, Surrey 19th April 2010 - A new source of high quality address data is now available to Housing Associations across England that enables compatibility with the National Register of Social Housing (NROSH).
Through address management specialists Aligned Assets, data from the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) can now be quickly and easily purchased in subsets right down to District and Borough Council level.
This will enable all Housing Associations to attribute Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs) from the NLPG to each of their housing stock records and thereby fulfil one of the core requirements for submissions to NROSH.
In addition to easy access to the UPRNs, the NLPG data gives a precise, standardise method of address recording, which is in line with all Local Authorities, and enables the regular updating of the data.
With the increasing importance of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Housing Associations, the NLPG data has another key advantage in that each record contains an accurate geographic reference, which allows for precise plotting of housing stock in GIS.
Speaking of the geographic component, Mike Smith, Sales & Marketing Manager at Aligned Assets said, “The use of GIS opens up a wealth of information to Housing Associations such as flood risk, housing need against supply, the mapping of energy efficiency and decent homes standards, analysis of rent arrears and the dispersal of dwelling size/type.”
He concluded by saying, “Using data from the NLPG allows for each property to be mapped individually, which gives a far higher level of value to the use of GIS. With regards the analysis of flood risk for example, mapping by postcode will lead to huge inaccuracies since two properties could be mapped together, yet one is at the top of a hill, the other at the bottom. The NLPG completely removes this.”
Whilst other commercially-available address data can only be purchased in large, regional areas, the NLPG prices start from as little as £660 per District Council. What this means is that the NLPG data is not only the best available, but through Aligned Assets, is now the most cost effective.
For more information visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/housing
Woking, Surrey 19th April 2010 - A new source of high quality address data is now available to Housing Associations across England that enables compatibility with the National Register of Social Housing (NROSH).
Through address management specialists Aligned Assets, data from the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) can now be quickly and easily purchased in subsets right down to District and Borough Council level.
This will enable all Housing Associations to attribute Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs) from the NLPG to each of their housing stock records and thereby fulfil one of the core requirements for submissions to NROSH.
In addition to easy access to the UPRNs, the NLPG data gives a precise, standardise method of address recording, which is in line with all Local Authorities, and enables the regular updating of the data.
With the increasing importance of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Housing Associations, the NLPG data has another key advantage in that each record contains an accurate geographic reference, which allows for precise plotting of housing stock in GIS.
Speaking of the geographic component, Mike Smith, Sales & Marketing Manager at Aligned Assets said, “The use of GIS opens up a wealth of information to Housing Associations such as flood risk, housing need against supply, the mapping of energy efficiency and decent homes standards, analysis of rent arrears and the dispersal of dwelling size/type.”
He concluded by saying, “Using data from the NLPG allows for each property to be mapped individually, which gives a far higher level of value to the use of GIS. With regards the analysis of flood risk for example, mapping by postcode will lead to huge inaccuracies since two properties could be mapped together, yet one is at the top of a hill, the other at the bottom. The NLPG completely removes this.”
Whilst other commercially-available address data can only be purchased in large, regional areas, the NLPG prices start from as little as £660 per District Council. What this means is that the NLPG data is not only the best available, but through Aligned Assets, is now the most cost effective.
For more information visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/housing
Thursday, 4 March 2010
Integration takes centre stage at UK Gazetteer Best Practice Day
With over 60 delegates from more than 30 public sector organisations, the most recent Aligned Assets sponsored UK Gazetteer Best Practice Day proved to be the most successful yet.
Held at the offices of the London Borough of Southwark, themselves champions of Best Practice, there were six presentations, with themes ranging from web services at Cardiff Council, to the combining of the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) with the One Scotland Gazetteer (OSG) by the British Transport Police.
The purpose of the Best Practice Day was to enable members of the gazetteer community to come together and share ideas and information. Through this, a better service can be offered to the public as well as improving efficiency that will ultimately save the tax payer money. This joint purpose was succinctly summed up by Ewa Platcha of the London Borough of Hackney who did a presentation on their award winning ‘Citizen Index’. “A Local Authority is a business in which the citizens are the customer, and therefore its success is determined by the quality of the interaction between them.”
The event as a whole was best summed up by Stella Morris of Canterbury City Council who described it as, “A very interesting day with a lot of useful information. I will certainly be taking back some ideas with me to have a go implementing.”
A full report of the event will be available in the April/May 2010 edition of the GEOconnexion UK magazine and information about the next Best Practice Day is available from www.aligned-assets.co.uk/events.
Held at the offices of the London Borough of Southwark, themselves champions of Best Practice, there were six presentations, with themes ranging from web services at Cardiff Council, to the combining of the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) with the One Scotland Gazetteer (OSG) by the British Transport Police.
The purpose of the Best Practice Day was to enable members of the gazetteer community to come together and share ideas and information. Through this, a better service can be offered to the public as well as improving efficiency that will ultimately save the tax payer money. This joint purpose was succinctly summed up by Ewa Platcha of the London Borough of Hackney who did a presentation on their award winning ‘Citizen Index’. “A Local Authority is a business in which the citizens are the customer, and therefore its success is determined by the quality of the interaction between them.”
The event as a whole was best summed up by Stella Morris of Canterbury City Council who described it as, “A very interesting day with a lot of useful information. I will certainly be taking back some ideas with me to have a go implementing.”
A full report of the event will be available in the April/May 2010 edition of the GEOconnexion UK magazine and information about the next Best Practice Day is available from www.aligned-assets.co.uk/events.
Next Meeting of the Symphony User Group Announced
The next meeting of the Symphony User Group (SUG) has just been announced for 21st May 2010 at Bath & NE Somerset Council, Keynsham Offices, Bristol, BS31 1LA.
The event is free of charge for all members of the Symphony User Group, whilst non-members can attend at a cost of £40 per person. If you are a member, you can bring along up to two colleagues for only £15 each.
The Symphony User Group focuses on your needs as an LLPG and/or LSG expert and is always a special event with opportunities to meet with other users of the Symphony Suite, see presentations of the latest products from Aligned Assets, hear about latest industry developments and quiz the AA team on all Symphony-related matters.
Monday, 15 February 2010
Southampton City Council joins with Aligned Assets
Gazetteer Specialists Aligned Assets are delighted to announce that Southampton City Council has chosen Symphony iManage for their street gazetteer management.
Symphony iManage is an industry leading gazetteer management system that will be used by Southampton City Council for the management of their Local Street Gazetteer and Associated Street Data.
Southampton had a requirement for a new system that was capable of exporting data in a DTF 7.1 format, and that was also fully compliant with the Traffic Management Act EToN 5 Technical Specifications. Not only was Symphony iManage an obvious choice because of its compliance with the standards, but because Aligned Assets have a well-earned reputation as a company that will always meet new standards on time.
With the new system installed, the next plan is to integrate Symphony iManage with other systems, including the Confirm® Street Works from Pitney Bowes MapInfo.
Mike Smith, Sales & Marketing Manager at Aligned Assets said of the agreement, “The management of street data is of vital importance, a fact that is reflected in the many standards that are needed to be met. In Symphony iManage we have a system that is not only consistently compliant to the latest standards but allows the user to save time and money, both in an intuitive and user-friendly way.”
To find out more visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/imanage
Monday, 18 January 2010
UK Gazetteer Best Practice Day proving the most popular yet
Old Woking, Surrey 18th January 2010 – An unprecedented level of response has met the announcement of the forthcoming Aligned Assets/GEO:connexion UK sponsored Gazetteer Best Practice Day.
To be hosted at Southwark Council on 24th February 2010, the list of attendees already exceeds 45 organisations from across local government, the police force and the fire and rescue service.
Confirmed for the day are best practice presentations on the use of web services to centralise your gazetteer, the use of the NLPG for out of area working, overcoming the complexities of rural & urban addressing, preparations for Census 2011, placing the NLPG at the heart of a Citizen Index and a special presentation from the British Transport Police.
Speaking about the event, Carl Hancock of Aligned Assets said, “Everyone working with gazetteers, whether in local government or the emergency services knows the importance of their work. Address Management might not be the most glamorous aspect of the GIS world, but it remains one of the most important and this Gazetteer Best Practice Day will be placing that work at the heart of the debate.”
To find out more visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/events
To be hosted at Southwark Council on 24th February 2010, the list of attendees already exceeds 45 organisations from across local government, the police force and the fire and rescue service.
Confirmed for the day are best practice presentations on the use of web services to centralise your gazetteer, the use of the NLPG for out of area working, overcoming the complexities of rural & urban addressing, preparations for Census 2011, placing the NLPG at the heart of a Citizen Index and a special presentation from the British Transport Police.
Speaking about the event, Carl Hancock of Aligned Assets said, “Everyone working with gazetteers, whether in local government or the emergency services knows the importance of their work. Address Management might not be the most glamorous aspect of the GIS world, but it remains one of the most important and this Gazetteer Best Practice Day will be placing that work at the heart of the debate.”
To find out more visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/events
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