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.

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