Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service Become the Latest to Select Aligned Assets

Symphony Bluelight, the UK’s only AddressBase compatible gazetteer management system is now in use at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service has become the latest emergency service to select Symphony Bluelight from Aligned Assets as their corporate gazetteer management system.

As a suite of software solutions designed specifically for use in the emergency services, Symphony Bluelight will give Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service complete management of their address data and allow them to streamline services by linking the diverse systems that support the organisation.

With address data common to most of these systems, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service are looking to implement AddressBase Premium from the Ordnance Survey as the single, definitive source of address data, selecting Symphony Bluelight as the only gazetteer management system currently capable of supporting it.

Symphony Bluelight will be used to integrate AddressBase Premium with core business systems including risk information, home fire safety checks and ultimately their new command and control system, which is responsible for mobilising emergency response across more than 3,000 square kilometres.

Sophie Ryder, RCC Data Manager at Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service explained that, “As a receiving authority, our gazetteer requirements differ from those that create and maintain the records. Aligned Assets have delivered a product that suits our needs and to a timescale that allows us to plan a smooth migration to AddressBase.”

Managing Director of Aligned Assets, Andy Hird concluded by saying, “The fact that 25% of all English Fire and Rescue Services, as well as the UK’s two largest police forces in terms of area and staff respectively are using Symphony Bluelight for their gazetteer management shows that our approach of consulting and listening to clients about their needs has produced software of the very highest calibre.”

To find out more visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/bluelight

ABOUT ALIGNED ASSETS
Aligned Assets are an industry leader in gazetteer and address management solutions. They supply software across the public and private sectors including over 100 Local Authorities, Fire & Rescue Services and Police Forces. In addition to software and data solutions, they offer a complete range of consultancy, training, bespoke development and project management.

Business Data Available For Use In Economic Regeneration

The UK’s most accurate and complete database of business data, available from address management specialists Aligned Assets, is gaining wide spread interest from across the public sector.

In local authorities, the data is proving of particular interest to economic regeneration teams who see it as an opportunity to better engage with local businesses to drive growth and create employment.

Not only does it provide a complete listing of businesses in the local authority area, but contains additional information such as employee numbers, SIC codes and even contact details for the business owners.

In addition to the visible, customer-facing businesses, the database also contains SOHO businesses (Small Office Home Office), examples of which would be plumbers or freelance web designers, who play a critical role in an area’s economy, but until now have been difficult to monitor.

Containing over two million records in total and updated daily by a call centre of 65 people, the business data is being supplied with Unique Property Reference Numbers (UPRNs), which are steadily becoming the de facto identifier of property across both the public and private sector. Additionally, the records will be supplied with precise geographical coordinates that will allow for pinpoint location accuracy and analysis via Geographical Information Systems (GIS).

“Approximately 8% of the entire database is either updated or validated each month, which equates to well over 150,000 businesses,” explained Andy Hird, Managing Director of Aligned Assets. “We consider this the most important element as it gives each user the ability to not only have the most up to date information, but in the case of economic regeneration, an ability to track and monitor the changing business landscape.”

For more information visit Business Data or call 01483 717950.

AddressBase Events Announced for June 2012

Gazetteer specialists Aligned Assets have announced two free of charge events that will be providing attendees with further information on the Ordnance Survey’s AddressBase range of data products.

Titled ‘AddressBase – All you need to know’, the first of these events will be held at Cardiff University on Thursday 14th June 2012, with the second at Minster Exchange in London on Wednesday 20th June 2012.

The events will be comprehensive information days that will cover everything people need to understand about these new products, what they are and how they can be used.

A number of presentations will be held throughout both days covering how the AddressBase products can be used in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as well as address based systems such as CRMs, plus more generic looks at the benefits, the use of UPRNs, technical specifications, licensing and migration.

The events are intended for anyone who is thinking of using one of the new AddressBase products or is a current user of PAF, Address Point, Address Layer 2 or the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG).

Speaking of the events, Managing Director of Aligned Assets, Andy Hird said, “With full GB coverage now available, the AddressBase products represent the pinnacle of address databases, not only in terms of accuracy, but the level of detail within them that allows the user to achieve things never before possible.”

“With applications across a wide range of industries from mobilising ambulances to detecting and preventing fraud, right through to ensuring a better level of customer service, these products are very much the future of address and gazetteer management.”

The events are ideally suited for those in financial services and utilities, plus central government, the NHS, housing associations and the emergency services. Anyone that is either looking to use AddressBase, or is a user of existing addressing products, whether in the public or private sector, will benefit from attending.

For more information, 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 across the public and private sectors including over 100 Local Authorities, Fire & Rescue Services and Police Forces. In addition to software and data solutions, they offer a complete range of consultancy, training, bespoke development and project management.

Aligned Assets Release AddressBase Compatible Business Names Database

Aligned Assets, specialists in gazetteer and address management, have made a database of all UK businesses available to local authorities and the emergency services.

The business names database can be used for a variety of functions to better serve the public through improved delivery of council services and enhanced emergency response to business addresses.

With the database matched to the Ordnance Survey’s AddressBase Premium, as well as being the most up to date source of business names data currently available in the UK, it will contain UPRNs (unique property reference numbers) and be easily compatible with existing sources of public sector address data.

“Because businesses change so frequently, it has always been difficult for either local authorities or the emergency services to maintain up to date records,” explained Andy Hird, managing director of Aligned Assets.

“Our database is kept up to date by a call centre of 65 people, whose sole job it is to call businesses to confirm and update details. In addition to the call centre, data is also sourced from and validated against Companies House, through online submissions, direct from clients and businesses, plus an online feedback facility with both Bing and the BT Phonebook.”

Local authorities and the emergency services have access to accurate and consistent address data via Local Land and Property Gazetteers and AddressBase Premium. Addresses are relatively static, but the ‘sign above the door’ can change on a very regular basis. It is this ‘on the ground reality’ that can be so critically important and exactly what Aligned Assets are looking to supply.

“In order to ensure that accuracy is retained, the data will be supplied with monthly updates,” continued Hird, “and we will also be supplying business classifications and SIC Codes to enhance the value of the data.”

Aligned Assets will be holding a series of webinars to provide more information on the business names database. For more details, visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/businessnames

Registration Now Open for Aligned Assets 2012 User Groups

Gazetteer specialists Aligned Assets have announced the dates for its annual user groups.

The Symphony User Group, which is for local authority customers, is to be held in Bolton on 18th April 2012. Attendees will have an opportunity to look at all the latest advances to the Symphony range of gazetteer products and actively participate in deciding on future development priorities.

There will also be presentations on promoting gazetteer usage within a local authority, attaining gold standard and a special look at AddressBase Premium and how it can be used to save money and increase efficiency.

In addition to the Symphony User Group, 2012 will see the inaugural meeting of the Bluelight User Group, which has been set up to cater for the increasing numbers of emergency services adopting Aligned Assets’ corporate gazetteer system.

To be held in central Birmingham on 25th April 2012, the Bluelight User Group will be looking at the use of corporate gazetteers and different methods of integrating data into frontline and back office systems. There will be an update on AddressBase Premium from the Ordnance Survey, plus an insight into the business names database that is available for use in mobilising, fire safety and risk intelligence.

“Our user groups perform an essential function in informing us as a company of precisely what our customers want,” explained Andy Hird, managing director of Aligned Assets. “No one knows better than the end user about what is needed, so ultimately it’s those users who decide what we do and how we do it.”

To find out more visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/events

Aligned Assets Appoint New Managing Director

Gazetteer specialists Aligned Assets are pleased to announce the appointment of Andy Hird as their new Managing Director.

Now in his tenth year with the company, Andy started as Professional Services Manager, adding the Software Development portfolio in 2009. During that time he has been recognised as driving forward the high standards that has earned Aligned Assets the reputation as the ‘go to company’ for anyone looking for gazetteer or address management software and services.

Andy gained a Degree in Geography from Middlesex University in 1997 and subsequently spent over five years working at a large Local Authority, joining Aligned Assets in 2003. He has been responsible for bringing the consultancy, support, development and testing teams together into one department, which has seen a higher level of integrated working, the result of which has been a far greater responsiveness to customer requirements.

The company, who provides gazetteer management systems into over 100 public sector organisations, including local authorities, police forces, and fire and rescue services, has seen considerable growth over the last few years and are at the forefront of developing intuitive software solutions for use with the Ordnance Survey’s AddressBase products.

Speaking of his appointment, Andy said, “I’m delighted to have been given this opportunity and am excited about the future. Aligned Assets have always taken a customer first approach to the business and this will remain a core element moving forward.”

Outgoing Managing Director, Dinesh Thanigasalam said, “Andy has extensive hands-on experience and insight into the needs of the public sector. These facets, combined with his natural leadership and intuitive organisation skills, make him the ideal candidate to take over the reins at Aligned Assets.”

www.aligned-assets.co.uk

AddressBase Premium Gazetteer System Made Available To All Emergency Services

Symphony Bluelight, the Country’s most advanced emergency service gazetteer management system from Aligned Assets, has been formally released to the UK market.

After four months of intensive development work and the successful live deployment at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, all police forces, fire, and ambulance services can start to integrate the Ordnance Survey’s AddressBase Premium into their frontline and back office systems.

Combining a corporate gazetteer management system, web services, data matching software and the ability to automate updates to all other systems, Symphony Bluelight is a comprehensive software suite, built in collaboration with the emergency services to address their specific needs and requirements.

It will enable them to hold AddressBase Premium, import change-only updates, build in and maintain local records, add access points, security classifications and high priority flags to addresses, plus incorporate a customisable list of abbreviations to make searching the data far more intuitive and user-friendly.

“For many, the transition to AddressBase Premium will be a lengthy process,” explained Dinesh Thanigasalam, Managing Director of Aligned Assets. “Their existing address data will need to be matched to and built into AddressBase Premium, which is why matching and validation software is an integral part of Symphony Bluelight.”

“Once the corporate gazetteer database has been constructed, the Symphony Bluelight system allows for all changes to be automatically exported to Command & Control and other systems, whilst web services can be deployed to give access to addressing data throughout an organisation.”

Symphony Bluelight is the only gazetteer management system that was built specifically for the emergency services and is currently the only one that is compatible with AddressBase Premium.

To find out more, visit www.aligned-assets.co.uk/bluelight


ABOUT ADDRESSBASE PREMIUM
AddressBase Premium provides a complete view of an address or property, including its full lifecycle from creation to retirement. It contains all current addresses, alternative addresses, provisional properties and even historic property information where available. With an unprecedented level of detail, AddressBase Premium is most suited to the emergency services for whom this level of detail is essential, but also for the utility and telecom companies who will benefit greatly from the pre-build, provisional addressing information.