Comments on: Free the postcode now! All you need is an iPhone http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/ Tracking European web and mobile start-ups Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:29:56 +0100 hourly 1 By: BadGirl80 http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-273678 BadGirl80 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:58:16 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-273678 Dividends have very little to do with the price of a stock. , Dividends have very little to do with the price of a stock. ,

]]> By: MrWebService http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-201097 MrWebService Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:33:48 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-201097 Not only does the postcode data have to be recorded however, it has to be maintained. There are over 100,000 changes to the Royal Mail PAF (Postcode Address File) every month. Royal Mail has the resources to carry out these updates - a bunch of people with iPhones do not. I'm all for open source, wikinomics and collaboration, because - well, it gets people stuff for free, but ultimately I don't think enough people care about the data for there to ever be a viable enterprise-level "open source" postcode file. This bit is also untrue: "The Post Office owns this data and sells it to companies for a large amount of money (only large companies can afford it) for things like parcel tracking. But of course, 80% of businesses in the UK are small. They can’t afford the data so they have to make do with whatever services they can get. Plus, of course, non-profits can’t use the data either." There are resellers who can afford to buy the data from Royal Mail and offer it to small-medium companies and charities for affordable prices. The company I work for, Postcode Anywhere (http://www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk) is esentially a reseller of the Royal Mail data. It builds value-added services around the data (such as postcode lookup functionality for web forms and in-house applications) and sells it on at affordable pay-as-you-go rates. What's more, because the data comes direct from the Royal Mail, it's always up-to-date. Charities who use our service include Oxfam, Comic Relief and UNICEF, among thousands of SMEs (small-medium enterprises). The licencing around the PAF is constantly changing and can cause issues, but really I think the system is here to stay. Not only does the postcode data have to be recorded however, it has to be maintained. There are over 100,000 changes to the Royal Mail PAF (Postcode Address File) every month. Royal Mail has the resources to carry out these updates – a bunch of people with iPhones do not.

I’m all for open source, wikinomics and collaboration, because – well, it gets people stuff for free, but ultimately I don’t think enough people care about the data for there to ever be a viable enterprise-level “open source” postcode file.

This bit is also untrue:

“The Post Office owns this data and sells it to companies for a large amount of money (only large companies can afford it) for things like parcel tracking. But of course, 80% of businesses in the UK are small. They can’t afford the data so they have to make do with whatever services they can get. Plus, of course, non-profits can’t use the data either.”

There are resellers who can afford to buy the data from Royal Mail and offer it to small-medium companies and charities for affordable prices. The company I work for, Postcode Anywhere (http://www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk) is esentially a reseller of the Royal Mail data. It builds value-added services around the data (such as postcode lookup functionality for web forms and in-house applications) and sells it on at affordable pay-as-you-go rates.

What’s more, because the data comes direct from the Royal Mail, it’s always up-to-date. Charities who use our service include Oxfam, Comic Relief and UNICEF, among thousands of SMEs (small-medium enterprises).

The licencing around the PAF is constantly changing and can cause issues, but really I think the system is here to stay.

]]> By: Free The Postcode « We Klik http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-200792 Free The Postcode « We Klik Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:35:07 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-200792 [...] Free The Postcode Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: Free The Postcode, Postcode Database, The Post Office — We Klik @ 11:00 am I saw an interesting article on TechCrunch about our national postcode database and how the Post Office owns it and only currently sell it on with a high-end corporate price tag. The article informs that if there was an alternative free postcode database system that could be developed via GPS collaboration, this would open up a host of location oriented apps. The Techcrunch article can be seen here. [...] [...] Free The Postcode Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: Free The Postcode, Postcode Database, The Post Office — We Klik @ 11:00 am I saw an interesting article on TechCrunch about our national postcode database and how the Post Office owns it and only currently sell it on with a high-end corporate price tag. The article informs that if there was an alternative free postcode database system that could be developed via GPS collaboration, this would open up a host of location oriented apps. The Techcrunch article can be seen here. [...]

]]> By: Danny Bull http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-200723 Danny Bull Tue, 10 Feb 2009 22:01:27 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-200723 An excellent initiative, and hopefully one that will some day help change the insane ownership of postcode data here in the UK. An excellent initiative, and hopefully one that will some day help change the insane ownership of postcode data here in the UK.

]]> By: John McKerrell http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-200671 John McKerrell Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:06:36 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-200671 I think there's J2ME versions in the works, keep an eye on freethepostcode.org for more information. If you have any other type of GPS you can always note down the lat/lon and postcode manually then submit them when you get access to a computer, via the website. If you don't have a GPS, unfortunately there's not much you can do, perhaps just persuading anyone you *do* know that has a GPS to get involved would be enough :-) I think there’s J2ME versions in the works, keep an eye on freethepostcode.org for more information. If you have any other type of GPS you can always note down the lat/lon and postcode manually then submit them when you get access to a computer, via the website. If you don’t have a GPS, unfortunately there’s not much you can do, perhaps just persuading anyone you *do* know that has a GPS to get involved would be enough :-)

]]> By: John McKerrell http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-200668 John McKerrell Tue, 10 Feb 2009 13:03:41 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-200668 Chris, the app should work fine so long as you have some sort of access, i.e. GPRS should be fine. It might take a little longer to get a fix as the GPS makes use of the internet connection but it shouldn't take more than a few minutes. The actual submission is a tiny request so shouldn't take long on any connection. Chris, the app should work fine so long as you have some sort of access, i.e. GPRS should be fine. It might take a little longer to get a fix as the GPS makes use of the internet connection but it shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. The actual submission is a tiny request so shouldn’t take long on any connection.

]]> By: Tim Waters http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-200552 Tim Waters Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:56:21 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-200552 Christopher, a) you're missing the point b) it's wrong and c) they will know. a) Associate opensource software with open data. b) Compare stealing Windows vs using Linux. We don't have to use their stuff, we can do it ourselves. c) It's like TV licences. They (copyright holders, Royal Mail) know who have a licence for their data. If someone says "here's our list", they can check their records. Christopher, a) you’re missing the point b) it’s wrong and c) they will know.

a) Associate opensource software with open data.

b) Compare stealing Windows vs using Linux. We don’t have to use their stuff, we can do it ourselves.

c) It’s like TV licences. They (copyright holders, Royal Mail) know who have a licence for their data. If someone says “here’s our list”, they can check their records.

]]> By: Darryl Collins http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-200538 Darryl Collins Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:37:03 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-200538 Great idea, long overdue disruption. Here's a handy tool we created to locate the right Lat/Long http://www.banjax.com/tools/maps/pointdata/ for another project that might be useful! :-) Great idea, long overdue disruption. Here’s a handy tool we created to locate the right Lat/Long http://www.banjax.com/tools/maps/pointdata/ for another project that might be useful! :-)

]]> By: Chris http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-200528 Chris Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:39:57 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-200528 It's great, but O2 will have to improve its 3G network. Because even inner M25, there are a lot of places without 3G coverage or also Edge... I'm not sure this application will work without a decent connection. It’s great, but O2 will have to improve its 3G network. Because even inner M25, there are a lot of places without 3G coverage or also Edge…

I’m not sure this application will work without a decent connection.

]]> By: Joe http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-200519 Joe Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:00:36 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-200519 @Itamar The Google Geocoding API only allows the first part of the postcode to be geocoded, hence resulting in less than accurate results. I think this initiative is a great idea! Now how can we help without an iPhone or Android-based phone? @Itamar The Google Geocoding API only allows the first part of the postcode to be geocoded, hence resulting in less than accurate results.

I think this initiative is a great idea! Now how can we help without an iPhone or Android-based phone?

]]> By: Free the information! | SquareCows http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-200518 Free the information! | SquareCows Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:58:41 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-200518 [...] just been reading this article and thought I’d share with you [...] [...] just been reading this article and thought I’d share with you [...]

]]> By: Christopher http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-200507 Christopher Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:10:18 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-200507 A much simpler method of achieving the same thing would be for someone with access to the database to feed all the postcode to latlong mappings into the public domain database. How would anyone know? A much simpler method of achieving the same thing would be for someone with access to the database to feed all the postcode to latlong mappings into the public domain database. How would anyone know?

]]> By: Jon Winterbourn http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-200495 Jon Winterbourn Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:02:13 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-200495 Great idea - simple but effective. Look forward to using it. Great idea – simple but effective. Look forward to using it.

]]> By: <fb:name linked="false" useyou="false" uid="735015142">Allan Edwards</fb:name> http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-200491 Allan Edwards Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:09:12 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-200491 Is there a Symbian bversion in the works? Is there a Symbian bversion in the works?

]]> By: Itamar http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-200490 Itamar Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:08:29 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-200490 Nice initiative, in the meantime small businesses could use Google map Geocoding APIs, it works with postcodes: http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/services.html#Geocoding Itamar Nice initiative,
in the meantime small businesses could use Google map Geocoding APIs, it works with postcodes:
http://code.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/services.html#Geocoding

Itamar

]]> By: Ollie Parsley http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-200486 Ollie Parsley Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:50:45 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-200486 I work for Dorset County Councils GIS team. We get the post office data from Ordnance Survey, but they arent supporting the data much longer. Each district council now surveys addressable properties for the National Land (NLPG) & Property Gazatteer and then the Local Land and Property Gazatteer (LLPG). Its a hell of a lot cheaper and takes into account building that do not have post office addresses, like village halls. Great to hear other people standing up to the Post Office Ollie http://twitter.com/ollieparsley My views are my own on do not represent those of DCC :) I work for Dorset County Councils GIS team. We get the post office data from Ordnance Survey, but they arent supporting the data much longer. Each district council now surveys addressable properties for the National Land (NLPG) & Property Gazatteer and then the Local Land and Property Gazatteer (LLPG). Its a hell of a lot cheaper and takes into account building that do not have post office addresses, like village halls.

Great to hear other people standing up to the Post Office

Ollie
http://twitter.com/ollieparsley

My views are my own on do not represent those of DCC :)

]]> By: Chris - LG http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-200484 Chris - LG Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:46:19 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-200484 Excellent example of real life wikism (if that's such a thing). User-built and maintained knowledge bases - a great thing in my opinion. Excellent example of real life wikism (if that’s such a thing). User-built and maintained knowledge bases – a great thing in my opinion.

]]> By: Darren http://eu.techcrunch.com/2009/02/09/free-the-postcode-now/comment-page-1/#comment-200483 Darren Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:41:26 +0000 http://uk.techcrunch.com/?p=3311#comment-200483 Hear Hear! :) Hear Hear! :)

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