DM p22-28 addressing Feb09.qxp 29/01/2009 11:23 Page 22
Addressing Software
With the new PAF licensing terms due to come into force in September they have still to be
finalised, creating considerable uncertainty for addressing software vendors and their clients,
but will it be worth the wait when the terms are made public in April, asks Rob McLuhan?
Addressing the issue
T
hree years ago Royal Mail announced that ensure accuracy in addressing. The existing licence
new licensing terms for its Postal Address File was framed in 1995, but the expansion of e-com-
(PAF) would come into force in September merce since then means the use of lookup software
2009. That’s now only a few months away, yet the has boomed. The licence now needs to be adapted to
terms have still not been agreed, creating consider- changing needs, in particular by shifting payment
able uncertainty for vendors of address look-up soft- from systems to users. Allies Computing, for one, has
ware and their clients. has seen an increased demand for per-click licensing
A consultation period came to an end on December for internal business use, and managing director
24, and Royal Mail now says the new terms will be Emma Gooderham thinks this is a necessary change.
made public in April. “We are reviewing customers’ She says: “We expect the new licence to be easier to
We are reviewing
feedback and will go on talking to them while draft- understand, and the pricing to reflect use more. It
customers’
ing the new licence agreement,” says Giles will mean higher costs for large users and a lower
feedback and
Finnemore, head of marketing at Royal Mail’s Address entry fee for premise-level data supply, making PAF a
will go on talking
Management Unit. Finnemore insists the aim is not more viable option for single users and smaller busi-
to them.
for Royal Mail to extract more revenue, but to create nesses.”
a level playing field and reflect actual usage of the Gooderham praises Royal Mail’s efforts to get the
Giles Finnemore, head of
marketing, Royal Mail
PAF, with around 90% of users benefiting from the best result, by holding face-to-face forums and online
Address Management Unit.
proposed changes. surveys and adopting an open approach to receiving
As the only comprehensive list of the UK’s 28 mil- feedback. For its part, Allies has requested that the
lion addresses, access to the PAF is the only way to pricing model be simplified, and that clauses based
22 Database Marketing February 2009
www.dmarket.co.uk
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