Hopewiser UK

The only truly successful Address File in the UK is the Royal Mail Postcode Address File. This has been used in anger for over 30 years.

In 1982 Hopewiser produced the first computer system to: -

• Provide all the deliverable addresses to the mailing industry and to
• Ensure credit granters had accurate addresses and were, therefore, able to trace customers if the need arose.

The NLPG was a disaster from the start. It was poorly specified. It was badly managed. It was crippled by too many vested interests. It very quickly became the play-thing of semi-government officials. As a result, it had no value whatsoever to the commercial world.

The OS AddressPoint and Address Layer2 files depended on the Postcode Address File to ensure the addresses made sense. But the high prices charged for these files, not to mention the secondary levy for the Royal Mail, not only severely restricted its use it also meant that its potential use for directional information was priced way above market expectations. This, in turn, enabled others to move into and dominate these markets. The plan to rename the NLPG in a desperate attempt to make it more acceptable will not alter any of these facts.

The whole exercise is fruitless and ill conceived.

Mr .P. Good, Director, Hopewiser Ltd

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