Data8 has announced the launch of their improved email validation service, the validation is conducted on four levels plus server identification.

After months of development and testing we are now happy to launch this new service to our clients.

The methods that companies use to validate email addresses vary and here at data8, our service covers all four elements of email validation. These include - Syntax level, Domain level, Server level and Address level, this gives clients the choice to select the most appropriate level of validation for their needs.

We can also identify what type of server is associated with the address i.e does it use catch-all or greylisting rules, and this significantly improves the accuracy of our validation.

The email validation service is available both as a batch set-up through data8’s online service and in real time via Integr8.

Comment from Antony, managing director data8, “The introduction of this service will give our clients the most comprehensive email validation service, ensuring they can trust their data. I see this very much as part of data8’s continual review and improvement of services to benefit our clients.”

Check the level of validation that you are currently being offered to ensure you are getting accurate results and not wasting time and money. Phone your account manager on 0151 355 4555 for further information.

Simon Wise has joined us as account manager to assist in the expansion plans for our real time data validation service Integr8.

Antony said, “Simon brings with him a great deal of account management experience having worked for ORC International and Bank of America. We have ambitious growth targets for data8 in 2012 and Simon joins our expanding team to help meet those targets. Simon will be concentrating in developing accounts for our real time validation service, Integr8, which includes industry leading applications like Postcode Lookup”.

Simon Wise added, “I am pleased to join data8 at this exciting time in their development, I am sure my experience with data-centric web based solutions will be an asset to our expanding range of clientele”.

In his spare time his main passion is Fly Fishing and he is Membership Secretary for Rossett & Gresford Fly Fishing Club, he can be found on the River Alyn most Sunday mornings working with other volunteers to maintain the river and riverbanks. He is a lifelong Manchester United supporter having been born and raised in the city.

Last year, online sales increased by 16% to £68bn. The growth of online sales is expected to slow down in 2012, but the IMRG and Capgemini are still predicting 13% growth in 2012.

Online now accounts for 17% of total retail spend, however bricks and mortar retail still plays a significant part in the buying process. I can vouch for that having just bought a new camera, I went to the retail outlet to get a look and feel for what is on offer and then bought online with a 5% discount. Is the future of retailing just as a sensory playground to touch and feel products prior to buying online?

The more retailers distance themselves from their customers the greater will be the need to capture and maintain accurate contact details of their customers. No longer will shop staff be able to look at a customer, size them up and point them in the right direction. There are algorithms that do that, based on past purchases and interests while the customer is in the online world, the key is to be able to track that customer through all their purchase cycle.

Therefore it will be just as important to track them when they actually go into a shop, capturing details of name and address using Postcode Look Up systems help speed up this process. Regular data cleansing will improve delivery and targeting of marketing campaigns, 'email is not the only communication method, others methods are available'.

Relying solely on online purchase data will give a distorted view of the buying process.

We like to think that our telephone number appending service is one of the most comprehensive, due the number of data sources and our matching routines -

OSIS – Matching your name and address data against the BT OSIS database, the source of the telephone directory. This gives access to over 27 million subscribers and around 50,000 changes 6 days a week.

However this is only part of the story, data8 have additional options that can be used to match elusive telephone numbers, such as ex-directory numbers. Also OSIS doesn’t cover mobile telephone data, something that is becoming more and more important to marketers and financial service companies.

Additional sources – at data8 we have additional sources of data that supply numbers that are not on OSIS, improving match rates dramatically. Sometimes by as much as 20%.

Electoral Roll Data - If we can’t identify a telephone number against a particular name and address we can search our electoral roll database and look for cohabiters at the address. Using this information we can add additional phone numbers to your databases.

In addition all lines will be tested using our telephone validation service before the number is supplied to ensure they are live. Hence we think that we have a very comprehensive service.  

Most of the appending can be done using our on line data cleansing service where you can look at a data quality audit showing how many additional numbers we can find. Alternatively give one of our Account Managers a ring on 0151 355 4555.

It had to come to pass, the practical Swiss Army Knife has moved into the digital age, as well as having the thing for removing stones from horses hooves it now has a USB.

Just think of how much data you can store on the 1T version, but make sure if you store any information that there has been some data cleansing.

Also be careful where you leave it, you don’t want to get hauled up in front of the Information Commissioner, I wonder if they do still have the stone remover? Maybe a homing device would be helpful.