Press Release
- Date:
- Monday, March 04, 2002
- Contact:
- David Peikin
- Phone:
- (301) 918-0818
- Email:
- G1@schwartz-pr.com
Group 1 Software Expands International Data Quality Leadership Position As First North American Software Provider to Enter into Licensing Agreement with Universal Postal Union (UPU)
Group 1's Data Quality Solutions Will Incorporate UPU's Universal POST*CODEŽ DataBase, World's Largest, Most Comprehensive Source of Global Postal Data
Lanham, MD — Group 1 Software (Nasdaq: GSOF), a leading provider of customer relationship management (CRM)-enabling software solutions, announced today that it has entered into a Licensing Agreement with the Universal Postal Union (UPU), a specialized agency of the United Nations headquartered in Berne, Switzerland. With the agreement, Group 1 will incorporate in its data quality solutions postal data from the UPU's Universal POST*CODEŽ DataBase. The Universal POST*CODEŽ DataBase contains locality and street-level data for more than 180 member countries worldwide. The Universal POST*CODEŽ DataBase is designed and developed by the UPU as a global database and basic tool in a unique format which enables postal service customers to address mail items correctly and to eliminate addressing errors.
Through this new licensing agreement, Group 1 will increase dramatically the number of actual postal databases, both at the post office and street level, included in its industry leading address data quality solutions. With this additional data, users can enhance the accuracy of both direct marketing and data quality initiatives. As a first step in the incorporation of the Universal POST*CODEŽ DataBase, Group 1's CODE-1 Plus International address data quality solution will contain physical address data for over 100 countries worldwide. The Universal POST*CODEŽ DataBase will be available through the CODE-1 Plus International software solution or via Group 1's hosted service, HotData.
Many businesses have been reluctant to undertake international direct marketing campaigns due to the historically poor quality of international address data and the complexities in dealing with such data. The addition of data obtained directly from postal administrations worldwide further enhances Group 1's international address data quality solutions, helping the company's customers make global direct marketing much easier to implement
As the body representing the world's postal administrations, the Universal Postal Union is able to rigorously monitor and update its database, thereby providing effective end-to-end address management and ensuring fast sorting, transmission and delivery of letters, parcels or money orders
“We're very enthusiastic to be the first North American software vendor to acquire a license to use the Universal POST*CODEŽ DataBase from the Universal Postal Union,” said Bob Bowen, CEO of Group 1 Software. “Our customers will benefit from access to the most accurate, comprehensive source of global postal data. Data quality concerns will no longer be the impediment they have been to effective multi-national target marketing.”
“We are pleased to enter into our first license agreement in the Americas with Group 1 Software, a leading provider of global direct marketing software solutions,” said Thomas E. Leavey, Director-General of the UPU's International Bureau. “The combination of our Universal POST*CODEŽ DataBase with Group 1's existing technology will enable businesses to improve the effectiveness of their international direct marketing initiatives. The agreement also underscores the benefits of working closely with the direct marketing industry to meet our goal of enhancing global communication and message delivery.”
About Group 1 Software Group 1 Software (Nasdaq: GSOF) is a leading provider of customer relationship management (CRM)-enabling software solutions for data quality, marketing automation, customer communications management and direct marketing applications. Group 1's software systems and services enable 2,500 customers worldwide to market smarter by helping them find, reach and keep customers. Founded in 1982 and headquartered in Lanham, Maryland, Group 1's solutions are utilized by leaders in the financial services, banking, retail, telecommunications, utilities, e-commerce, and insurance industries. The company's customer base includes such recognized names as AT&T, Charles Schwab, Entergy, GEICO, L.L. Bean, MCI WorldCom, Wal-Mart and Wells Fargo. For more information about Group 1, visit the company's Web site at http://www.g1.com.
About The Universal Postal Union (UPU) The postal service forms part of the daily life of people all over the world. Even in the digital age, the Post remains, for millions of people, the most accessible means of communication and message delivery available. The UPU, with headquarters in Berne, Switzerland, is the specialized agency of the United Nations that oversees this truly universal service. The postal services of the UPU's 189 member countries form the largest physical distribution network in the world. More than six million postal employees work in over 700 000 postal outlets to ensure that some 430 billion mail items are processed and delivered each year to customers in all corners of the world. For more information, please visit the UPU web site at http://www.upu.int