Four digits = seven figures for QAS?

QAS, a supplier of address management solutions, has announced the opening of its new Auckland, New Zealand office. Not merely the typical sort of expansion seen these days in Oceania, the office is a response to the four-digit postal code system officially proscribed by the government in June.

Indeed, alongside the grand opening, QAS representatives announced the signing of a strategic alliance with New Zealand Post for its Postal Address File database representing 1.8 million addresses. The first step for QAS Auckland will be to sort its customers’ enterprise databases for post code accuracy and compliance. The new post code system, says QAS press material, “creates significant opportunities for QAS to assist local companies in converting their customer databases.”

Indeed, QASers seemed positively in love with their own near future: “We are very excited by the opportunities in this green field market,” said Glenn Parker, managing director, QAS Asia Pacific. The new four-digit postcode system was introduced in June 2006 and, unlike the previous system, is required for all mail items. Some 1,850 codes now exist.

QAS currently offers a comprehensive service to cleanse, format, standardize and update databases, and has even developed the New Zealand-specific address capture tool QuickAddress Pro and online address validation tool QuickAddress Pro Web. QAS’ immediate New Zealand strategy involves pitching to banking and finance institutions, government, telecommunications, business services and utility providers.

The Auckland office will be headed up by New Zealand business development manager Angela Buckley; Buckley will report to QAS Asia Pacific managing director Glenn Parker. QAS is an international provider of data accuracy and identity management solutions; its flagship product is the QuickAddress range of software. QAS is a wholly owned subsidiary of global information solutions company Experian and claims a clientele base of over 9,500 customers.