LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN BUSINESS GEODIRECTORY
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Driven by
DATA
InBUSINESS spoke with GeoDirectory CEO Dara Keogh to discover more about the power of data to a business.
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eoDirectory is all about the data. It drives their operations, informs their products and sets them apart in the Irish market. The source for the creation (and maintenance) of Ireland’s new Eircode postal system, GeoDirectory’s database combines data acquired through An Post and Ordnance Survey Ireland to provide a fingerprint for every residential and commercial building in Ireland.
DATA AT WORK GeoDirectory doesn’t simply sit on this valuable cache of data – they are constantly devising innovative ways to use this information. AddressFix is a new service with the purpose of enabling companies to clean and enhance the information already in their possession. Businesses provide their data sets and GeoDirectory gets to work cleaning and restructuring the addresses. AddressFix then goes a step further and provides the option to append other information to those addresses, such as location codes for the purposes of mapping, or examining social demographic information for residential databases, as well as the new Eircode system. “This allows businesses to target their areas more effectively, to learn about new opportunities and provide leads for your sales team,” explains Dara Keogh, CEO, GeoDirectory. With AddressFix, GeoDirectory has moved from being a data supplier to a solutions provider. As a result, if you’re a small or medium sized business, you can now take InBUSINESS | Q3 2015
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advantage of the power of data. And that can only be positive – it can help identify and exploit new opportunities to grow business revenues. GeoDirectory’s recently upgraded app – GeoFindIT – uses GPS to set the user’s location and, using a fully integrated search screen, allows users to search for a business or address using a keyword. They can also pinpoint their starting position using their current location or by dragging and dropping the GeoFindIT icon to their desired starting point. The search function works without a radius, so users can search for any location throughout Ireland. The upgraded app now includes property price information that gives it an increased appeal to the general public. “We think people are going to love that you can now look at the prices of recently sold properties around you,” Keogh adds. The most interesting aspect is the augmented reality setting. Unlike anything seen in the Irish market to date, this function allows users to open the app anytime, anywhere, to view real-time overlays of house prices, directions and more. The app works intuitively, displaying information for properties in whichever direction the
AddressFix is a new service with the purpose of enabling companies to clean and enhance the information already in their possession.
phone is pointing. GeoDirectory has been built on the understanding that data is valuable in its own right but when you link it with other things, in this case mapping and property prices, you can see how it all works together. For those still undecided on whether such solutions could be of benefit to their businesses and operations, Keogh suggests trying it out – GeoFindIT is free – to see the power of data for yourself. “When you talk about data it doesn’t sound that appealing, but when you see it applied in real life it can deliver new potential leads and revenue,” he explains. The end product only functions as intended because of the quality of the data underneath. Think of it like the foundation of a house – regardless of how well built the house is, if the foundations are poor then the building will crumble. GeoDirectory helps ease any data reliability worries businesses may have, so they have confidence and can focus on growing their business.
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