Business and Marketing

Melissa Data adds Canadian change of address processing to its cloud-based NCOA service.

Canada keeps a watchful eye on mail processing.

Melissa Data today announced it had added Canadian addresses to its SmartMover National Change of Address service. It is part of the first wave of contact data companies to have been granted a license for NCOA processing by Canada Post under new mail laws requiring in-country processing.

SmartMover now can match data against more than 10 million change of address records filed by Canadian households and businesses in the last 72 months. “Privacy issues are paramount in Canada. They license the database and the licensing practice,” says Melissa VP Marketing Greg Brown. “As part of the licensing requirements, they want to know that we have a facility in Canada and how we're going to process, keep, and destroy data.”

More than 40 million individuals move annually in the U.S., presenting an ongoing challenge to marketers to update their lists. Cloud-based solutions such as Melissa's allow list managers to update customer data automatically and in real time, as opposed to periodically sending entire lists to mail houses to be updated. Now that solution extends north of the border.

“Melissa Data is one of only 13 vendors licensed by Canada Post to provide Canadian NCOA so mailers can stay in contact with customers in both Canada and the U.S.,” says Chris Rowe, the company's VP of Data Enhancement Services.

Business Breaking News: Windows 9 Rumors: Top 5 Business Features

For plenty of businesses, Windows 8 is a tough sell. A focus on a new touch-optimized interface required users to relearn how to navigate Windows, and the removal of key interface elements left even savvy workers feeling confused.

Now, Microsoft hopes to reclaim the workspace with Windows 9, a brand-new version of Windows expected to launch sometime later this year. Microsoft hasn't confirmed many details about its next major release, but leaks and rumors have given us an idea of what to expect. That potentially includes the ability to disable Windows 8's intrusive Start screen and the addition of a voice-activated virtual assistant. While we wait for more details, here are five rumored features for Windows 9 that could make it better for work.

Return of the Start menu

Commodity Online News: Fresh selling seen in RM Seed open interest up 13.28%