PCA Launches Fast Cloud Development Service; iPad Prize for Smartest Programmer

June 24, 2010 - PRLog -- Worcester, UK – 24 June 2010 – Data specialist Postcode Anywhere will make its award-winning web services platform freely available for the first time next week, allowing developers to upload their own data to the cloud and build custom services around it. The company is offering an Apple iPad for whoever develops the most impressive service.

The “MyServices” platform, launching at London’s Cloud Computing World Forum on 29 June, will allow developers to rapidly build APIs and web services around any data either hosted on their own machine, or uploaded to the cloud. It will be offered to testers for free while the service is in beta.

Postcode Anywhere’s sales and marketing director Phil Rothwell said: “Data is at the top of the agenda today for both business and government, and MyServices finally let developers and CIOs make the most of it, either as publicly-available services or to staff within the firewall.

“We’re issuing a challenge to web developers to see what they can do with the service, either with their own data or with new, freely available resources such as Ordnance Survey’s OpenData.

“The potential for the private and public sectors is huge. UK local authorities, for instance, are now obligated to publish all expenditures over £500 by 2011. Using My Services this can be achieved in a few minutes.

“Moreover, authorities can rapidly build any kind of services they want around the data, in a fraction of the normal development time. The data can be brought to life by adding in information from other wards, or by mashing it up with mapping visualisations.

“Web middleware isn’t a new thing, but it’s typically either clumsy or costly – and if you want something a bit more exciting, you often have to hand over control to the consultants.

“With MyServices, organisations have finally been handed the keys to their own datasets. Of course they can host their own data securely in the cloud and build web-based APIs around it. But what My Services offer are ways to rapidly build myriad applications too – without having to pay someone else to turn that API into a service, and without the normal headaches associated with data management.

“Services like Amazon’s EC2 have led the way with this kind of service. What MyServices offer now is a more flexible, robust system - with rapid development tools included - so you can not only store your data in the cloud, but truly take charge of it with reliable, value-added development.”

Organisations such as the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and Severn Trent Water have been testing the My Services platform to build custom services both on internal systems and public-facing websites. Severn Trent’s projects include a proposed service which allows customers to check current and planned works in their area or throughout the Severn Trent Water region.

Fraser Pithie, Senior Operations Manager for Severn Trent, said: “Working with the Postcode Anywhere team is truly something different. Using some of the latest tools available, they work hard and quickly to deliver simple solutions to frustrating and seemingly complex needs.”

Cloud computing expert and CTO of Bick Group David Linthicum said: “What's unique about this is the ease of creating the feed. While you can certainly build APIs around your data via weeks of custom development, or leverage one of the existing players that provide API enablement services, the cost of development and management headaches make this path impossible for traditional enterprises.

“The core notion of this technology is to provide enterprises with an easy and guided path for creating, testing, and managing a data feed that takes hours, not days.  While your mileage may vary, I suspect the return on investment for this type of project is almost immediate.

“As cloud computing continues its quick rise, the need to externalize core business data in a cost effective and easy way will continue to increase. Approaches such as MyFeeds make this externalisation process finally within reach of the traditional enterprise.”

More information on MyServices, as well as full terms and conditions for the iPad offer, can be found at www.postcodeanywhere.com/myservices after the show launch. The Cloud Computing World Forum runs from 29 June to 1 July 2010; Postcode Anywhere will be exhibiting at stand 9.

ENDS

Media contact for Postcode Anywhere
Jim Williams – PR Executive, Postcode Anywhere
jim@postcodeanywhere.com
+44 (0) 1905 888 570

Press centre at: http://www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk/press-centre/
Press Pack download: http://www.postcodeanywhere.co.uk/assets/PDFs/press-pack-...

Notes to Editors:

About Postcode Anywhere

Postcode Anywhere has been providing address services for ten years and is the fastest-growing reseller of Royal Mail’s Postcode Address File (PAF). A multi-award-winning organisation, it has also appeared in successive Deloitte fast-growth European technology company lists. Postcode Anywhere supplies software and services which improve the day-to-day operations of over 8,000 organisations worldwide. Best known as a provider of address auto-fill and verification software, the company offers a range of data-driven services, including route planning and customer profiling. It is fully accredited for the international standard for data security, ISO 27001, serves over 1m data requests every day, and has experienced 100% uptime for the past five years.

For more information about Postcode Anywhere, please visit www.postcodeanywhere.com.

Recent Awards and Recognition for Postcode Anywhere

·         Red Herring Top 100 Europe - 2010

·         Best Small IT Supplier of the Year - UK IT Industry Awards (finalist) – 2009

·         One of Europe's fastest-growing IT firms - Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA 2008/9 & 2009/10

·         Dell Small Business Excellence Award (UK finalist) – 2009

·         Small-Medium Sized Business of the Year (regional finalist) - National Business Awards 2009

·         Orange Best Use of Technology (Midlands) - 2008 National Business Awards

·         Growth Business of the Year - Chamber Awards 2008

·         Small Business of the Year - Chamber Awards 2008

·         Customer Service Team of the Year (finalist) - National Customer Services Awards 2008

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Postcode Anywhere is a UK-based company best known for its market-leading “what’s your postcode” technology. Its services include route optimisation, international addressing, data cleansing, business information services and lifestyle profiling.