Siebel Module Databases

The Siebel Module relies on other Spectrum™ Technology Platform modules to provide various capabilities such as address standardization and geocoding. Depending on the features you have licensed you may have one or more of the following modules. Each module requires certain reference data (databases) to be installed on the Spectrum™ Technology Platform server.

Note: For instructions on installing these databases, see the Spectrum™ Technology Platform Installation Guide.

Address Now Module Database

The Address Now database contains postal data from all supported countries. You can install the entire database or the data for specific countries only. The database is installed on the server. This database is available by subscription from Pitney Bowes and is updated monthly.

U.S. Geocoding Databases (U.S. Only)

These databases contain the spatial data necessary to perform address standardization and geocoding. You must install at least one of these databases to perform geocoding for USA. You set the database that you want to match against with the processing options. Enterprise Geocoding tries to match to the database you indicate. To verify you are matching to the database you want, you can review the value returned in the StreetDataType output field.

These databases use proprietary files called GSD files. For ZIP Code centroid matching, the file us.Z9 contains all the centroid info for all states and normally has a z9 extension.

  • Centrus Enhanced Geocoding—This database consists of TIGER data provided by the U.S. Geological Survey and address data provided by the U.S. Postal Service.
  • TomTom Geocoding—This database provides more up-to-date data than the Centrus Enhanced Geocoding database. It requires an additional license. This data is provided by TomTom, a third-party provider of spatial data, and postal data from the U.S. Postal Service.
  • NAVTEQ Geocoding—This database provides more up-to-date data than the Centrus Enhanced Geocoding database. It requires an additional license. NAVTEQ data is provided by NAVTEQ, a third-party provider of spatial data. For more information about these databases, contact your sales representative.
  • ZIP + 4 Centroid—This database provides only address standardization and ZIP + 4 centroid matching. It does not provide street-level matching.

Each geocoding database has an optional Statewide Intersections Index. The Statewide Intersection Index is designed to enable fast intersection identification on a statewide basis. For example, the Statewide Intersection Index will allow the database search for "1st and Main St, CO" and return a list of possible matches in Colorado more quickly than searching the entire geocoding database for each instance of the intersection.

U.S. Points Databases (U.S. Only)

Points databases contain data for locating the center of a parcel. These databases provides enhanced geocoding accuracy for internet mapping, property and casualty insurance, telecommunications, utilities, and others.

These databases are optional, but either Centrus Enhanced Points or Centrus Premium Points is required for Reverse Assessor's Parcel Number (APN) Lookup. These databases are also separately licensed.

  • Centrus Points—This database contains the data necessary to locate the center of a parcel or building. It does not contain Assessor's Parcel Number (APN) or elevation data.
  • Centrus Elevation—This database contains the same data as Centrus Points, plus elevation data.
  • Centrus Enhanced Points—This database contains the same data as Centrus Points, plus APN data.
  • Centrus Premium Points—This database contains the same data as Centrus Points, plus both APN and elevation data.
  • Centrus TomTom Points Database—The data in this database is provided by TomTom, a third-party provider of spatial data.
  • Master Location Data — This database provides the best available address point location for every mailable and deliverable address in the United States.

Reverse Geocoding Database (U.S. Only)

This database contains the data you need to convert a latitude/longitude location to an address.

This database is optional, but is required for Reverse Geocode US . This database is also separately licensed.

Auxiliary Files (U.S. Only)

Auxiliary files contain user-defined records. You can use auxiliary files to provide custom data to use in address matching and geocode matching.

DPV® Database (U.S. Only)

The Delivery Point Validation database allows you to check the validity of any individual mailing address in the U.S. The DPV database is distributed as an optional feature and can be installed to enhance the geocoding database's ability to validate mailing addresses. Each time an edition of the geocoding database is released, a corresponding edition of the optional DPV database is released. The date of the DPV database must match the date of the geocoding database for DPV processing to function. DPV lookups may not be performed after the expiration date of the DPV database.

This database is optional, but is required for CASS Certified™ processing. The DPV database is also required to determine ZIP + 4 and ZIP + 4 related output (DPBC, USPS record type, etc.). This database is also separately licensed.

Note:

Postal Service licensing prohibits using DPV for the generation of addresses or address lists, and also prohibits the DPV database being exported outside the United States.

EWS Database (U.S. Only)

The Early Warning System (EWS) database contains data that prevents address records from miscoding due to a delay in postal data reaching the U.S. Postal database.

The USPS® refreshes the EWS file on a weekly basis. Unlike the DPV and LACSLink databases, the EWS database does not need to have the same date as the geocoding database. You can download the EWS.zip file free of charge from the CASS section of the USPS® RIBBS website at:

https://ribbs.usps.gov//index.cfm?page=doclist

When you download the EWS database, you will receive a file named OUT. You must rename the OUT file to EWS.txt before using it.

LACS Link Database (U.S. Only)

The LACSLink database allows you to correct addresses that have changed as a result of a rural route address converting to street-style address, a PO Box renumbering, or a street-style address changing.

This database is optional, but is required for CASS Certified™ processing. The LACSLink database is also required in CASS mode to receive ZIP + 4 and ZIP + 4 related output (delivery point bar code, USPS record type, etc.).

The date of the LACSLink database must match the date of the geocoding database for LACSLink processing to function.

Note:

USPS licensing prohibits using LACSLink for the generation of addresses or address lists, and also prohibits the LACSLink database being exported outside the United States.

Universal Addressing Module Databases

Table 1. Universal Addressing Module Databases

Database Name & Description

Required or Optional

Supplier

U.S. Postal Database

The U.S. Postal Database is in a Pitney Bowes proprietary format. It contains every house number range in the United States and is updated on a monthly basis. The database files contain the following information:

  • ZIP + 4® Code
  • Standardized address elements
  • City and state information

The U.S. Postal Database also contains the data needed to perform Enhanced Street Matching (ESM) and All Street Matching (ASM). ESM and ASM apply extra matching logic to any input address that is not matched through the regular address validation process.

Required for U.S. address processing

Pitney Bowes monthly subscription

Canadian Postal Database

The Canadian Postal database is in Pitney Bowes proprietary format. The database files contain the following information:

  • Postal code
  • Standardized address elements
  • Municipality and province information

Required for Canadian address processing

Pitney Bowes monthly subscription

International Postal Database

The International Postal Database is a collection of postal address data from around the world. Data from each country is categorized according to the level of data available. The categories are:

  • Category A—Enables the validation and correction of an address's postal code, city name, state/county name, street address elements, and country name.
  • Category B—Enables the validation and correction of an address's postal code, city name, state/county name, and country name. It does not support the validation or correction of street address elements.
  • Category C—Enables the validation and correction of the country name, and the validation of the format of the postal code.

Required for International address processing

Pitney Bowes quarterly subscription

DPV® Database

The Delivery Point Validation database allows you to check the validity of an individual mailing address in the U.S. The DPV database enhances the U.S. Postal database's ability to validate mailing addresses.

Note: The DPV database also contains the data required for Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) processing.

Each time an edition of the U.S. Postal database is released, a corresponding edition of the DPV database is released. Although USPS licensing allows the use of the U.S. Postal database beyond the expiration date (with certain restrictions), DPV lookups may not be performed after the expiration date of the DPV database.

USPS licensing prohibits using DPV data for the generation of addresses or address lists. To prevent the generation of address lists, the DPV database contains "false positive records." False positive records are artificially manufactured addresses. For each negative response that occurs in a DPV query, a query is made to the False/Positive table in the DPV database. A match to this table will stop DPV processing.

USPS licensing also prohibits exporting the DPV data outside the United States.

Optional, but required for CASS Certified™ processing; U.S. addresses only

Pitney Bowes monthly subscription

eLOT® Database

The Enhanced Line of Travel ( eLOT) database is a U.S. address database that ensures that Enhanced Carrier Route mailings are sorted as close as possible to the actual delivery sequence. the eLOT database is required for certain types of postal discounts.

You will receive monthly updates to your eLOT database on the same media as the U.S. Postal database.

You must install the U.S. Postal database and eLOT database from the same month (i.e., September eLOT data must be processed with a September U.S. Postal database). If the U.S. Postal database and the eLOT database are not from the same month, there may be ZIP + 4® Codes for which eLOT numbers cannot be assigned. The ZIP Code™, ZIP + 4 Code, carrier route code, and the delivery point of an address must be provided to assign a eLOT code.

Optional; U.S. addresses only

Pitney Bowes monthly subscription

EWS Database

The Early Warning System (EWS) database prevents address validation errors that can result due to a delay in postal data reaching the U.S. Postal database.

The EWS database consists of partial address information limited to the ZIP Code™, street name, pre- and post-directionals, and a suffix. For an address record to be EWS-eligible, it must be an address not present on the most recent monthly production U.S. Postal database.

The USPS® refreshes the EWS file on a weekly basis (Thursdays). You can download the EWS file from the USPS® website at ribbs.usps.gov.

Optional; U.S. addresses only

Download for free from USPS® website

LACSLink® Database

The LACSLink database allows you to correct addresses that have changed as a result of a rural route address converting to street-style address, a PO Box renumbering, or a street-style address changing.

USPS licensing prohibits using LACSLink for the generation of addresses or address lists. To prevent the generation of address lists, the LACSLink database contains "false positive records." False positive records are artificially manufactured addresses. For each negative response that occurs in a LACSLink query, a query is made to the False/Positive table in the LACSLink database. A match to this table will stop LACSLink processing.

USPS licensing also prohibits exporting the LACSLink database outside the United States

Optional, but required for CASS Certified™ processing; U.S. addresses only

Pitney Bowes monthly subscription

RDI™ Database

The Residential Delivery Indicator (RDI™) database contains data that can help you determine the best cost for shipping your packages.

RDI is similar to DPV in that the RDI data is supplied as hash tables. However, RDI is a much simpler process than DPV in that the standard hash algorithm is only determined for the 9-digit and 11-digit ZIP Code™ rather than the entire address.

Optional; U.S. addresses only

License directly from USPS®

SuiteLink™ Database

SuiteLink™ corrects secondary address information for U.S. business addresses whose secondary address information could not be validated. If SuiteLink processing is enabled, Validate Address attempts to match the value in the FirmName field to a database of known firm names. Validate Address then supplies the correct secondary address information.

Optional; U.S. addresses only

Pitney Bowes monthly subscription