By Andy McCue, 24 August 2005 16:05
NEWS The UK's Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is looking to boost profits by selling data products and reports to the private sector, based on information held in its databases.
The data will be sold in DVLA-branded reports but will be anonymised in order to comply with data protection laws.
The DVLA is currently looking for at least one IT partner to provide support to develop and generate customised reports under the DVLA brand. But the database and any resultant reports will be retained under sole DVLA ownership and will not be available to the technology supplier for any other use.
The project is part of plans for the DVLA to make more money out of the information it holds.
A DVLA tender notice said: "The marketplace is asking for more uses of DVLA data to provide information but for legislative reasons we are unable to release those data sets in their raw form to our data customers, potential customers and agents."
The DVLA already offers vehicle data information through private sector companies including Carwatch and Experian but said the new DVLA-branded products will not compete with these.
The IT partner will be expected to bear the majority of risk and investment costs in return for a greater proportional share of any income generated. Services it will need to provide include setting up and hosting a DVLA database, data analysis software, producing data reports, training staff, consulting and marketing.
The contract is expected to be awarded for two years with the option of a one-year extension.
Comments
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1. anonymous
Can someone please explain why the DVLA must make money?
2. Simon
So how long before the data protection issues are "got round" and they start selling non-anonymous data ?
IMHO they are already sailing a bit close to the wind, you are legally forced to provide them with certain data, and they tell you that they will use it for non-specified purposes and provide it to non-specified recipients for non-specified uses.
3. bozidar zabavnik
I have enough trouble with people selling on information to people who bombard my family with illicit junk mail without Government departments getting in on the act. I would like the Data protection act amended so people cannot sell on their database of names and addresses and for it to be a criminal offence to do so. If I give manoey to one charity I do not expect to be inundated with requests from other charities however desrving or otherwise
4. KRW
Apart from the essential DPA issues, as the DVLA are a publicly funded body & if they make a profit, can we expect decreases in road tax etc?
5. anonymous
So, not only 'Big Brother' watching us, but privately-owned, profit-hungry big brothers - privately installed speed cameras, parking wardens who will have your name & address, the list gets more frightening as it grows.
Don't beleive any of that bull about anonymous - anything is available at the right price.
6. Fujitsu Employee
the DVLA is a govt agency and as such are allowed to operate as a profit making business. These profits will lead to long term savings on driving licencE charges.
Use of the Freedom Of Information Act should ensure that rules are no broken.
7. anonymous
Having handled the account in the past which dealt with DVLA data products for one of the private sector firms advertised on the agency's website I am well aware of the potential uses and abuses of the data which the agency provides.
There are in essence two main datasets available, one does not identify individual vehicles (The annoymised dataset - that is to say it doesnt contain a registration number or VIN number) but does contain the make, model and postcode of the keeper and past keepers (geographic info).
The other dataset, does identify individual vehicles (the "Bulk" dataset - by registration number and VIN number) but NOT by postcode or with any other gepgraphic info, so ultimately this data is not provided in a format conducive to direct marketing. To do that you would need both sets of data (whilst some comapnies such as experian have these, there are strict guidlines in the agency's contract regarding the two datasets coming together) and you would need to implement complex data processing to match up an individual vehicle with its gepgraphical location or current keeper. At the end of the day this data is very expensive (particularly since a price re-structure in recent times), tightly governed and frankly, there are far cheaper and easier ways of getting people's personal data for direct marketing purposes.
These data products are far more tailored towards business planning, performance reporting and competitive market analysis and research than for direct mail shots or telemarketing, so dont concern yourself too much with the worry that your details are going to be released by the agency for these purposes.
8. anonymous
Can the DVLA sell on vehicle ownersip information to a private company? Can a private company claim to be able to identify the owner of a vehicle by applying to the DVLA?
9. anonymous
If you think that any "profit" that the DVLA make will reduce the cost of motoring, you've sadly forgotten that this is a Labour Government. They are only interested in fleesing as much money as they can from anyone so that they can pay their own pensions (and not yours)
10. anonymous
who are you trying to kid. your company makes a nice earner out of the post office. on a seperate note that means the passport agency will be able to do deals with holiday companies and put you on a mailing list to send you the latest offers. besides passports have recently gone up again and will continue to do so.
11. anonymous
who are you trying to kid. your company makes a nice earner out of the post office. on a seperate note that means the passport agency will be able to do deals with holiday companies and put you on a mailing list to send you the latest offers. besides passports have recently gone up again and will continue to do so.