Every year the Inland Revenue produces the Employers Annual Pack, a series of guidance documents to help employers fulfil their PAYE and NICs obligations. The pack aims to guide employers through many complex subject areas such as company cars, statutory sick pay, statutory maternity pay, expenses and benefits plus PAYE and National Insurance Contributions. The pack plays a vital role in helping employers fulfil their responsibilities and is issued in hard copy to around 1.3 million employers throughout the UK. The Inland Revenue saw the value in providing this information electronically and their original aim was simple: the production of a user friendly CD-ROM which enabled the Annual Pack documents to be retrieved using various search criteria such as document title, keyword or full text search and then viewed on screen, printed and exported to other applications.
In producing the third annual CD-ROM in 1999 for the Inland Revenue, ti Data Services developed a custom Adobe Acrobat Exchange solution. This enabled us to enhance the interface and simplify the product for computer novices, whilst improving the search capabilities for experienced users. We used search wizards to encourage ambitious users to make use of the more advanced search functionality available, included a comprehensive help system and offered users the facility to e-mail, telephone or fax our customer support helpline. So far 41,000 users in the UK have ordered the CD-ROM and this number is expected to grow.
Learned Information Europe Limited publish the Computer User’s Yearbook, arguably the most respected set of IT directories in the UK, featuring information on turnover, number of staff, key personnel, industry sector, computer equipment and software used and IT spend for almost 12,000 IT sites in the UK.
Using Dataware’s CD Author and CD Answer software, Datasite combines these profiles with a powerful retrieval system which enables users to pinpoint sites from the multitude of selection criteria available. The product is available in three versions: Datasite Silver enables core criteria to be searched, while the Gold and Platinum versions have additional search fields and information plus active web site links. Users may perform simple or highly refined searches allowing them to target companies which fulfil their exact requirements. Metered print and export facilities are also available to enable the production of mailing lists for targeted marketing and research. Users of all versions of Datasite are provided with meter credits which enable them to print or export data from Datasite. Further credits may then be purchased by contacting Learned Information.
Learned Information look upon Datasite as a successful solution to their complex and challenging requirements. We at ti Data Services wish to help them to continue Datasite’s success far into the future.
The Directory of Solicitors and Barristers published by the Law Society features key details of legal practices in England, Wales and abroad. The Law Society’s requirement for a CD-ROM version was quick and easy searching by various selection criteria such as individual, office/practice title, country, county, town, postcode and specialist work category. The solution provided by ti Data Services satisfies this requirement and is a key information source in the legal arena.
The Pharmaceutical Companies Factfile is another example of how ti Data Services is able to provide a powerful, easy to use search and retrieval engine to enable exact information to be drawn from a wealth of data. Pharmaceutical companies in this database may be searched for by a variety of criteria including company name, date of formation, turnover and number of staff, as well by a full text word search. Detailed company profiles are then viewable on screen.
The R.E.D CD-ROM of popular and classical recorded music information is used by all sectors of the music industry, both in the UK and overseas. The CD-ROM enables the selection of compositions by criteria such as artist or composer, title of work, record label and music style, as well as offering a full text search facility. Simple, detailed and guided searches are possible and, as with all our electronic solutions, a comprehensive help facility is provided.