Note: The following article was published in the June 2003 BCC Bulletin and may not represent the most up-to-date information on this topic.
(Click here to download the entire issue in .pdf format.)

BCC prepares for USPS NCOALink rollout
Reconfiguring of address-updating processes now underway; more details soon

Over the past several years, USPS has instituted various measures designed to reduce costly and resource-draining Undeliverable As Addressed (UAA) mailpieces. (The October 2002 BCC Bulletin detailed UAA-preventive processes.)

Now, the talk of the industry is a new process (first announced at the April National Postal Forum) that will be unveiled soon by USPS. NCOALink is intended to make Change of Address (COA) processing more accessible and competitively priced than the current NCOA and FASTforward options. This new product is expected to be made available to developers, including BCC Software, by July 1.

NCOALink provides most of the benefits of the current NCOA and FASTforward services in a software-only solution. Any mailer will be able to apply for the license. The COA database will be distributed by USPS directly to approved licensees on CD-ROM in an encrypted, secure format.

(Additional details have not yet been announced, but unofficial discussions with the Postal Service lead BCC to understand that the information in this article represents current USPS intentions.)

NCOALink will likely be available under Service Bureau and In-House licenses, with each requiring a distinct, certified software interface. Initially, these will only be available through existing certified NCOA licensees or FASTforward interface developers, such as BCC.

The Service Bureau license will be intended for list processors planning to offer third-party COA services. USPS has proposed an annual Service Bureau licensing fee of $120,000. Service Bureau-level COA data would include move information reaching back 48 months. BCC is in the planning stages of becoming a Service Bureau licensee, and pending approval will continue to offer COA processing services in much the same manner as we do now.

The In-House License will be available only to mailers who are processing their own lists. The COA database for this level will include move information for only the past 14 months, and the USPS annual licensing fee is expected to be $1,000.

BCC plans to offer certified software interfaces between Mail Manager 2010 and the NCOALink data for customers who wish to become Service Bureau or In-House licensees. Prices for these options have not yet been determined.

Unofficial reports indicate NCOALink will eventually replace the current NCOA and FASTforward move update technologies. While the USPS has informally announced that NCOALink will be available as early as July 1, this seems unlikely: specific information or documentation about licensing or interface requirements has not been released at the time of this writing.

Currently, all official USPS NCOALink information can be found online at ribbs.usps.gov/files/ncoalink. All other information in this article represents the most current information BCC Software has received to date, but should be considered preliminary, unofficial, and subject to change.

Look for the latest updates and details about NCOALink at www.bccsoftware.com, and in upcoming issues of the Bulletin.

Effective October 1, 2005, the United States Postal Service discontinued its FASTforward Mailing List Correction service. Instead, BCC offers NCOALink Limited Service Provider (LSP), a next-generation USPS address-updating technology that offers improved matching results, greater reach back into the USPS COA database, and faster turnarounds. Vist our NCOALink page for more information.