Should add to the above that we are already aware of the currently available merge file to 4 digit postcode and for the moment that will be adequate. Just looking at what next for 6 digit coding when the client asks the question.

Martyn: There are many online sources for post code coordinate files that map zip/postal codes to the decimal longitude and latitude coordinates used in Omniscope Map Views. Each country has slightly different postal code licensing/reselling arangements, most of which are coming to an end as the files proliferate and pressure grows for licensing reform. In the UK, for example, 4-character post code accuracy is generally available for free, including in the merge file posted here:

http://www.visokio.com/merge-files

Detailed files are available online for most countries in the world and can be licensed quite inexpensively. We do not, however, recommend relying on only one source. Instead, we recommend using the latest features in Omniscope 2.6 to corroborate/average/adjust coordinates drawn from multiple sources using the new geo-coding lookup functions (and UK Ordinance Survey conversion functions) together with the new the zooming Open Street maps.

Omniscope 2.6 permits you to define extensive comparision logic to search on multiple criteria, and calculate and visually investigate any significant discrepancies beween merge file-based coordinates and (hopefully) similar coordinates supplied by the free online lookup services available in 2.6. There are no consistent standards about how coordinates should be placed within a given zip/post code area, even within the same country. For example in the UK, some coordinate merge files have some coordinates placed at the lower left corner (rather than the geographic 'centre' ) of some post code zones, which along the west coast puts some map points in the sea. Corroboration calculations and averaging/adjustments, including manual adjustments of outliers and exceptions using Place Marker Mode on the street level detail available in version 2.6 Open Street Maps not only improves the utility of your maps, but also will protect you from any potential issues related to licensing/copyright of zip/post code coordinate data, since you are transforming data drawn from multiple sources for a specific purpose.

Thanks for that Tom. You have also helped me explain the anomaly of companies operating from within the sea, which also occurs off the South Coast as well, much to the consternation of my South East clients.

All I can say is bring on 2.6.