What is a Web Service?

Answer 
A Web service is a software application whose interfaces are capable of being defined, described, and discovered in the XML language. A Web service supports direct interactions with other software using XML based messages exchanged via standard Internet-based protocols.

What is XML?

Answer 
eXtensible Mark-up Language, a specification developed by the W3C. XML is a pared-down version of Standard Generalized Mark-Up Language, designed especially for Web documents. XML is a universal format for structured documents and data on the Web.

What is SOAP?

Answer 
SOAP is an acronym for Simple Object Access Protocol and is a standards based exchange protocol for the discovery and implementation of web services with XML.
SOAP is a current web service standard and behind it stands industry heavyweights such as Microsoft and IBM ™.

Do you have a DTD available for the XML Data Quality Web Service?

Answer 
There is no DTD available. Due to the fact that you can send just the tags you require, the use of a DTD is not applicable since we would have to create a DTD for every possible permutation of tag selections. However our new SOAP interface is provided with a WSDL document for clear definitions of all functions of the service.

Why are there two web service options? DQWS and SOAP and which do I need?

Answer 
Since Melissa Data is at the forefront of innovative technologies, we released our
DQWS web service before any industry standards had been finalized. The DQWS web service is very easy to utilize from any language and platform. Those installations using
.NET or the various SOAP toolkits and requiring a WSDL, would be better served with our new improved SOAP interface. Also many enhancements to the SOAP web service have been implemented, like Residential Delivery Indicator, and street search matching options.

What can the Data Quality Web Service do for my company?

Answer 
By scrubbing and enhancing your important customer data you maximize and increase the quality of your bottom line. We know that your most important asset is your customers and making sure they are reachable for your invoicing or direct mail campaigns is critical. There are no updates to install as the service is online, real-time, and headache free.

What are some common applications of our DQWS service?

Answer 
Real-time address verification from web forms or call centers so that the address is verified at the point of entry. Also now with the SOAP interface we support batch lookups for your complete address verification needs.

When should I choose a locally based programmers tool (Address Object) or a Web service based address solution.

Answer 
Those customers that require high security and maximum batch processing performance will wish to implement a local solution like our COM objects. Real time entry of data from a website or call center is the perfect use of the web based solution.

What type of performance can I expect with the DQWS?

Answer 
This solution is in real-time so each individual record sent from your site to ours is corrected and enhanced on the spot. Depending on factors such as bandwidth, routing and
traffic there will be some fluctuation. However the normal times usually hover between one to two seconds per record.

What server architecture and what type of redundancy is in place with this Web Service?

Answer 
Our web servers run Windows 2003 and utilize load balancing so incoming requests are sent immediately to the next available server. Melissa Data provides monitoring and real time testing of all servers so that any problems will be flagged and technicians notified. This design allows for no single point of failure and helps ensure high availability for your critical data.

I am worried about the security of my address data. Can Melissa Data provide me with a secure solution?

Answer 
HTTPS is a secure version of the HTTP Protocol and is available as an option for those customers who require an extra layer of security.

Where can I get sample code on how to submit data to the DQWS?

Answer 
Whether you just signed up for our free trial or if you are an existing customer we will make code available on request. Currently we have sample code available in VB.net ASP.net, Perl, PHP, C++ and C#.