Every July 11, technology enthusiasts, scientists, and curious minds come together to celebrate a milestone in the annals of scientific achievement - Laser Day. On this day in 1960, Theodore Maiman first operated the laser, introducing the world to a tool that would significantly shape industries, from manufacturing to healthcare.
At first glance, lasers and processes like address validation, geocoding, address enrichment, and address autocomplete may appear worlds apart, relegated to vastly different domains. However, upon closer inspection, intriguing parallels come to light. So, as we commemorate Laser Day, let's explore how these technological wonders share surprising similarities in precision, efficiency, enrichment, utility, innovation, and speed.
The Precision of Light and Location
Lasers, in their essence, are highly concentrated beams of light renowned for delivering precise results. When used in applications like surgery or manufacturing, they’re directed to exact locations with astounding accuracy.
It would be terrible if they weren't accurate.
This precision mirrors address validation and geocoding. An address's accuracy will determine whether mail reaches the correct destination or, at the very least, help a delivery driver find the right location.
For insurers, the accuracy of a geocode can make or break their risk analytics. And much like a laser, it would be terrible if your geocodes weren't accurate.
Efficiency: From Lasers to Autocomplete
The energy efficiency of lasers is one of their most remarkable characteristics. They can focus energy on exact points, minimizing waste and increasing productivity.
If a laser is removing some of your hair, you'd like it to be pretty focused, no?
This efficiency is paralleled in the digital world through address autocomplete features. As you start typing an address, these systems predict and fill in the rest, saving you precious time and effort.
If you're trying to increase form fills, making the address portion easier is key. Inurers are finding that address autocomplete also shortens the time to quote. Address autocomplete is just more efficient.
Enrichment: More Than Meets the Eye
Just as a laser can enrich a material's surface—be it etching a design or altering its properties—address enrichment adds valuable data layers to a basic address.
It's not just about knowing where something is anymore; we can add demographic details, geographic information, and more.
Smarty adds up to 45 points of metadata to each address. Root data, components, record types, RDI, geocodes, and analysis information just to name a few.
The Pervasive Utility of Lasers and Location Services
One of the reasons lasers have had such an impact on our world is due to their diverse applications. From barcode scanners at the grocery store to sophisticated surgical instruments for vision correction, lasers have become a part of everyday life.
Similarly, address-related services like validation, geocoding, and enrichment have wide-ranging applications. They're indispensable tools in fields as diverse as logistics, eCommerce, digital marketing, and more.
The Need for Speed
Lasers epitomize speed.
I mean, they're light.
In the digital realm, this attribute is equivalent in Smarty's address autocomplete, geocoding, and validation systems.
Some have called our address processing speeds 'ludicrous' and want to know how it's done.
But more impressive is the ability to deliver so much data so quickly through a geocode. You can compare the top geocoding tools here.
As we celebrate Laser Day, let's take a moment to appreciate these technological marvels, from the precision of lasers to the efficiency of location data tools (mostly Smarty's). Both have played instrumental roles in shaping the modern world, and their continued evolution promises to drive progress across various fields.
Happy Laser Day!
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Andrew Townsend