Talk:Experian/Archives/2014

Notable acquisitions

Dear all - firstly as I mention above in the 'article improvements' section, in the interest of transparency, I would like to state that Experian is a client and I would like to work with the editors of the article to improve the notable acquisitions section. I think the section would be better if it only included the largest and most significant acquisitions to the company. I wondered whether it would be possible to agree what a 'notable' acquisition is in order to improve the quality of the section?

As a first step, I would suggest that the following should be removed: - Northern Credit Bureaus, located in Quebec - the para on a number of software companies and emailing Solution, Hitwise and Tallyman - Techlightenment - Virid - Garlik

I would also suggest that we include the recent acquisitions of 41st Parameter and Passport Health Communications.

Look forward to working with you all to agree these improvements.

Thanks, Humza — Preceding unsigned comment added by Source45 (talk • contribs) 11:25, 13 December 2013 (UTC)

I have added the recent acquisitions but I am not sure why you would remove the acquisitions you mention above. Someone clearly believes they are notable and has gone to some trouble to add them in. Best wishes. Dormskirk (talk) 23:46, 13 December 2013 (UTC)

Thanks. In terms of making the entry more consistent with the other acquisitions in the section, I would suggest that a brief description is given for each. Something like the following: "The acquisition of 41st Parameter increases Experian's presence in the fraud prevention market and extends its presence into web fraud transaction protection."

And for Passport: "The acquisition enables Experian to offer clients in the US healthcare industry a one-stop-shop to manage risk and to satisfy their payments requirements"

Best, Humza — Preceding unsigned comment added by Source45 (talk • contribs) 16:49, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

done. Dormskirk (talk) 21:30, 16 December 2013 (UTC)

Why remove Tallyman? Also, where's Clarity Blue? I know that Experian got rid of them not too long after acquiring them (and after imposing the inevitably disruptive IT office moves on the pair of them, just so that "All of local Experian could be in one building"). This should also cover Tallyman's recent offshoring to Bulgaria.

I am also concerned about all this. I cannot see the logic for removal of Tallyman other than to hide the fact that management made a serious mistake in acquiring it. Best wishes. Dormskirk (talk) 10:57, 11 January 2014 (UTC)

Serious mistake? They mis-managed it after they'd bought it and the dismantling of their software dev facility in Bristol was a remarkably poor move, but Tallyman delivered a good product that Experian wanted, and had a need for, in their product range. Andy Dingley (talk) 12:18, 11 January 2014 (UTC)

History

Hi All, I would also like to discuss the content of the history section. The history of Experian in the article currently begins in 1996 - I thought it would improve the article if it could include a fuller account of Experian's history tracking it back further. Please see below for additional content that could be considered:

"Experian’s origins can be traced back to the 19th Century when official associations sprung up across the UK to protect merchants offering credit. One of the largest, the Manchester Guardian Society which was formed in 1826, became an integral part of Experian more than 150 years later. In the US, during the 1850s, the first credit agencies emerged. One the earliest US credit agencies, Merchants’ Credit Association, was founded in 1897 and nearly a century later, this too became a core part of Experian.

"In 1953, two scientists, Simon Ramo and Dean Wooldridge, founded the Ramo-Wooldridge Corporation, a specialist defence and electronics business. Looking to apply technology to new commercial markets, Simon Ramo was instrumental in spearheading the development of the credit reference industry and in 1961, gave a lecture predicting the ‘cashless society’. TRW entered the credit reporting industry in 1968, through acquiring a business called Credit Data.

"In the UK during the 70s, Experian, as it is known today, was starting to develop through Great Universal Stores (GUS), an established retail conglomerate with millions of customers paying for goods on credit. As the business grew, it became apparent that a more centralised system was required; helping to manage bad debts and determine who to extend credit to in the first place.

"Sir John Peace, a computer programmer at the time, helped to combine the mail order data from various GUS businesses and created a central database which later added Electoral roll data as well as county court judgements. GUS’ database was commercialised in 1980 under the name Commercial Credit Nottingham (CCN) and the business was led by Sir John Peace."

Many thanks, Humza — Preceding unsigned comment added by Source45 (talk • contribs) 14:18, 2 January 2014 (UTC)

The first two paragraphs of this do not seem directly relevent but I have picked up most of the rest and added it to the article. Dormskirk (talk) 21:19, 2 January 2014 (UTC)

Thanks very much Dormskirk. I included the first two paragraphs in order to give a flavour of Experian's history and show where the company in its modern form came from, as that seems to have been included in the other companies that came out of GUS, and is helpful to the reader. What do you think? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Source45 (talk • contribs) 09:14, 3 January 2014 (UTC)

I think they are properly best left out - they would be difficult to independently source as well. Best wishes. Dormskirk (talk) 19:57, 3 January 2014 (UTC)

Thanks. I've also added below suggestions that take Experian's history beyond 2009, where it currently ends.

"In October 2004, Experian and Interfax (the largest Russian information bureau) formed a Russian credit bureau. In 2009, Sberbank, Russia’ biggest bank also invested in the bureau with three organisations involved, the bureau has been able to increase the volume and quality of data, helping businesses to make more informed lending decisions quickly.

"In August 2010, Experian became the first CICRA licensed credit bureau to go live in India. Since then the company has provided Experian credit reports to lenders and consumers in compliance with the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) guidelines."

"In February 2013 Experian launched its consumer credit bureau in Australia. Experian will provide consumer credit reports to utility, financial and telecommunication companies. This launch follows the passing of the Privacy Amendment Bill in November 2012, which will mean a step change for lenders, who will now be able to take positive, in addition to negative, credit history into account when making lending decisions."

"In October 2013, Experian launched Australia’s first fraud prevention bureau."

Best,Source45 (talk) 16:16, 7 January 2014 (UTC)

these all sound like marketing achievements rather than historic events. Dormskirk (talk) 22:52, 7 January 2014 (UTC)

Thanks Dormskirk. The events listed below are definitely historic events – they are not only of significance to Experian’s development but also of real substance to the market in each specific country. To describe them as marketing achievements would not be correct in the context of Experian as a company or the market for the countries stated. Please see below for a number of articles in the media which evidence this point and a number of links to other company wiki sites that include similar material. I have also included below slightly edited the language which may help. Please do let me know what you think.

“Interfax (the largest Russian information bureau) and Experian formed a Russian credit bureau in October 2004 In 2009 Sberbank, Russia’s biggest bank, also invested in the bureau with three organisations involved, the bureau has been able to increase the volume and quality of data, helping businesses to make more informed lending decisions quickly.”

“Experian became the first CICRA licensed credit bureau to go live in India in August 2010. Since then the company has provided credit reports to lenders and consumers in compliance with the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) guidelines."

“The Privacy Amendment Bill was passed in Australia in November 2012, which will mean a step change for lenders, who will now be able to take positive, in addition to negative, credit history into account when making lending decisions. Following the passing of this bill Experian launched its Australian consumer credit bureau in February 2013. Experian will provide consumer credit reports to utility, financial and telecommunication companies."

“Australia’s first fraud prevention bureau was launched by Experian in October 2013.”

References in the media: Russia: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/law-leaves-private-debtors-naked/226473.html http://www.interfax.com/pressreleases.asp?id=160940 http://press.experian.com/Russia/Press-Release/sberbank-experian-and-interfax-have-completed-creation-of-united-credit-bureau.aspx

India: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2010-03-03/personal-finance/27571104_1_bad-loans-credit-grantors-borrowers

Australia: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/financial-services/credit-reforms-plus-for-disadvantaged/story-fn91wd6x-1226587225220#

Links to Wikipedia pages of other companies in the FTSE 100 that list similar information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Chartered On 13 May 2010, Standard Chartered PLC launched the first-ever Indian Depository Receipt “IDR” offer – sourced from company press release

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BP Refineries were built in Llandarcy in Wales (the first refinery in the United Kingdom) and Grangemouth in Scotland. – unsourced In 1965, it was the first company to strike oil in the North Sea – sourced from Sea-us.org.au

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Tinto_Group The diamond business unit's most advanced exploration project is the Bunder Project in District Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, India, where Rio Tinto became the first foreign group to be granted a prospecting license there. – sourced from company website — Preceding unsigned comment added by Source45 (talk • contribs) 08:27, 10 January 2014 (UTC)

I am a bit concerned about this. I note your assertion that these launches are historic events. Wikipedia material has to be presented in such a way as to demonstrate a neutral point of view (see WP:NPOV). I would be content to include some of these launches but would want to see some critical material in the section as well. The sort of thing that really should be included is the Lords scandal which engulfed Experian in 2009 (see Lords scandal) and the way that Experian was accused of 'riping off' customers in 2011 (see Experian accused of ‘ripping off’ its customers). Suggestions on critical material welcome. Best wishes. Dormskirk (talk) 21:53, 10 January 2014 (UTC)

Thanks Dormskirk and your points have been noted.Source45 (talk) 13:37, 17 January 2014 (UTC)

Out of date Infobox

Hi there,

In the interest of transparency I would like to disclose that Experian is my client. I would like to reach out to the Editors to update some information in the Infobox that is out of date.

Firstly the key people listed are out of date, Don Robert is now Chairman, Brian Cassin is chief executive (http://www.experianplc.com/about-experian/board-and-management.aspx#employShowFieldsContainer2) and Lloyd Pitchford will join as chief financial officer in September 2014 (http://www.experianplc.com/news/company-news/2014/29-04-2014.aspx).

The most recent preliminary results can be found here http://www.experianplc.com/news/company-news/2014/07-05-2014.aspx. As you will see Experian reported Revenue of US$4.8bn, Operating Income of US$1,309m, and Net Income of US$1,049m – all of which need to be updated in the Infobox.

Finally, Experian now employs approximately 16,000 people, not 14,000 as is currently stated in the Infobox http://www.experianplc.com/about-experian/overview.aspx

If you have any questions or comments please reach out to me via my talk page. SarahLouiseRoberts (talk) 09:17, 21 August 2014 (UTC)

updated using figures from the statutory profit and loss account on page 18 of the preliminary announcement. Dormskirk (talk) 21:44, 21 August 2014 (UTC)

Many thanks Dormskirk, the out of date information is still showing in the Senior Management section of the article - would it be possible to update this too?

SarahLouiseRoberts (talk) 09:40, 5 September 2014 (UTC)

Hi - I have removed the section as it not necessary. Dormskirk (talk) 20:53, 5 September 2014 (UTC)