PRINCETON, N.J., May 22, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- LikeIt(r) software, recently developed by Netrics, Inc., helped increase the accuracy of the Swiss National Census that was performed in 2000. LikeIt was used to determine the best match between manually entered data that was scanned from the census forms and existing databases.
All data from the 12 million questionnaires that were distributed in four languages -- French, German, Italian and Romansh -- was read and audited electronically. The system architecture was designed for the Swiss Federal Statistical Office (SFSO) by Interact Consulting AG, a leading Swiss IT consulting organization. Interact Consulting also was responsible for knowledge management, data capture and processing center systems.
Although some of the data on the forms was entered using check-off boxes, variable data had to be entered by the respondent in handwriting. To avoid inaccurate interpretation of this data, SFSO created databases containing all known alternatives for race, nationality, occupation and municipal addresses in the country. Following OCR scanning, LikeIt software then was used to determine the 'best match.' It proved to be extremely beneficial whenever a manual entry did not exactly match source data in the database.
"We estimate the results at this critical point were more than 99 percent accurate. LikeIt helped Interact complete the census, which was the most complex of its kind ever performed in Switzerland," said Dr. Stefanos Damianakis, President and CEO of Netrics. "Because LikeIt software looks for matches that are similar, it returned accurate results, despite typographical or OCR scanning errors."
In addition to the census forms, Interact also established a common knowledge platform to ensure effective communications throughout the Census, which began in November 2000 and will end in May 2001. The firm worked with the SFSO to set up a call center. Survey recipients were also given passwords that they could use to enter data via Internet e-census.
"We have designed the largest, most accurate data capturing system ever built in Switzerland," said Interact Consulting CEO, Dr. Richard Cop. "The system, which incorporated LikeIt software at a critical juncture, was completed 30 percent ahead of schedule and under budget. Furthermore, it effectively accommodated the country's four official languages and multiple types of questionnaires. The results will be used to enable more accurate government planning in the future."
About Netrics
Established in 1998, Netrics is a privately held company that was founded by Dr. Peter Yianilos, a pioneer in the field of spelling and grammar correction technology. For further information on LikeIt, or a demonstration of how the software works, visit www.netrics.com, e-mail info@netrics.com or call (609) 683-4002.
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CONTACT: Jim Bruno & Associates
Jim Bruno
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