Who We Are
Headquartered in Sutton Coldfield, 118 Group is the leading B2B data provider with data built specifically for a full view of the UK B2B universe.
118 Group has over 50 years of experience in data and direct marketing. We have the ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 accreditations to show that we take our role as a data provider seriously.
Who are 118 Group
Our dedicated team of data experts, alongside our fully compliant UK B2B data, are fully versed in GDPR and PECR requirements.
With many years of experience in the data and direct marketing industries, we have developed an in-depth understanding of data requirements and sophisticated database analysis techniques. Whether your requirement is a bespoke data solution or the supply of business data for marketing, we are the UK’s leading provider of B2B data you can trust.
118 Group has a market-leading position built upon superior data quality and service, marketing data expertise, innovative technology, and a dedicated team of data experts providing the data and insights our customers require to run a successful business. We are proud to be fully GDPR and PECR compliant, allowing our customers to use our B2B data with peace of mind.
Market Location, 118 Data Resource and 118 Information are all part of the 118 Group and together we are the leading B2B business data and marketing solutions provider in the UK.
Company Vision
118 Group takes pride in working hard to build and maintain a best-in-class UK B2B data universe that can assist organisations with their Sales and Marketing campaigns and strategies. We maintain high standards that our customers can rely on by investing heavily in accreditations linked with information security and privacy management.
Accreditations are essential to guarantee that your data is safe and that our data is compliant. Our goal is to stay at the forefront of fairness and transparency and as the market leader in the industry, continue to help our customers achieve their business goals through the data we maintain and provide.
Our Origins
With our origins in Market Location, a 30-year-trading successful list broker, in 2001, our owner created the UK’s first computerised database of all trading businesses. Initially designed for the leasing industry to know who to lend to, it quickly caught the attention of the companies emerging from the ending of BT’s 192 monopoly – the “118” companies. Seeing the demand for directory enquiry use, 118 Information was born.
The important relevance of this period is the 118s’ reliance on “connectivity”; operators needed to find the right company quickly and give out or connect to a usable phone number. 118 Information understood the importance of this, and a Contact Centre was opened in the UK to ensure this was our full focus. By 2012, we had also picked up most of the UK’s directories as clients, as they sought to benefit from the same levels of accuracy and freshness; they added to our data sources and were an essential part of our decision to keep using a Contact Centre, so we could ask more granular questions about the industry a business was in. The formation of our 2400 industry classifications began back then and remains a significant draw to clients wanting an exact data list.
Today, we service clients from across the spectrum, from office equipment to banks, small catering companies, to national healthcare providers. Our data is as likely to be found in a satnav as a CRM, and it powers the credit industry with information on businesses that can’t be found on Companies House.
The 118 Group as it exists now is broadly split into 2:
Market Location continues to offer a suite of leading data products, hosting and bespoke UK B2B data lists.
118 Information remains the brand we use as a Contact Centre. It has a specialist team that works ‘outside the box’ with data scientists, mapping and planning companies, whole-database users and CRM integrations.
Both companies use the same 118 database and share an innovative and commercially aware IT team and Compliance team. Each client has a dedicated multi-skill account support team, and – unusually – the salespeople stay part of that team long after a contract is signed.
Our Accreditations and Memberships
IS/IEC 27001
ISO/IEC 27001 is the international standard that describes best practices for an ISMS (information security management system).
ISMS is a framework of policies and procedures that includes all legal, physical and technical controls involved in an organisation’s information risk management processes, including documentation, management responsibility, internal audits, continual improvement, and corrective and preventive action.
Every customer deserves to know that their data will be as secure with us as it would be with them. 118 Group has invested heavily in our Information Security responsibilities. In doing so, we have ensured that we meet the requirements for the top accreditation available for this area.
ISO/IEC 27701 standard, a PIMS standard
ISO/IEC 27701 standard and PIMS lays out a detailed set of operational checklists that can be adapted to various regulations, including GDPR. Companies document their policies, procedures, protocols and activities in line with the standard’s operational checklists, with records then audited by internal and third-party auditors, resulting in detailed proof of compliance with the standard.
With this accreditation, we could not be more GDPR compliant if we tried! We have chosen to invest heavily in compliance to cover our data collection, storage, and processing, as well as our handling of customer data and our Marketing services. ISO/IEC 27701 accreditation means an external auditor has assessed everything, and we have been found to meet (and in some cases exceed) all standards required for the 27701 accreditation.
Cyber Essentials
Cyber Essential accreditation assesses five technical controls of a company’s secured internet connection, secured devices and software, controlled access to data and services, protection from viruses and other malware, and software patch management for machines and software. We give our customer peace of mind when uploading or downloading data and utilising our online services.
FSQS
FSQS qualification was undertaken due to our work with banks and insurance companies. This accreditation ensures they are confident in our processes without having to conduct an audit themselves. This qualification speeds up the onboarding process for new FCA-registered customers, as all checks are already done!
G Cloud
G Cloud is an accreditation process for suppliers to UK Public Sector bodies. This enables organisations to be listed on the HM Government’s G-Cloud Marketplace with all compliance and procedural checks already passed!
Data Protection with the ICO
The ethical and correct handling of personal information is known as data protection. Though on a more practical level, it’s about fostering trust between people and organisations. It’s a component of the fundamental right to privacy. Data protection involves treating people with fairness and transparency, recognising their freedom to self-determination and social engagement, and finding a balance with the broader goals of society.
Innovation depends on data protection. To ensure public confidence in, participation in, and support for novel applications of data in both the public and private sectors, good data protection practices are essential.
The DPA 2018 and UK GDPR outline the UK’s data protection regime.
Data & Marketing Association (DMA) Membership
The Data & Marketing Association (DMA) is the driving force of intelligent marketing.
They advocate a rich mix of technology, diverse talent, creativity, research, and insight to create standards for the UK’s data and marketing community to meet in order to prosper. They are guided by their customer-first values, which are entrenched in the DMA Code. In order to better serve their customers, 118 Group actively participates as a member of the DMA.