Welcome to our new Land Registry Business Gateway bulletin

Comingsoon –the newe-documentregistrationserviceIn September 2012 LandRegistry will launch a newe-document registration service(e-DRS) on Business Gatewayto provide a faster and morecost effective way for customersto submit and receiveapplications electronicallyinstead of the current paperbasedmethods. We havedeveloped this service as partof our continuing commitmentto improve our services. e-DRSwill be launched in stages withroll out to our portal customersplanned for Quarter 1 2013.To ensure we are ready to deliverthe new service in September,we will pilot e-DRS to selectedBusiness Gateway customers inJuly 2012. The pilot is the resultof a successful concept trial of thee-DRS prototype. At the same timewe will also trial changes to our owninternal processes. Our StatutoryE-services Product Manager AngelaJackson says: “We are determinedto make this the right solution forour customers and to roll out arobust system providing a valuableservice.”There are a number of benefits ourcustomers can expect from this newservice such as:——speed. The average end-to-endcycle time for an application willfall from five days, for a postalapplication, to an average of oneday——costs and environmental impact.The new e-service will supportyour efforts to cut back on paperconsumption. It will also providean opportunity to reduce costssuch as postal and manualprocessing——electronic audit trail. Allapplications will be receivedand responded to electronically,creating an audit trail. This willprovide a useful tool in theprevention of fraud.In addition to these benefits, e-DRSwill also provide you with a numberof services that will make theapplications process easier.——E-DRS will build on thee-lodgement and e-deliveryapplication types alreadyavailable.——It will allow you to electronicallylodge a suite of applications thatare currently submitted throughpaper–based systems.——The service will allowsubstantive registrationapplications and transactiontypes (form AP1 and scannedversions of accompanyingdocuments) to be submitted bya signed-up organisation withlegally qualified supervision.——Applications to register transfersand/or charges together withother common transactiontypes affecting the whole of aregistered title will be includedin the pilot.——Applications will be registeredby Land Registry and thecompleted application returnedto you electronically.In November 2011 we presentedthe e-DRS proposal to a customerfocus group where we discussed theservice, identified potential barriersto implementation and generatedideas on how we can develop thesystem so that it delivers benefitsboth for customers and us. Thefocus group gave us invaluableinsight into customer needsand, importantly for us, all of thecustomers in attendance said theywere keen to use the service when itis launched.At the focus group, two customerswho worked with the e-DRSprototype shared their experiencesof using the solution and how itworked with their existing processesand systems. Also, to ensure ourproposition on e-DRS is viable forour customers, we looked at whatthe service should include and howit will fit best with current processesand business models. We alsoexplored ways that we can supportcustomers to develop their systemso they can join the service.Angela Jackson says: “Activitiessuch as this focus group give usthe opportunity to discuss firsthandwith our customers and weare committed to this continueddialogue.”2

RegisterExtract Service– drivingefficiencieswithin yourcaseworkmanagementAutomatically populate yourcasework managementsystem with register detailsdirect from the mosttrusted providerOur Register Extract Service (RES)is available through the BusinessGateway channel. It delivers theregister as a PDF and enablesinformation from the register to besent directly into your caseworksystems by an XML (ExtensibleMarkup Language) data stream.The service has been trialled with avariety of customers since September2010. RES Product Manager LynneNicholson says: “The feedbackhas been enormously positiveand revealed business benefitsand efficiency savings beyond ourexpectations.”She adds: “Customers who tookpart in these trials have stated thatreturning the whole register as a datastream, instead of making specificentries and warning flags, woulddeliver even further value to theirbusiness. We have responded bydeveloping an enhanced version ofthe service which will go live in April2012.”The success of RES has beenrecognised by the IT industry witha short-listing in the 8th Real ITAwards, organised by The CorporateIT Forum. RES has been nominatedin the ‘Delivering Business Value’ and‘E-Commerce’ category.There a number of benefits you canexpect from using this service such as:——reduced errors made from manualinput data entry – resulting inshorter processing times——improved due diligence proceduresgiving you confidence that the datayou use is the best available as itis extracted directly from the samesource data as the official copy——the ability to build checks andprocesses such as data validationinto your system.The service works by holding sourcedata from the Land Register inan electronic data stream usingcomputerised register codes torecognise information from registers,rather than identifying key wordsfrom a PDF of a register. Each RESresponse will consist of:——a PDF of the official copy of theregister——an official copy of the title plan (ifrequested)——a data extract of the register in anXML format.Each register entry that is shownin XML will be displayed with thefollowing information.——The sub register or schedule thatthe entry exists in.——The entry number within the subregister or schedule.——The full text of the entry.——Any data in-fills that populate theentry.Any documents that are available onthe register, such as a conveyance,will also be displayed along withinformation that will include the dateof the document and the entry onthe register where the document canbe found.You can find out more aboutRES and other commercialservices on our new commercialAdd Value web pages: www1.landregistry.gov.uk/add or byviewing our Business Gatewaybulletin frequently askedquestions (FAQ) on our website.3

BusinessGateway –providinginstant,automatedaccess toour propertyownershiprecordsWe hold the definitive propertyownership records of more than23 million registered titles. You canhave instant, automated accessto the information held in thesedefinitive records with BusinessGateway, our business-tobusinesselectronic channel.The Business Gateway channel isa business-to-business solutionthat enables a customer’s casemanagement system (CMS) tocommunicate directly with LandRegistry’s systems securely usingXML via the internet. There is nocharge to access Land Registry’sservices through Business Gatewayalthough the usual fee is payable foreach service that you use as set outin the current Land Registration FeeOrder or Land Charges Fee Order.There is a reduced fee for the majorityof services requested electronicallyand some services do not charge afee.There are significant benefits forcustomers who use one of ourelectronic channels rather than thetraditional paper-based applicationroute, such as:——improved speed, certainty andaccuracy of applications——no more postal delays——savings in time, money andresources——reduced environmental impact——an electronic audit trail thathelps to prevent fraud.On top of these benefits, customerswho use Business Gateway donot need to re-type informationand validate it when they lodgean application as an automatedprocess draws the relevantinformation from their CMS. Thisreduces the time it takes BusinessGateway customers to processapplications, saving them money.You can access several servicesthrough Business Gateway and wewill add new services in the future.The current services are:——enquiry by property description– to obtain a title number (nofee)——official search of the index map(SIM)——official copy requests where titlenumber is known (OC1)——official copy of documentsreferred to in the register (OC2)——official search of whole withpriority (OS1)——official search with priority ofpart of the land in a registeredtitle (OS2)——Land Charges bankruptcy search(K16)——official search of the LandCharges register/index (K15)——day list enquiry (no fee)——outstanding requests – obtain astatus report informing of newresults since your last statusreport enquiry and which servicetransactions are progressing inyour Land Registry team (no fee)——Register Extract Service.Norton Finance has rolled outBusiness Gateway across theirorganisation. They reap the rewardsof the automated services throughBusiness Gateway.“The main benefit for NortonFinance is that our underwritersno longer have to manually enterthe register details, which notonly saves time but also preventscommon errors. Overall theintroduction of the service hasstreamlined our loan applicationprocess, with clients welcoming aquick and reliable application.”Andy Graham, our E-channelManager, says: “Customers who useour Business e-services throughour secure web-based platform, theportal, already know the cost andtime savings that can be made byusing our electronic services, ratherthan paper-based services. Manyare now taking a closer look at theattractions of Business Gateway.cont’d4

“Since removing our chargesfor use of the Business Gatewayconnection, we have seen thechannel open up to a wideraudience. We are committed todeveloping this channel into thefuture and will be implementingnew services over the next fewyears. There has never been a bettertime to start using this channel.”As well as the statutory Businesse-services offered through BusinessGateway, Land Registry also offersa commercial service – the RegisterExtract Service (RES). Please seethe article in this bulletin for moreinformation on RES.To use Business Gateway,customers must first register withLand Registry’s Business e-servicesand create a Land Registryportal account. You can apply forBusiness e-services online: www1.landregistry.gov.uk/e-servicesOnce customers have a portalaccount, they can contact LandRegistry’s Channel Partners teamwho guide them through the restof the process: channel.partners@landregistry.gsi.gov.ukImportant informationabout Business Gateway:——It’s our business-to-business technology platform that allowsyou to access our services using XML via the internet.——It allows instant access to certain Land Registry applicationssuch as the official copy of the register.——It removes the need for manual processing as it enablesyou to integrate Land Registry requests and responsesseamlessly into your existing case management system.——Services can be requested via Business Gateway at any time.Requests received before 6.30am or after 10pm on workingdays or at weekends and public holidays are queued andprocessed from 6.30am on the next working day.——If you have any questions, please contact us through theChannel Partners team at channel.partners@landregistry.gsi.gov.ukMore detailed information aboutBusiness Gateway, e-DRSand RES can be found in theBusiness Gateway bulletin FAQssection on our website.“...the introductionof the service hasstreamlined ourloan applicationprocess, withclients welcominga quick and reliableapplication.”5

New XMLschemas –ensure youare up to dateXML (Extensible Markup Language)is a strict, text-only format that hasbecome very popular because of itsability to store, describe and send/receive data. XML is essentially aset of rules for describing data. AnXML file requires an XML documentdefinition, also known as an XMLschema. The XML schema is a mapfor the data contained in an XMLfile which defines the structure andcontent of XML documents.When you use XML you can enableyour case management systemsto automate requests to us, suchas official copies or searches, andintegrate responses into yourprocesses. This significantly reducesthe time it takes to obtain andprocess applications.From 17 April 2012, version v1.1schema that we currently acceptwill be replaced with a set of newversion 2 schemas, v2.0 or V2.1.You will need these in order touse Business Gateway for theapplications you require.For more information about theschemas or to ensure you areyou using the correct schemasfrom 17 April please contactour Channel Partners team atchannel.partners@landregistry.gsi.gov.ukBusinessGateway’sroad todeliveryOur Business Gateway roadmapprovides you with an insight intoour journey so far in delivering theBusiness Gateway channel andmore importantly the direction it’sgoing in terms of the products andservices that we intend to developin the future. The roadmap aimsto help you with your businessplanning and open up discussionsabout your business needs.In April 2012 we will update ourwebsite with a new page about ourchannels. The roadmap informsthis work and enables us to includeinformation on the website on newdevelopments, latest release datesand other information relating tothis channel.We will clarify dates on keydevelopments such as the electronicdocument registration service(e-DRS) and Register Extract Service(RES) as the roadmap progresses.We welcome any feedbackyou have about the roadmapand what you think it shouldinclude in the future. Feedbackcan be emailed to our E-channelManager Andy Graham atandrew.graham@landregistry.gsi.gov.uk6

Land RegistryBusiness Gateway Roadmap v0.428 February 20122009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015January 2012– e-DRS Prototype closes – nextsteps defined.January 2014– Migration of Online Data Matchingonto Business Gateway.Business Gateway RoadmapMay/June 2009Business GatewayPilot with four customerstesting sixservices:– OS1– K16– OC1– OC2– Enquiry by propertydescription– eCSF(See glossary)December 2009– BusinessGatewaylaunched.– Version 1.0BusinessGateway schema.– Introducedchannel charge.March 2010– InformationServices version1.1 schemasfor BusinessGatewayreleased.June 2010– Register ExtractService launched.September 2010– InformationServices schemadepreciation- version 1.0schemasremoved.September 2011– e-DRS prototypelaunched.October 2011– BusinessGateway chargeremoved.– Four newservices added:– SIM– OS2– K16– Daylist enquiry– Status reportservice launched.– e-deliveryenhancements.– Version 2.0schemaslaunched.March 2012– Schema revisions complete toenable National Land InformationService (NLIS) and Connect Directmigration to Business Gateway(schema version 2.1).April 2012– Information Services schemadeprecation - version 1.1 schemasremoved.– Register Extract Serviceenhancements.July 2012– e-Document and registrationservice (e-DRS) pilot launch.September 2012– e-DRS launch(schema version 1.0).Spring 2013– Review of e-DRS.Summer 2013– Possible date to amalgamateschemas versions 2.0 and 2.1.– New services available on BusinessGateway:– Home Rights searches (HR3).– Other services yet to bedetermined.March 2014– e-DRS enhancements.– Detail to be defined followinge-DRS review.Summer 2014– Review of phase 2 e-DRS.End 2014– e-DRS phase 3.– Enhance automation.– e-charges.Spring 2015– Electronic discharges for lendersvia Business Gateway.7