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Showing posts from March, 2016

About Start Software

Start Software is an award-winning developer and leading publisher of asbestos software, systems for the legal services industry and more.

Want to know more about asbestos software Alpha Tracker? Alpha Tracker is the most used asbestos software in the UK, Australia & New Zealand with more than 60m items of asbestos data stored.

Our legal services software Alpha Legal helps will writers, accountants, solicitors, IFAs and estate agents to communicate securely with clients. Read about developments here on the blog.

Or need help with Alpha Anywhere or Alpha Transform projects or software development? You'll find useful info here.

Peligro Risk Management consultancy - live with asbestos software Alpha Tracker

Health & Safety consultancy Peligro Group have gone live with asbestos software Alpha Tracker from Start Software.

Peligro's excellent and informative website
Having received their training this week, they are now starting to familiarise themselves with handheld asbestos data capture using their smartphones and tablets using Tracker Mobile.

If you need asbestos surveys or expert advice, give Peligro a call.

Another NATAS asbestos consultancy office switches to Alpha Tracker

The Aberdeen NATAS office has switched to asbestos software Alpha Tracker with staff receiving face-to-face training yesterday.  Here are some of Kim's photos from the day:

Tracker Mobile operates on Android or Apple devices


surveyors busy learning Alpha Tracker


We'd like to extend our sincere thanks to NATAS for their hospitality during the training sessions and we'll be providing our usual 24x7 intensive support whilst they get up to speed with asbestos software Alpha Tracker.

Air Monitoring in Alpha Tracker gets good reviews

Asbestos software Alpha Tracker's air monitoring module Tracker Air has been updated to comply with the latest guidance notes and has been receiving good reviews from customers this week.

Here are some of the comments we've received since Monday:

"... very pleased"Ops Manager, asbestos consultancy

"The new photo feature is ideal"
Quality Manager, asbestos & environmental consultancy


"We like your standard paperwork and it has saved us having to recreate our own!"
Director, asbestos removal/consultants


If you're interested in adding Tracker Air to your own Alpha Tracker installation, do get in touch.

February/March 2016 update to Alpha Tracker

We've updated our asbestos software Alpha Tracker again... and we can now talk to Xero!


The Feb/Mar Alpha Tracker update (known as SVN1900) for the leading software for asbestos consultancies is mainly a performance and bug-fix update but we've also managed to squeeze in more then 30 new features too.

This update has been thoroughly tested by our beta test user group.  It follows on from the January 2016 update released 6 weeks ago.

Some of the key new features to look out for:
  • Xero integration so you can post Alpha Tracker invoices direct to Xero
  • add write-up time to a surveyor's calendar with one-click
  • view a new colour-coded Project Dashboard
  • view data extracts more easily and download to Excel with one-click
  • add QC points to the lab dashboard for better analyst point calculations.
As usual, we have a full set of release notes available to list all of the enhancements and changes. You can view them by clicking on the image below and scrolling towards the bottom of the page:

February/March 2016 Alpha Tracker update release notes

I have also produced a short YouTube video to run through the key changes (click to play):



You need the very latest version of the Alpha App Server on your system in order to deploy this update so please do contact us before installing so we can double-check that you are set-up and ready to take advantage of all of the new features.

Let us know what else you'd like to see in Alpha Tracker to ensure that it remains the best asbestos software system available for asbestos surveys and asbestos consultancies!

SCI Asbestos are live with Alpha Tracker

It was great to meet the asbestos professionals at SCI Asbestos yesterday for their asbestos software Alpha Tracker training.

the SCI Asbestos informative website

SCI specialise in providing a responsive and expert solution to asbestos claims management from sampling and inspection through to removal and disposal. SCI are the preferred contractor to some of the country's leading builder repair networks and loss adjusters.

Kim met the asbestos project managers and asbestos surveyors yesterday to train them in the use of asbestos software Alpha Tracker and handheld surveying system Tracker Mobile.

Here are some shots of the training in action:





Important Tracker Web Server update

If your asbestos consultancy uses our asbestos software client portal - Tracker Web Server - you need to be aware of an important update.

Tracker Web Server v1.5.586 SVN93 (available to download from http://www.start-software.com/tracker/modules/tracker-web-server/) resolves an issue which a recent web browser update has introduced.  The problem affected client document uploads and may have caused uploads to fail.

If you want more information about the update, or need help to apply it, please contact our support desk.

(for more Tracker Web Server updates click here)

Alpha Tracker February/March release now in final test

Our February/March 2016 release of asbestos software Alpha Tracker is in the final testing stage.

We have issued 8 beta releases and two "release candidates" and our beta testers are now doing their final checks.

What's to look forward to in this release? Lots!  The last update (in January - see this link) was all about new features - this one is more of a consolidation.

There are new features but also lots and lots of performance improvements and bug fixes.  We've really made this a "bug killer" release trying to increase the speed of the system and reliability too.

Keep an eye on this blog next week for the usual video and release note post.


Another busy month on the Support Desk

Jack and support desk colleagues took more than 500 calls from customers last month with the usual variety of questions and queries.  As far as I know, we're the only asbestos software company providing 24x7 unlimited support so we can get the strangest calls at any time of the day or night!

Overall, performance was good with 90% of calls being resolved in the time-scales set by our callers:


If you have a support contract, free feel to call us at any time of the day or night on 0845 612 2402. You will never reach an answer-machine or have your call go unanswered - put us to the test!

(to see January's stats, click here)

Asbestos specialists NATAS go live with Alpha Tracker

Award-winning International asbestos specialists NATAS have just completed their initial Alpha Tracker software training.



Celebrating 20 years of successful operation this year, NATAS have been at the forefront of asbestos awareness, training and certification since their inception.

Having expanded their operations into surveying, they continue to work with major companies in the oil & gas, nuclear, industrial and commercial sectors both nationally and internationally.  They support customers and developing partnerships in countries as far as afield as USA, China, India, Australia and many areas of the European Union.

Kim was on site this week to train them in the use of Start Software's asbestos software Alpha Tracker and really enjoyed meeting the directors and team.  Here are some of the best shots from the day:

NATAS surveyor in action

Tracker Mobile - easy to use on smartphone or tablet

On-site capture data for asbestos surveys, re-inspections, risk assessments and more



Customer survey 2016 - 3 more "perfect 10" scores!

Thanks to all customers who have found the 2 minutes needed to fill in our questionnaire.

We've had 3 more "perfect 10" scores today - thanks for that!  We had our first perfect score yesterday so three more today is a real bonus.



We've also had a low score of "6" and we'll be thinking hard about how we can improve our service to that client in particular.

Keep the submissions coming - we need your feedback to improve our service. 

Thanks in advance.

We don't forget keyboard users at Start Software...

The web-based software systems we create (including Alpha Tracker, the asbestos software for environmental consultancies) are all built around the latest web standards but what about the good-old "keyboard shortcuts" that you might miss from older desktop software?

Well, we've not forgotten you if you prefer to press keyboard buttons to make things happen rather than use your mouse!  Here are some of the most popular and useful keyboard shortcuts that we build into our systems:

I guess the most useful are F9 to save and Esc to cancel an update - unless you know different?

Let us know if you want any more!  Contact details here.


We've scored our first "perfect 10"!

We've had our first perfect score in our 2016 customer satisfaction survey! 10 across the board - great to see, and we're naturally chuffed to bits.

As other customers' results have come in, we've seen a variety of scores and lots for us to analyse and think about (and celebrate).

Have you completed your survey yet?  Please do it now if not - only 8 questions to answer and it will take just seconds.  Help us to help you by clicking here.

Thanks in advance,

Kim & the team at Start Software

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