With only a week to go before his world record-attempting Atlantic crossing , it is all feeling very real for adventurer Andrew Bedwell. He's planning to set off from St John's, Newfoundland to sail across the ocean back to the UK in a tiny boat , completely unsupported. That's 90+ days of being alone in something not much bigger than a wheelie bin (see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3w3jgqj0nno ). Andrew thinking about the challenges that lie ahead Start Software is sponsoring Andrew as he tries to bring the record back to the UK and raise money for Cancer Research along the way. Several of the Start team have been affected by cancer, and so this is a cause very close to our hearts. Our director Robin met Andrew at the Anderton Boat Lift visitor centre yesterday to check his tech and the app we have built for him and his followers: https://big-c-atlantic-challenge.app/ Andrew & Robin with the satellite link on the desk Andrew will be sending mes...
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April 2026 Support Desk Performance: A Busy Month Supporting Alpha Tracker Users
April was another strong month for the Start Software support desk, with the team continuing to deliver a fast and reliable service for customers using Alpha Tracker.
It was also a particularly busy month for calls from asbestos and water hygiene technicians, reflecting the continued day-to-day reliance on Alpha Tracker in the field. Whether technicians were logging site information, updating records, managing jobs, or needing help while out with clients, the support desk was on hand to help keep work moving.
Strong response and resolution performance
In April 2026, the support desk solved 869 problems in total. Of those, 810 were solved in time, giving an overall in-time resolution rate of 93.21%.
High-priority support remained especially strong. The team solved 141 high-priority issues in time, achieving an excellent 97.92% in-time rate for high-priority tickets.
This continues the consistent performance seen throughout the year so far:
| Month | Total solved | In time | In time % | High-priority in time % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 904 | 846 | 93.58% | 98.86% |
| February 2026 | 926 | 855 | 92.33% | 98.81% |
| March 2026 | 996 | 923 | 92.67% | 97.93% |
| April 2026 | 869 | 810 | 93.21% | 97.92% |
A busy month for technician support
April’s figures show that the support team handled a substantial number of requests while maintaining a high standard of service. With Alpha Tracker being used heavily by asbestos and water hygiene technicians, many calls required practical, timely support for people working in live operational environments.
That kind of support is especially important when technicians are on site and need quick answers. The April results show the team continuing to respond effectively, helping users resolve issues and get back to their work with minimal delay.
Thank you to the support team
A big thank you goes to everyone on the support desk for another month of hard work, patience, and professionalism.
Solving 869 problems in April, while keeping more than 93% of all tickets and almost 98% of high-priority tickets within target, is a strong achievement and a great reflection of the team’s commitment to Alpha Tracker customers.
Welcome Harmony Fire! Another fire and asbestos consultancy joins the Alpha Tracker family
A warm welcome to the team at Harmony Fire, who are beginning their Alpha Tracker asbestos training today.
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| The lovely team at Harmony Fire |
We’re delighted to be supporting Harmony as they get started with Alpha Tracker, particularly as they extend their asbestos service offerings to their clients. This marks an exciting step in broadening the support they already provide across safety, compliance, consultancy, building fabric, service and maintenance solutions.
Alpha Tracker specialist Kim is onsite today to guide the team through the system, answer questions, and help everyone feel confident using Alpha Tracker from the outset.
We’re really pleased to be working with Harmony Fire and look forward to supporting the team as they continue to grow their services and deliver trusted safety solutions for their clients.
Welcome to Alpha Tracker, Harmony Fire!
Fun webinar with the Alpha TransForm team and Big C's Andrew Bedwell! Watch us build TransForm offline-capable data capture forms live for Andrew to use while mid-Atlantic
Big C's Andrew Bedwell & Start Software's director Robin joined Alpha TransForm's Dave & Scott on Wednesday in a live 30-minute webinar. It had been a busy day for Andrew, following a BBC interview earlier in the day: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3w3jgqj0nno
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| Mid-webinar talking about apps, data & power mid-Atlantic |
The conversation was a lot of fun covering every topic from how Start Software builds apps and offline-capable forms to the likelihood of Andrew seeing mermaids on his world-record-attempting crossing...
Our Big C Atlantic Challenge app is now live and you can register by using this QR code:
Alpha Software Specialists Start Software is sponsoring the World Record attempt, helping Andrew to raise money for Cancer Research. A number of the Start Software team are (and have been) affected by cancer, so this is a cause close to our hearts.
For more information, please do click these links:
• The app at https://big-c-atlantic-challenge.app
• The World Record Attempt
• Start Software's support for the Big C Atlantic Challenge
• The Cancer Research donation page
You can watch the webinar here, on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vDgeyaLJa4 - and please Like and Share with your friends!
Remember - if you need help with Alpha TransForm or want us to create offline-capable data capture forms for your business, we're here to help: https://alpha-software-specialists.com/
Are you Up The Creek?!! We can help. "Office Hours" drop-in session with Kim & Catherine on Tues 21 April 13:00-13:30.
Next week we will be continuing our series of Alpha Tracker “Office Hours” sessions. We hope you can join us.
Our Alpha Tracker Office Hours sessions will be short, informal, half-hour drop-in sessions providing the opportunity for support, discussion, clarification, demonstration, advice – all sorts of help with any area of Alpha Tracker.
The Office Hours are live and interactive; we’ll be led by the topics you want to discuss. These are “cameras on” sessions for everyone, we’ll be on camera and so will you. To make you feel more comfortable, we won’t record the sessions.
Join Kim & Catherine for the next session on Tuesday 21 April 2026 at 13:00. No need to pre-register, simply click the link between 13:00 – 13:30 on the day to join: https://whereby.com/alpha-tracker-office-hours
See you Tuesday!
Smooth Sailing with Alpha Tracker: Office Hours with Kim
& Catherine
Join adventurer Andrew Bedwell and Robin talking about apps and the Big C Atlantic Challenge on the Alpha Software webinar
Andrew Bedwell (from the Big C Atlantic Challenge) will be joining the Alpha Software Wednesday Webinar on 22 April. Andrew will be talking to Alpha Software's Dave McCormick and Start Software's Robin Bennett to discuss the challenge of sending data live from a 3ft (yes, 1m long!) boat as he attempts to break the world record for the shortest boat to cross the Atlantic unaided.
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| Start Software is the lead sponsor for Andrew's world record attempt |
Andrew & Robin will be creating Alpha TransForm forms live in the webinar which will be used by Andrew to collect and send data during his crossing.
In advance, why not register to follow Andrew's journey on our web app at https://big-c-atlantic-challenge.app - it's free!
Debugging the Streets
One of our company values is that we join in and contribute to our communities. This week we did exactly that - a group of volunteers from the Start Software Telford HQ stepped away from their desks and into the community, taking part in a litter picking initiative aimed at making a visible difference to the local area.
Things didn’t go entirely to plan!! Partway through the journey, the weather turned and hail started coming down. Still, the team persevered and got stuck in.
By the end, a noticeable amount of waste had been cleared and the area left in much better shape. Not unlike their day jobs, really. Whether it’s cleaning up data or cleaning up streets, the aim is the same: leave things tidier and improve the environment for everyone.
In a single session, the team cleared three full bags of waste, a shopping trolley, and a roadside fly-tipping deposit. Well done all.
