Asbestos surveyors with new iPhones watch out! A new photo file format (HEIC) might cause you a problem

The newest iPhones have the capability to take photos into a new file format called "HEIC".

For years, the standard photo file format has been "JPG" (pronounced jaypeg) but newer phones are using HEIC by default.

Newer iPhones are starting to save photos in HEIC format

Asbestos surveyors using Tracker Mobile (part of the Alpha Tracker asbestos software system) are finding that photos taken on their iPhones will not appear automatically within a complete asbestos report.

There is an easy and quick solution - on the iPhone choose the option Settings|Camera|Formats and select "Most compatible".  This changes the default format back to JPG.

For more info about the problem, click this link https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/iphone/what-is-heic-3660408/ or contact our support desk.

Eurofins chooses Alpha Tracker to manage their lab

We're really pleased to announce that Eurofins has chosen Alpha Tracker to run their lab.

https://www.eurofins.com.au/

We'll post more info when Eurofins goes live, so watch this space!

Asbestos specialist Ayerst Environmental chooses Alpha Tracker

South London based asbestos specialist Ayerst Environmental is the latest asbestos consultancy to choose asbestos software Alpha Tracker to help them to improve efficiency and the service they provide to their clients.

Ayerst's excellent website, available here

Unusually, in addition to a comprehensive range of asbestos services, Ayerst also have the capability to use a scanning electron microscope to perform topographical, morphological and compositional examinations of materials.  Ayerst Environmental is a very well equipped and professional consultancy and we are very pleased to be working with them as their software provider.

Here are some of the picture that our trainer Kim took on the first of two Alpha Tracker training days:

Tracker Mobile can be used on smartphones...

...and smaller tablets...

...and larger tablets too!

Sending data from the field is easy - just one click

Replace paper plans with a range of drawing tools

Another Australian asbestos consultancy is switching to Alpha Tracker

Another Alpha Tracker order has arrived from an Australian asbestos consultancy.

I'll post more info next week but the good news is that it is from another personal recommendation so we must be doing something right!!

Elaine has completed our ISO9001:2008 to ISO9001:2015 transition

Well done Elaine!  Elaine has just completed our transition from the ISO9001:2008 quality standard to the latest ISO9001:2015 one and we passed the external audit this morning!

Director Elaine with our Quality Management System Manual

Here is Elaine with a copy of our updated quality and system/process manual looking appropriately proud!

More RSK asbestos specialists switch to Alpha Tracker air monitoring

Kim has just got back from training another room full of asbestos specialists from RSK (see http://robinbennett.blogspot.com/2018/09/rsk-asbestos-specialists-receive-their.html), showing them how air monitoring works in Alpha Tracker.

What a good looking bunch!

If we can help you to improve the efficiency of your asbestos services, do get in touch.

Hazmat: the latest New Zealand Asbestos consultancy switching to Alpha Tracker

Hazmat are the latest professional asbestos consultancy to switch to asbestos software Alpha Tracker.

HazMat offer surveying, testing, remediation and removal services in Greater Wellington & Canterbury.

With over 20 years’ Asbestos experience, Hazmat prides itself on providing an unbiased and professional full service consultancy.

Hazmat aligns itself with governing bodies, associations and companies which share their vision for the safety of life and protection of investment assets.

Hazmat surveyors are BOHS P402 qualified, are Worksafe approved licensed removalists and are members of Sitesafe NZ and the NZDAA. 

Contact them via their website or by telephone on 04 5660797 (Wellington) or 03 3662262 (Christchurch).

Welcome on board, Hazmat!

Robin presents AllTold at DevCon 2018

Remember AllTold, our web app to help senior citizens to document their life story?  Robin has just been presenting AllTold at the Alpha DevCon 2018 and it generated a lot of interested from the delegates.

Robin introducing the AllTold concept

Robin showing how AllTold stories are structured in chapters

Adding an event to an AllTold timeline

AllTold is a JavaScript app written using the Alpha Anywhere framework - we love working with Alpha so get in touch if you have an Alpha app we can help with.

Scopus Asbestos go live with Alpha Tracker

The asbestos professionals at Scopus Asbestos in Bradford have just gone live with asbestos software Alpha Tracker.

The Scopus team are keen to start using Alpha Tracker to improve their asbestos surveying and asbestos lab operations.

Welcome on board Sai and Varsha!

Start Software at Alpha DevCon 2018

Five Start Software development staff members have made it to Florida for this year's Alpha developer conference (https://www.alphasoftware.com/devcon2018).

We're enjoying hearing about the latest developments in the Alpha Anywhere and Alpha TransForm world and meeting fellow developers from every continent.

Ferry, Tom, Jack, Dan & Robin at Alpha DevCon 2018

The team listening intently to legendary programmer Dan Bricklin

Developers from around the World are at DevCon 2018

Royal Borough of Greenwich go live with asbestos software Alpha Tracker

Our next Alpha Tracker installation is complete with the asbestos professionals at the Royal Borough of Greenwich receiving their training.

Royal Greenwich website

We have a full range of asbestos software in our portfolio to help councils and housing associations, including Alpha Tracker and Amianto.  Do get in touch if we can help your organisation to become more efficient in the management of asbestos.

Chocolates & flowers from a grateful client!

Tom had a nice surprise today when some flowers and chocolates arrived from a grateful software development client.  It took us all by surprise!

September's support stats: 9 out of 10 urgent issues resolved within 2 hours

We've just reviewed our support desk stats for September 2018.

The good news is that 9/10 urgent problems were resolved quickly - within 2 hours.  However, this is a slight dip compared to the last two months and so we'll have to keep a careful eye on this to make sure it isn't a downward trend.

Start Software support stats to September 2018

Overall, taking low, medium and high priority calls into account, 86% of all queries raised on the support desk were resolved within the timescales specified by the caller.