Wing walking - wow! We're supporting James & Victoria from our client BESA - can you support them too?

BESA are one of our wonderful Alpha Tracker asbestos consultancy users.  James Pickles and Victoria Campling from BESA are going WING WALKING (WOW!!!) to support their local hospice.

Wing-walking looks nuts!

We are supporting them here at Start Software - can you?  https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/james-pickles-and-besa

The Modern Law Awards 2022 Ezine has been published - and Alpha Legal is in it!

Want to read about the wonderful Modern Law Awards 2022?  The Ezine has been published here: https://www.modernlawawards.co.uk/resultsezine 

Modern Law Awards Ezine

Alpha Legal is featured on page 16 - take a look!

Useful! "Five Things You Should Never Do on your Company Computer"

Our friends at Start Tech have just published this on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-things-you-should-never-do-your-company-computer-ian-groves

Director Ian's post is well worth a read - and do subscribe to his weekly newsletter

It's worth thinking about separating your work and home lives on your laptop.  If you work for a big company, it probably states in your employment handbook that you won't use your work company for home use.  Cybersecurity is the key driver - it's easy to introduce a threat and this could cause you a real headache with your employer.

Remember - think "cybersafety" in everything you do.  Alpha Legal is the easy, safe & secure way to communicate security with your clients.  Give us a try!

Are you using WhatsApp? Think that WhatsApp is compliant? Think again!

Letting Agent Today just published an interesting article about property agents using WhatsApp to communicate securely with clients: https://www.lettingagenttoday.co.uk/breaking-news/2022/5/most-agents-using-whatsapp-are-breaching-data-rules--claim

Is WhatsApp OK for secure client communication?

A tech expert is quoted in the article, saying:

 "WhatsApp is a very powerful tool, when used correctly within any business... having a single platform which allows communication ... is the way forward."

Alpha Legal provides a single, secure portal for you to communicate with your clients along with a whole array of critical tools to work in the post-Covid "new normal" including:

• document sharing
• ID document collection and verification
• e-signatures
• calendar & meeting planner.

Used by hundreds of legal and property professionals daily, Alpha Legal is a cost-effective, easy and secure way for you to talk to your clients.  Try Alpha Legal risk-free by clicking here.

Identifibre's Brian Eva has dropped by the Alpha Tracker stand to say hello!

Hello Brian from Identifibre! Great to see you and thanks for calling in to chat to Alpha Tracker Director Judy.  We really appreciate your support and business.

Judy & Brian

Identifibre is a quality endorsed company, accredited by Australia's National Association of Testing Authority (NATA) and SAI Global. Established in 1993, Identifire's professional team has recognised expertise in the fields of asbestos and hazardous materials management, occupational hygiene and risk management.

Asbestos specialist Nature's Consultancy Ltd switches to asbestos software Alpha Tracker

Welcome to Essex-based Nature's Consultancy Ltd!  Their team has chosen asbestos software Alpha Tracker to power their business.

We'll blog again once we have completed their initial training.

Congratulations to Dan & Siobhan... Mr & Mrs Darkin!

A huge congratulations to our senior developer Dan who married Siobhan yesterday at the amazing Mill Barns wedding venue.  

Most of the Start Software & Alpha Legal team were there to help them celebrate their special day (although some are struggling to remember the finer details of the evening this morning!).

Judy is having a ball at the Asbestos Safety & Management Conference!

Judy is bumping into lots of Alpha Tracker asbestos consultancy clients at the conference and is meeting many more Australian & New Zealand asbestos specialists interested in trying our software.  

Judy at her clients at the conference

Looks like fun!  If you are interested in trying Alpha Tracker for your asbestos consultancy, do get in touch with Judy or Leanne in our Adelaide office.

Our wonderful client Cath Tate Cards is 40 this year!

We write the software that powers our wonderful, funny, sparky, dynamic and right-on card designing, retailing and wholesaling client Cath Tate Cards.  Cath's business is 40 years old this year - wow!

Celebrating 40 years of Cath Tate Cards

Follow their business on Facebook or simply buy their cards! Happy birthday Cath, Rosie and all of your team, you are simply a delight to work with!

It's asbestos conference season! Alpha Tracker hits the expos in London and Sydney

Elaine, Judy & Kim are all at asbestos expos this week in London (UK) and Sydney (Australia).

The team are hitting the asbestos conferences this week

Come and say hello and find out all about asbestos software Alpha Tracker!

HMRC shows its teeth with bumper ID check/AML (Anti-Money Laundering) fines for estate agents

EstateAgentTODAY reports that HMRC has fined more than 30 estate agencies and property firms for breaches of anti-money laundering regulations.  

EstateAgentTODAY's article and the fined firms

Alpha Legal protects property businesses by ensuring that ID checks are undertaken in a secure and compliant way.  Estate agents can subscribe risk-free - and even try Alpha Legal via a free trial - by clicking here.

For more information on the firms not complying with the HMRC AML regulations, click here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/businesses-not-complying-with-money-laundering-regulations-in-2018-to-2019/list-of-businesses-for-tax-year-2019-to-2020-that-have-not-complied-with-the-2017-money-laundering-regulations

Asbestos removal company fined - and employees jailed - for failing to protect their workers from risk

This is such a disappointing story in 2022.  An asbestos removal/surveying consultancy - Ensure Asbestos Management Ltd - has been fined, and two employees jailed, for breaches of Health & Safety legislation which put their workers at unnecessary risk.

The Ensure Asbestos Management story can be read on the UKATA website (and elsewhere) 

Our friends at UKATA have published the story here: https://www.ukata.org.uk/news/asbestos-removal-company-fined-failing-protect-workers-risk/

Interesting new app - "Mine" - enables individuals to take control of their personal data on the web

We've been experimenting with the Mine app which promises to help individuals to take control of their personal data on the web.

Once you sign in, Mine looks across the web to find companies holding personal data relating to your email address, and then even offers you the opportunity to "Reclaim" your data - to ask the company to forget you, in other words.

Could be another useful tool alongside Alpha Legal in the fight against ID theft?  Take a look for yourself, here: 

249 companies know about me - how many know about you?

If you have tried Mine and have some feedback, do let us know, we'd love to know what you think about it.

Asbestos Action has taken action with their asbestos software! Another Alpha Tracker order to end the week

Asbestos consultancy Asbestos Action has placed an order for asbestos software Alpha Tracker.

Check out the Asbestos Action website here

Contact Asbestos Action for more information about their specialist asbestos services.  

We'll blog again when we have trained the asbestos professionals at Asbestos Action.  Can we help your asbestos consultancy to become more efficient and to improve the service you offer to your clients?  Do get in touch! 

Apparently no-one is safe from identity theft! Hackers have impersonated the head of the UK's fight against cyber crime

Our Alpha Legal team spotted this fascinating - and worrying - article relating to Lindy Cameron, the Head of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre:

https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/uk-news/2022/05/10/hackers-pose-as-uk-cyber-security-chief-for-online-scam/

Lindy Cameron, the Head of the National Cyber Security Centre

Hackers posing as Lindy Cameron tried to steal £5m in a phishing scam but her NCSC organisation had managed to prevent any funds from being transferred.

Alpha Legal, and similar secure portals, help to reduce the risk of phishing scams because they encourage legal businesses to move away from email and, instead, to use secure methods to communicate with clients.

Want to learn more?  Click here for the Alpha Legal website where you can register for a free trial account.

Is Alpha Legal the *fastest* as well as the most secure way to collect and verify ID? Take 3 minutes to read this and decide for yourself

We've been analysing the time being taken by clients to complete their ID document requests within Alpha Legal.

We're regularly seeing start-to-finish times of 3 minutes now.  That's literally 3 minutes for the user to

1. receive their secure message and security code by text
   
   
2. review the 60-second YouTube video to explain the process and the documents they will need, and then
   
   
3. take & upload the photos of their ID documents.
   

Compare that to the physical process of visiting you in your office, bringing their paperwork in, having you photocopy or scan it and then you having to verify it with an ID agency!

We regularly compare Alpha Legal with the other ID apps on the market and we wonder whether we can claim that Alpha Legal is the fastest as well as the most secure option there is.  

Do you think we could make the process even quicker?  We'd love to hear from you.

MPs have called for "All Asbestos to Be Removed from Public and Commercial Buildings Within the Next 40 Years" - our response

The House of Commons Select Committee on Work and Pensions has published its report on the management of asbestos and has made the bold announcement that all asbestos should be removed from public and commercial buildings within the next 40 years.

Read the full Select Committee asbestos report here

Our friends at NORAC have blogged their own take on this announcement here: https://norac.org.uk/mps-have-called-for-all-asbestos-to-be-removed-from-public-and-commercial-buildings-within-the-next-40-years/

We are working with UKNAR and others to find innovative ways within Alpha Tracker and other asbestos software to achieve this bold goal and will be making further announcements shortly.

New drug - abemaciclib - provides hope for Mesothelioma sufferers

There is a new treatment which may extend the life of sufferers of asbestos cancer mesothelioma.

The drug, abemaciclib, was originally designed to help breast cancer patients (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abemaciclib) and works by enabling the body to generate an anti-cancer protein.

The Daily Mail is reporting that abemaciclib can extend the life of meso sufferers by months or even years - such hope is rare for patients with asbestos-related cancers.  The newspaper has chosen to highlight the case of Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren who died of mesothelioma aged 64.

Click to read the whole Daily Mail article

Here at Start Software and Alpha Tracker Pty, we are committed to working with Mesothelioma UK, UKNAR and other organisations working to help people suffering from asbestos-related diseases and to reduce the risk of people coming into contact with asbestos in the first place.

Natalie will be getting *seriously* muddy!!! Help her to raise money for Cancer Research

Our lovely client Natalie from ESSS is getting her hands dirty - literally - to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

Natalie is taking on the Pretty Muddy 5K challenge - good luck!!

Can you help her to fundraise for this wonderful cause?  Click here https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/natalies-race-for-life-2046844#

Thank you for joining us and supporting her.  Our team here at Start has been touched by cancer more than once in the last few years and so we know what an important charity Cancer Research is.

Energy Environmental Services chooses asbestos software Alpha Tracker

A big Alpha Tracker welcome to Essex-based Energy Environmental Services who have chosen asbestos software Alpha Tracker for their specialist asbestos surveying division.

Visit the Energy Environmental website for more information

We'll blog again about our latest Alpha Tracker software client when the installation is complete and the Energy Environmental asbestos professionals have received their training.  In the meantime, if you are looking for asbestos services in Essex and beyond, do get in touch with our latest Alpha Tracker client here.

Can we help your asbestos consultancy to become more efficient and to improve the service you deliver to your clients with our handheld asbestos data capture app, automated asbestos reports and industry-leading client portal?  Do get in touch!