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Showing posts from August, 2025

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.

All MDS (Tracker Mobile) Android glitches are now resolved - thanks for your patience

We've had a few irritating issues with MDS (Tracker Mobile) over the last few days, relating to Android updates affecting handsets.  In particular, you might have seen:

  • the Android "back, home and switch" buttons overlaying the Tracker Mobile "Connect" and "Settings" buttons

  • the on-screen keyboard being shown on top of text boxes (making it difficult to read the text below)

  • problems pressing "Connect" and "Settings".
All of these issues are now resolved with the latest Mobile Data update from the Google Play Store.

Our Tracker Mobile issues are now resolved

Thanks for your patience - despite all of our testing, we can sometimes be caught out with Android updates and this one was difficult to troubleshoot.

Away Day brings Traction to our software teams

Our Away Day in central Birmingham brought our Start and CTT software leaderships teams together to discuss plans and challenges.

Joining us was the inspirational Ian Groves from Start Tech who brought his passion for the EOS/Traction business development process to us over lunch.

Andrew listening to Ian enthusing about his Traction journey

Dan & Catherine

Mickey & Dan

Might Traction be the next step for Start Software?

Our CTO Jack

Jack, Andrew, Dan

Dan & Catherine

We used "Spaces" at the Lewis Building for our Away Day - recommended

Discussing Support over a coffee

Dan, Jack & Robin studying financial forecasts

Mickey, Catherine, Dan, Andrew

Also - a big thanks to our good friend and inspiration Andrew Bedwell (https://www.facebook.com/p/Big-C-Atlantic-Challenge-100082612007911/?locale=en_GB) for sending us this video!



Release 41.6 is going down a storm! The release notes and release video are now available

Alpha Tracker Release 41.6 is now reaching client servers and our Alpha Tracker Cloud.  More than 400 improvements have made it into this release, including some important security enhancements and the new Australian risk scoring algorithm.

We've finished the Release Notes document and highlights video, too.

Click to watch the Release 41.6 Highlights video on YouTube

Product Manager Jack's Top 10 Highlights are these:
  1. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is introduced in this release, adding an optional extra layer of security by requiring a second step to verify your identity when signing in.  In other words, you'll need your phone as well as your user name & password

  2. As another security feature, individual passwords can be set for MDS and managed from within Alpha Tracker and Alpha Tracker Mobile.  This will increase security for your asbestos surveyors

  3. The Lab Sample Exchange feature is launched, enabling easy sending of sample data to Alpha Tracker labs and returning of analysis results and certificates

  4. AI summaries have been introduced on various screens

  5. The new risk assessment scoring method for the Australian regulations is now available and you can switch it on for individual clients

  6. Changes to milestones allow for the Project Type on a project changing and for No Access to Site not to register as data received in the project

  7. We've made it easier to control permissions for Client Portal logins

  8. There are additional controls managing who can edit diary appointments

  9. It is now even easier to close a batch of projects helping you to keep your database tidy

  10. A new tab on Project Types lets you easily see which qualifications are required for a Project Type if you use the Staff Training Matrix.
Read the Highlights document and Release Notes here: https://alpha-tracker.co.uk/latest-release

You can watch the highlights video on YouTube here or by clicking below:




Has your Android phone or tablet updated to Android 15? Are you finding the buttons on Tracker Mobile difficult to press?

Some of our asbestos Tracker Mobile (Mobile Data) Android users are having issues with the button placement on the home screen after their devices have updated to Android 15.

If you're having issues in the highlighted area, update your Mobile Data app

An update from the Google Play Store will fix this for you.  Please update your app to the latest version (published 4 August 2025) and the problem will be resolved.

Our final summer webinar is on Wednesday 20 August at noon (BST) - join us!

Dan & Kim are running our final summer Alpha Tracker webinar on Wednesday 20 August at noon (UK time).

Dan modelling a hard hat - all a bit disturbing, really

Register for free here https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_4mflGyntTMaIFbtInEPNbw and learn about the various methods for designing and completing risk assessments within Alpha Tracker.

The webinar will benefit asbestos, water hygiene and hazmat users of Alpha Tracker who need their staff to complete risk assessments of any type before starting site work.  See you at the webinar!

Another 90%+ month for the Support Desk! Congrats Zac & team

Our Support Team resolved 977 tickets in July 2025.  

We ask each caller "When do you need this resolved by?" and that's how we measure our performance.  In July, 91% of all tickets were resolved in the caller's stated timescale, and 98% of high priority tickets were solved on time.  That's quite a performance!

Zac and Melika reviewing a sticky ticket

We're improving our automatic ticket emails this month so watch this space!

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