Start Software will be competing in the Coracle World Championships 2026. We've improved year-on-year, this time could be the one!

A team from Start Software's Telford HQ will be competing in the Coracle World Championships 2026!

Could 2026 be our year, finally?! Stranger things have happened (just)

Our previous entries into the competition have resulted in disgrace, a soaking, a near disqualification and general mayhem.  This year is unlikely to be any different.

Having had staff members affected by cancer this year, it is fitting that we'll be fund raising for cancer charities when we race in September.  Watch out for fund-raising links and thanks in advance.

The AI-powered Alpha Draw is in beta test! Great demos this week

We've had some really good meetings with Alpha Tracker asbestos consultancy clients this week keen to see the new AI-powered Alpha Draw.

That's not a real photo. Robin's hair is much more grey

Alpha Draw is the companion site plan drawing app for asbestos software Alpha Tracker.  It's due a refresh, and the new version is a ground-up rewrite with a whole raft of new features:

• better integration with Alpha Tracker including dynamic sample markers
• AI-powered "finger drawing to clean plan"
• AI-powered "room photo to site plan".

It's pretty amazing!  We showed it first at our March Office Hours session.

Watch out for more updates and the new version in the app stores.

Big C V2 is on the move! Andrew's boat is being crated up ready for shipping

It's a big day for adventurer Andrew Bedwell and his amazing Big C Atlantic Challenge!

Andrew is packing up Big C and crating it ready for its journey across the Atlantic to Newfoundland on a container ship.  It will arrive in plenty of time for Andrew's launch back to the UK on his world record attempting journey, in May 2026. 

Big C in good hands... please don't drop it!

Our app for Andrew's followers has also hit a milestone today, and it's ready for testing.  Take a look for yourselves, here: https://big-c-atlantic-challenge.app/

Follow and support Andrew via his Facebook page, Big C Atlantic Challenge.

You can now have an instant video call with our Support Team

Need help?  Want to show us a problem you have on your screen?  You can now launch an instant video call with our Support Team straight from our website.

Instant video call! No Teams, no Zoom, just one click!

Click https://whereby.com/start-software-support to launch your call - but do call us first so we're expecting you!

Out on site with Acorn Asbestos – troubleshooting and improving Tracker Mobile face-to-face

There’s nothing quite like getting out from behind a desk and onto site.

Last week, Zac from our Alpha Tracker Support team did exactly that—joining the asbestos surveyors from our partners at Acorn Asbestos for a day in the field. The goal? To see first-hand how surveys are carried out, how our software performs in real-world conditions, and—most importantly—where we can make things even better.  We've had some repeat tickets from an asbestos surveyor and wanted to see the issue live - supporting our wonderful customers is *so* much easier in person.

Why site visits matter

We spend a lot of time building and refining Alpha Tracker and Tracker Mobile but the real test is always on site.

Asbestos surveying isn’t done in ideal conditions. It’s tight spaces, awkward access, poor signal, and the constant need to work quickly and accurately. That’s exactly why Tracker Mobile has been designed to work offline, capture detailed data, and sync reliably later.

But no matter how much experience we have, there’s no substitute for standing alongside surveyors and watching the process unfold.

A day in the life of a surveyor

Zac spent the day following Acorn’s team as they carried out a live asbestos survey.

From logging into site, reviewing previous records, and planning the inspection route, through to capturing samples, photos and notes—it was a full walkthrough of the survey lifecycle.

Nice tats, Zac!

In the photo above, you can see Tracker Mobile in action—being used on-site to capture survey data in real time. This is exactly how the system is designed to be used: simple, structured, and reliable, even in less-than-ideal environments.

Tracker Mobile plays a central role here. Surveyors are using it to:

• Record asbestos samples and suspected materials

• Capture photos and link them directly to items

• Log “no access” areas and site observations

• Work through structured forms designed around their workflow

All of this is done on a phone or tablet, often with no signal, and synced back to the main system later.

If you’re new to Tracker Mobile, you can read more about how it supports asbestos surveying on our website:
👉 https://alpha-tracker.co.uk/asbestos

The small details that make a big difference

One of the most valuable parts of the visit was spotting the little things.

Not big feature requests—but small, practical improvements:

• Reducing the number of taps needed for common tasks

• Making key fields easier to access on-site

• Improving visibility of important information in bright or awkward environments

• Streamlining workflows when moving quickly between rooms or areas

These are the kinds of refinements that only come from real-world use. And they matter—because when you’re on site, every second counts.

This kind of continuous improvement is something we’ve talked about before—particularly in how user feedback shapes development.

Working with great partners

It was also a great opportunity to spend time with the team at Acorn Asbestos.

Their experience, professionalism, and willingness to share honest feedback are exactly what make partnerships like this so valuable. Open conversations about what works (and what doesn’t) help us continuously improve.

At Alpha Tracker, we’ve always built our software in collaboration with the industry—and days like this are a perfect example of that in action.

Feeding back into Tracker Mobile

Tracker Mobile is already widely used across the asbestos surveying industry and has been refined over years of real-world use.

But we never stand still.

The insights from Zac’s visit are already feeding into discussions with the development team—helping shape future updates and improvements. Whether it’s performance tweaks, usability enhancements, or new features, it all starts with understanding what happens on site.

If you’d like to explore more about Tracker Mobile and how it supports asbestos surveying teams, take a look here:
👉 https://alpha-tracker.co.uk/asbestos

Final thoughts

A big thank you to Acorn Asbestos for having us along.

Getting out on site, asking questions, and seeing the reality of asbestos surveying is invaluable. It keeps us grounded, focused, and motivated to keep improving.

And for Zac… not a bad day at the office.

We have a new Calendar Sync module available. Get in touch with Support to organise your system update

Jack has published a new Calendar Sync update for Alpha Tracker.  

This is a bug-fix update which will help busy asbestos consultancies especially.  Jack has fixed a couple of bugs which affected appointments which were scheduled/deleted/rescheduled within a few seconds of being created - something that doesn't happen very often but does happen occasionally.

Busy, busy, busy!

Calendar Sync is an Alpha Tracker feature which synchronises Alpha Tracker diary appointments into Microsoft (Outlook/Exchange) diaries or Google Calendar, so that site staff know their schedule simply by looking in their normal diary phone apps.

Get in touch with Alpha Tracker Support (UK or Australia/New Zealand) to organise your update.