Important MDS update (for Tracker Mobile) - MDS 10 is now available

The app that powers Tracker Mobile - Alpha Tracker's on-site asbestos data collection solution - has been updated to version 10 and it has a number of benefits over previous versions.

Many updates feature in MDS 10

Contact our Alpha Tracker Support Desk (UK or Aus/NZ) for more information or to arrange your free-of-charge update.

New software consultancy project for Treasury Wine Estates

We're delighted to be working with the world-famous Treasury Wine Estates on a software project to boost their ability to collect data from vineyards during the grape growing season.

Some of the Treasury Wine Estates global brands

For nearly 20 years now we have specialised in site data capture applications - can we help your business too?

Update - Tracker Mobile (Mobile Data) on Windows devices

You may have seen my recent blog post announcing the beta availability of Mobile Data for Windows devices - see http://robinbennett.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/our-on-site-asbestos-data-collection.html for more info.

This means that asbestos surveyors will soon have the choice of all standard mobile equipment (Android, Apple and Windows) when using our Tracker Mobile asbestos site data capture software (which is part of Tracker and Alpha Tracker).

Another update of the beta Windows software is now available and it also works on most Windows 7 and Windows 8 laptops too extending the number of devices we can use even further.

Our on-site asbestos data collection system - Tracker Mobile - is now in beta for Windows laptops and tablets

We're really pleased to announce that our on-site data collection tool, Tracker Mobile, is now in beta test for the full range of Windows Intel smartphones, tablets and laptops.

Software developer Ferry testing Tracker Mobile on a Lenovo Yoga laptop/tablet

We use the market-leading Mobile Data product to build our data collection apps and we have been working with our Australian partners at CreativityCorp over the last few months to create a Windows version of their software.

Tracker Mobile is already available for Android and iOS (Apple) devices and now that the Windows Intel version is working well we will be able to offer our asbestos data collection software on a full range of devices.

Another Mobile Data beta update

Further to last week's post (see http://robinbennett.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/important-mobile-data-update-in-beta.html), the very latest beta of Mobile Data now has the ability to filter data as well as sort it within the Data Window.

Again, please don't update your own systems just yet as we are running our own tests first.

Important Mobile Data update in beta test

We're really pleased to announce that we are beta testing v8.0 of Mobile Data from CreativityCorp, the software used to power our Tracker Mobile* system used by asbestos surveyors to capture data in the field.

We have been partners with CreativityCorp for over a decade now and our systems have captured more than 25,000,000 items of data in that time!

The latest version of Mobile Data, v8.0, has some important new features which will delight busy asbestos admin teams looking after data from asbestos surveyors:

- it is now possible to quickly search the "data window" to find records without exporting to Excel first

- the data window can be sorted by any column, either A-Z or Z-A

- new surveyors connecting their handsets for the first time will automatically get Tracker Mobile software installed making it even easier to set up an asbestos surveyor to work with Tracker or Alpha Tracker.

We are testing v8.0 carefully now so do not recommend that you update your own systems just yet. Do watch the blog for updates or call the Start Software Support Desk on 0845 612 2402 to check the latest position.

*Tracker Mobile is a key part of our Tracker and Alpha Tracker asbestos software systems for asbestos consultancies

Mobile Data Studio 7.3.1 has been released

We're delighted to announce the release of Mobile Data 7.3.1 from our partners CreativityCorp.

For all our asbestos surveyors using Tracker Mobile this will make life easier in a number of ways. Not least because future updates (even to Android smartphones and tablets) can now be sent through automatically.

Thanks Neil and team at CreativityCorp for this important update.

Mobile Data Studio bug-fix update for Android devices

We have been notified that an important bug-fix update for Mobile Data Studio 7.3 (Android only) is available here: http://www.creativitycorp.com/downloads/MobileData.apk

We are advising all clients using Mobile Data Studio 7.3 on Android devices to download this update direct to their device.

If you have any concerns or questions, please do get in touch with the office.

Mobile Data Studio 7.3 upgrade

Mobile Data Studio 7.3 has been released by our Australian software partners, CreativityCorp.

This is an important update with many features which will benefit our Tracker Mobile asbestos surveying users including:

• Apple devices (iPhones and iPads) can now have sortable columns on the session list screen (a feature which Android devices have always had)
  
• new validation options will enable data to be checked more thoroughly before sending
  
• all of the settings on the devices can now be set remotely making software deployment a much easier process
  
• all "Ultradrop" drop-down lists are now searchable automatically - this will be of great benefit to asbestos surveyors hunting through long lists of projects or materials!

iPhone and iPad users will be offered the update via the Apple App Store.  Android users will need to download the update from http://www.creativitycorp.com/downloads/MobileData.apk

Let us know if you have any problems with this release via the normal channels.  Enjoy!

New TimeTracker mobile app for capturing project time in Alpha Tracker

Alpha Tracker - the web & cloud-based software for asbestos surveyors and asbestos consultancies - now has the facility to record staff time on site via the TimeTracker mobile app.

TimeTracker - the time tracking mobile app for Alpha Tracker

TimeTracker works on all Apple and Android smartphones and tablets (including iPhones, iPads, Samsung Galaxy phones and cameras) alongside Tracker Mobile, our handheld data capture system for asbestos surveyors.

The data captured can be viewed, edited and analysed within Alpha Tracker itself and used when preparing invoices to clients or assessing job profitability.

Please contact the office to discuss using TimeTracker within your organisation.

New Tracker Mobile training videos online

If you or your surveyors need to refresh their skills with Tracker Mobile, the handheld data collection system for Tracker and Alpha Tracker, go to this page to see a collection of new training videos: http://alpha-tracker.co.uk/asbestos.

Scroll down to the bottom of that page to see the 7 short videos - and feel free to share with your colleagues!

Screenshots from the Tracker Mobile training videos

New faces at Start Software

We are welcoming Daniel McCullen to the team on Monday.  Daniel is joining us to work on the Help Desk to increase the number of support personnel we have available to our customers.

Daniel will also be working on Mobile Data Studio and Alpha Anywhere software development projects when he is not helping customers with queries.

As we are expanding, we are looking for more staff (see http://start-software.com/contact/job-vacancies/) especially those with experience in Alpha Five or Alpha Anywhere.  Are you looking to work for a company which specialises in building database applications running in a web browser and mobile data applications?  Get in touch!

Floor plan software for Tracker Mobile customers

Do you want to draw your floor plan at the same time as recording the asbestos survey and sample data using Tracker Mobile?

Try Floor Plan Creator:

Floor Plan Creator working alongside Tracker Mobile

Search the Play Store (on Android devices) or the very similar "FloorPlans" on the App Store (on iPad and iPhones) and you can be using these apps in minutes.

Both of these packages (and the others available - we can work with any of the floor plan packages available on smartphone and tablet units) are fully compatible with Tracker, Alpha Tracker and Tracker Mobile giving your surveyors the widest possible options when creating and modifying floor plans whilst asbestos surveying.

The Samsung S4 Zoom - a "smart camera" perfect for asbestos surveyors using Tracker Mobile

Samsung's new Galaxy S4 Zoom is the latest "smart camera" device, perfect for asbestos surveyors using our Tracker Mobile handheld asbestos data capture system.

Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Camera (another Android smart camera device I blogged about here http://robinbennett.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/surveying-software-on-android-samsung.html) the Galaxy S4 Zoom is also a fully functioning phone, giving asbestos surveyors a top-end phone and 10x zoom camera with flash and Tracker Mobile asbestos survey data capture device - all in one lightweight unit.

For more information about using our Tracker Mobile asbestos surveying software or to try our loan Galaxy S4 Zoom yourself, please contact us.

Note: Tracker Mobile is the handheld asbestos surveying data capture system used with the Alpha Tracker and Tracker asbestos consultancy software systems 

Start Software's biggest Mobile Data Studio customer!

We've been doing some mobile data capture consultancy with one of the world's leading manufacturing companies (a $30 billion multinational).  Our contacts there are pretty self-sufficient now (having received training and mentoring support from us with the Mobile Data Studio product) but still keep in touch to ask for advice about mobile data form design, especially as they are now capturing data in the field on a wide variety of devices - Android, iOS (iPhone/iPad) and Windows Mobile.

They have recently been using Mobile Data Studio at trade shows, enabling them to build data capture forms for salespeople to gather information from delegates as they visit the stand.  The information captured is transmitted via the 3G mobile phone network back to head office where the data is used to build databases of leads and prospects.

We previously helped with a field service engineer data capture form used by staff on the road to complete maintenance records direct from the customer's premises.

Do you need to capture information on mobile devices?  Do you want the flexibility to use whatever device you choose from iPhone, iPad, Android smartphone, Android tablet or ruggedised Windows Mobile unit? Get in touch and we can build the data capture application for you and faster and for less money than you imagine.

Tracker Mobile training session at Monitor Environmental

Monitor Environmental are a specialist asbestos surveying consultancy based in the East Midlands.  Monitor Environmental have been a valued client of Start Software for some years and we always enjoy working with and for them.

Monitor have used Tracker for some time and have recently upgraded to use the very latest iPhone asbestos surveying module (Tracker Mobile) using Mobile Data Studio 7.2.

Yesterday we trained 8 of their staff in the latest surveying techniques using Tracker Mobile on their iPhones showing them how asbestos surveying data and photos collected on site could go straight into their Tracker system ready for lab results and report production.

Damon at Monitor Environmental with his iPhone running Tracker Mobile

If you want to contact Monitor, click here to go to their website or phone 0115 939 4535.

For more information about our range of asbestos surveying software, click here and follow the links to Tracker, Alpha Tracker and Tracker Mobile.

Mobile Data Studio 7.2

Mobile Data Studio 7.2 (MDS) has been released by our partners CreativityCorp.  v7.2 is a free update with important and useful new features.

MDS powers our Tracker Mobile handheld data collection system "Tracker" for asbestos surveyors and consultancies and our other mobile data collection systems.

We have been using the beta test version of MDS 7.2 for a few weeks but we are still not recommending that it be used in live mode by our customers until we have done more testing.  Please do not upgrade your handsets before checking with us first.

Any queries, please contact the office as usual.

New version of Mobile Data Studio in beta test

We're testing the latest version of Mobile Data Studio, the software that powers our Tracker Mobile handheld asbestos surveying system as well as our other on-site data capture software.

The latest version, v7.2, has these improvements:

• better quality photo capture (which will improve the photos within asbestos reports)
• the option of keeping copies of data sent in on the handset for re-using or re-sending (which means that backups will not be needed any more on the handset) (see screenshot, below)
• more form design options (for better looking, easier-to-use data capture screens)
• improvement in the Data Window within the server software.

We are testing the beta release now and should be in a position to recommend upgrades to our Tracker and Alpha Tracker customers within the next month.

Encompassed receive their Alpha Tracker training

Chris Donne and his colleagues from asbestos surveying consultancy Encompassed (www.encompassed.co.uk) have received their Alpha Tracker training today at our training facility in Telford.

Encompassed's staff complete their Alpha Tracker training

Alpha Tracker is our state-of-the-art project management, scheduling, on-site data capture and automated asbestos reporting system which is the product of more than a decade of experience in asbestos software in the UK.

With his surveyors already familiar with Tracker Mobile after working with the system elsewhere in the industry, the training session was refreshing brief, only needing a half day session to become competent in use of the web-based administration system (Alpha Tracker runs "in the cloud") and on-site data capture and transmission.

Chris and his colleagues are using a mixture of iPhones, iPads, Android smartphones and Android tablets - flexibility which is a real strength of Tracker Mobile and unique in the asbestos surveying market.

Surveying software on the Android Samsung Galaxy Camera

We've been experimenting with our asbestos surveying software - Tracker Mobile - and our legionella data capture and other systems running directly on the excellent Samsung Galaxy Camera.

Everything runs really smoothly - you get the best of a fast data capture device with a 5" screen together with an excellent camera with a 21x optical zoom and flash for those awkward shots.

Here is our programmer Dan modelling the camera and our software (based on Mobile Data Studio from our partners CreativityCorp).

Big touchscreen

Clear viewfinder, even in daylight

Turn it over and it works just like a smartphone

21x optical zoom for distant shots

Upload data via mobile phone SIM card or WiFi