Compass180 Introduction - A New Episode Begins

November 2010

Some 12 years ago Window Cleaner Pro was devised by Ian to help run a small window cleaning business, it has progressively evolved and developed to what it is today. The software was originally written as a hobby but as interest and demand grew it became evermore time consuming and with a worldwide customer base it became evident that there was a need to take it from being a hobby to a business. Brad was then introduced to share the increasing workload and expose the software in the marketplace.

The software has been developed and grown in a fast-paced world, the needs and requirements of a business a decade ago were very different from the current day. Much the same as can be said of the technology available, hence why desktop applications such as Window Cleaner Pro are now giving way to internet based applications.

With the current business model of a one-off licence fee it becomes apparent that this is not commercially sustainable as there is no revenue stream to assist in the further development of Window Cleaner Pro.

Due to requests for additional features within Window Cleaner Pro we felt that the current architecture was unable to embrace the requirements fully and based on our extensive experience of web-based applications it was time to re-write the software to run in this environment.

The past few months have been taken up with the conceptualising a successor to Window Cleaner Pro. The initial development has already started and it is evident that it will be a very powerful program, it will encompass many of the features requested and will provide a much more flexible foundation for ongoing development.

This will be a brand new web-based application that we have named Compass180, it will replicate the existing ease of use and functionality of Window Cleaner Pro but will add refinement and also enable you to automate tasks such as sending of SMS text messages and emailing of invoices/receipts, allow multi-user access to live databases, multiple jobs to one customer and integrated CRM. Compass180 will satisfy the demands of those clients that require a feature-rich application in order to support their business.

The initial development of this software requires a vast commitment in time and effort from both of us and, to ensure the ongoing development and support we have made the decision that access to Compass180 will be based on an affordable monthly subscription. This will generate revenue that will not only allow us to support the software but also allow us to ensure our commitment to you and your business on the Compass180 platform.

As already explained the commitment put into Window Cleaner Pro cannot be sustained, this is because as customer numbers grow the revenue is not commensurate to the level of support required to maintain an ever increasing customer base and we feel that our clients deserve a continued high level of service. The resource that new users currently bring is committed to supporting existing customers which leaves precious little for development of the current program.

To this end we foresee a point in time when we will have very little resource to offer the current level of free support for Window Cleaner Pro. Should you wish to continue using Window Cleaner Pro we will, of course, honour your lifetime license but you need to be aware that no further development of the program is planned and at some stage a revised support package will be introduced to offset the cost that is associated with supporting Window Cleaner Pro as our focus will be concentrated towards the ongoing success of Compass180.

We trust you can see that to go forward it is imperative to embrace new technologies and create a sustainable business to ensure that our clients are served in the best possible way, we hope that our existing relationship will be continued and the alliances we have forged within Window Cleaner Pro will mean we can all move forward together as we have done in the past. We are both heavily committed to Compass180 and ensuring the application will help you to run your business in a more profitable, streamlined and efficient way. With your continued support we are sure it will surpass your needs and requirements.

Due to the help, advice and interest already shown for this project we have set up a Twitter feed (search for Compass180) so you can keep track of our progress and become part of the creation of Compass180. Please feel free to follow us and post your comments and thoughts as we embark on this exciting venture.

We will be offering a preferential introductory rate to Compass180 for all our existing customers as well as data migration should you wish to upgrade from Window Cleaner Pro.

Since the beginning we have appreciated your loyalty, and your continued support means a great deal to both of us.

Best regards

Ian and Brad