Showing posts with label integrated. Show all posts
Showing posts with label integrated. Show all posts

Tuesday, 9 July 2024

Cutt Off

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @HousingITguy or LinkedIn here https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy

Barely a month after German social housing software provider Aareon is sold off, another significant supplier to the sector and local councils, changing hands. At least a couple of customers contacted me and said they were dismayed at seemingly not even being informed of the planned sale.

This week Capita announced that they will be shedding ‘Capita One’, the home of OpenContractor, OneHousing, Education management solutions and ex-IBS OpenHousing. (not Irritable Bowel Syndrome, for latecomers to the sector, however it could at times create nearly similar effects!). For £207m, MRI the US Real Estate Asset Management specialist, via its Orchard entity nets several hundred new account numbers to add into its Sales Ledger and chart of accounts. The process is set to complete in August if no CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) challenges are encountered. I would say one was pretty likely as this effectively consolidates two of the remaining medium-large social housing solutions, with a single dominating supplier.

MRI is used to UK housing solutions acquisition, having consumed Castleton, Orchard & Housing Partners, over the last few years. However, I would wonder if the non-housing parts of this deal, such as Education management, will be quietly disposed of, one the dust settles

The media release blurb tells us, “MRI Software is a leading provider of real estate software solutions that transform the way communities live, work and play. The Buyer intends to support Capita One’s growth plans and further develop its product portfolio and customer base.”

Capita have recently been coming back to the market for some new housing system procurements with a fully web based housing product. OH to OneHousing not quite a quick lift and shift however, as a few sites appear to be finding. Potentially, MRI moving old legacy Orchard customers to OneHousing, could well be a much cheaper option than completing the latest re-tread for the former that’s underway. MRI still seem to have a gap for a modern Cloud/browser solution for small-medium RSLs/RPs. Newer challengers look to continue hoovering these ex-Kypera sites for at the the next few years then.

It will be interesting as ever in these cases how Capita helpdesk’s and account management will be consumed. Will slightly sub-optimal current service be impacted or can it be possibly improved ?

If you are a contact with one or more of these products currently, feel free to get in touch to chat or maybe explore future options.

Read the full statement here.

 

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*** Join the discussion with Claire & Aiden ***

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If you are stuck on a legacy SocialHousing system, reach out
please just get in touch , for a chat over a brew and some digestives ☕😋

       Related Post: How can the right Critical Friend guide your RSL to a new system?

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I would be pleased to connect with you on LinkedIn - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy Message me with any issues or queries, you would like to be explored in this blog. We generally receive a couple of suggestions each month.

Kasabian - Cutt OffKasabian - Cutt Off.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


Access a quick list of our Social Housing ICT blog posts here

Could we help you or your organisation? Our contact details are here , get in touch we will be pleased to chat about your problems and help with your organisation issues.


File Under: #HomesForBritain,#HousingDAY,#InternetOfTenants,#Shout,#UKHousing,acquisitions, 07854655009, 1st Touch,1stTouch,360,365Agile,3squared,4Js, ACL,ALMO,AMS,AX,Aareon,Abritas,Academy,Accuserv,Accuserve,Active Housing,ActiveH,ActiveHousing,Acutence,Advanced,Affinity,Agile,Agile365,AirWatch,Alfresco,Alignment,Allpay,Amazon Web Services,Anite,Apex,App,ArchHouse,Archouse,Asprey e-state pro,Asset Management,Associates,Aurora,Average IT Costs,AWI SX Integration Toolkit,AWS, BI,BO,BPR,BancTec,BigChange,Blockwise,BluTek,Bluebox,Blueprint,Browser Applications,Business Objects,Business Planning,Business Process Review,Business social networking, CACI,Capita One Housing,CBL,CCS IT Keystone CCSIT,CEDRM,CHICS,CHR,CIH,CMS,COA,CORE,CPL,CRM,CRM2013,CRS,CTI,CTX,Cadcorp,Capita,CapitaOne,Capita One,Capital Management,Cashflow,Castle,Castleton,Castleton Technology,Cedar Open Accounts,Cerrus,Change,Charges,Chartered Institute Of Housing,Cheaper Housing IT,Chics, Citrix,Civica,Civica CTX,Civica 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Systems,Hitex,HomeMaster,Hometeam,HouSys,House,Housemark,Housemark survey,Housing,Housing Contact,Housing Group,Housing Insight,Housing Management,Housing Management Consultant,Housing Partners,Housing Portfolio Management System,Hub Asset Management,Homeswapper,Housing jigsaw, Housing Support Pro,HousingIT,HousingSupportPro,HyperOptic, IMS,IT,IT Budget,IT Training,ITIL,Impact Response,In,In4,In4Systems Promaster,InfoBoss,InHouse,InMotion,InMotion2015,InMotion2016,InfoBoss,Infoflow,Information,Information Technology,Information@Work components,Informix,Innovation, Informetis,Inphase,Inside Housing,Insight,Internet Portal,Internetalia,Invu,Ireland,Irish,itLab, Keyfax,Keylogic,Keypera,Keystone,Kirona,Kypera,Keynamics, Landlord,Ledgers,Linkedin,Liquid,Locality,Localz, M3,MAVIS,MD,MDM,MI,MIS,MIS-AMS,MISCS,MRI,MS Dynamics,MRI,MS Dynamics CRM2011,Microsoft365,microsoft 365,MWL,Management,Management Server,Manifest,Measuring,Mebus,More IQ,MoreIQ,Microsoft Dynamics 365,Microsoft dynamics GP 2013,Miracle,MobileIron,Mobysoft,Monopoly board images and pictures,Montal,Mr Void,MriEngage,MrVoid,MoreIQ NDL,NINTEX,NINTEX workflow,NPS,NPS ASSIST,NPS Housing,NPS Job Manager Mobile,NROSH,Natural,Neighbourhoods and Communities,Nintexworkflow,Northgate,Northgate Codeman,Northgate Public Services,Notice, OA,OGC Buying Solutions,OJEU Limits,ORS,Ohms,OmFax,Omniledger,One,OneAdvanced,OneServe,Open source,OpenContractor,OpenHousing,Opti-time,Options,Optitime,Oracle,Orchard,Outsource and outsourcing,OutSystems, PIMMS,PIMSS Data,PM,PRINCE2,Paloma,Pamwin,PanConnect,People Value,Peoplevalue,PfH,Pick,PlanForm,Planned maintenance,Plenfific,Plus,Portfolio Management System,PowerObjects,Pro,Pro-Points,Prodo,Progress,Promaster,Propoints,Proval,Providers,Pyramid, QL,QLX, QLF, QL Yuneo,QuantSpark,Qube,QLX,Qlikview,QueryView,Queryview reporting,Quiss, RM865,ROCC,RPs,RSL,Rave,ReAct,Reality,RedkiteCRM,Red Olive,Registered,Registered Social,Rent 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. . . . . . . . . . . . ES | FR | DE | IT | UK |

Friday, 24 May 2024

Finally

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @HousingITguy or LinkedIn here https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy

All things come to an end they sometimes say, some others barely ever get started (as some new sensations don't)!

It nudged my memory last week when hearing that the classic Oracle based Open Housing Management Systems (OHMS) has finally been announced as ‘end of life’ and de-supported after March 2026. If you still have OHMS and many do, particularly smaller local councils, you need to move fast as that end of 2025/26 death-date will soon be upon us.

For anyone new to the OHMS story, it originated as created by Groupe Bull HN, the French ICT company. Not being a brilliant company name for the UK, legend has it that an all day meeting was set up for executives in an office near Slough, to come up with a much better name. No inspiration was coming, and at 7:30pm pizza’s were ordered in, as is traditional. By about nine-ish, everyone felt they had enough and one bloke thinking about his 4 hour drive back to Manchester said, ‘Shall we call it a night’ ?

…and as they say, the rest was history!

Anite was acquired by Northgate (now NEC) around 2008/9, who already had an Oracle based Socialhousing Housing Management System (First Housing, iWorld, anyone remember those?). I have migrated data from those in the distant past, in fact a FirstHousing from a site in Scotland, was my very first back in 1999.

Northgate turned Japanese in 2018, when NEC bought it up.

When larger operators (MRI, Civica, OneAdvanced etc) hoover up smaller solutions, its often more about acquiring new customers, rather than any big masterplan. Now nobody likes to be hoovered up and just be a number in someone’s sales ledger, do they? Even worse, buying up a solution and quickly thinking clients will just roll over and migrate to another product from the group, rarely works (EG OpenHousing/Academy , Saffron/Universal Housing etc).

Northgate did originally put a UK death date on OHMS of 2013, although the stampede of annoyed sites rushing to procure put paid to that quite quickly. 

I helped my first OHMS site go to market and implement successfully back in late 2012. Since then, some have gone to market or decided to look at the other Northgate/NEC products and sometimes undertake an ‘upgrade’ staying with their supplier. Several options are available.

So, what options are available and should some urgency be applied?

Well, considering a legal procurement, even on a CCS framework might take 3-6 months, that means an implementation would start perhaps in Oct 2024. Migration & implementation of a core of Estates/Rents/Repairs from OHMS may take a total of 12-20+ months. Timeline does depend on many factors, including size & expertise of clients team, as well as capacity/bottlenecks/priorities applied by selected preferred bidder supplier. An internal DLO or application waiting lists etc, do add additional complication.

This might just get you live before the OHMS de-support date. So, as contracts often state, “time is of the essence”.

From being involved with a few of these in South West England and South Wales, I know there are also other factors often at work. As these old solutions are generally on-premise, they often sit on old Solaris hardware server kit, great in their day, but expensive now and with fragile old components.

Your ICT Cyber/security team staff might have already identified this hardware as posing security risks or potential vulnerabilities. This might add additional priority.

Having had OHMS for maybe 25 years+ it will have been a while since anyone looked at the marketplace. While there is no integral mobile with OHMS, that is a reality in the modern world. How do you go about that in a structured fashion? Often a suitably experienced Critical Friend who specialises in social housing can be a great addition to your procurement colleagues. That addition can help you navigate the journey of assessing new exciting options and also understanding what a migration path from existing supplier might pan out like.

As a council & socialhousing Critical Friend who has worked with many organisations & local authorities right across the UK and Southern Ireland wanting to move from older or approaching obsolete solutions, I also work to help at implementation time too. Knowledge transfer from other projects provide useful unique insights. For example, while migrating currently from OHMS for a South Wales council, those lessons learned benefit all my NEC based customers.

Whatever route is taken, its essential in my opinion to maintain excellent relations with your current supplier, particularly during migration. Don’t underestimate challenges that even migrating from one of your suppliers products to another might bring. The right Critical Friend can help you there adding value and also setting appropriate expectations for client and supplier.

So, if you are a current OHMS user, don’t dawdle the clock is ticking. April 2026 will race up sooner than anyone realises !

 

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*** Join the discussion with Claire & Aiden ***

_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/

 



If you are stuck on a legacy SocialHousing systems, reach out
please just get in touch , for a chat over a slice of LDC ☕😋

       Related Post: Does dirt cheap procurement ever work?

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I would be pleased to connect with you on LinkedIn - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy Message me with any issues or queries, you would like to be explored in this blog. We generally receive a couple of suggestions each month.

CeCe Peniston – FinallyCeCe Peniston – Finally.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


Access a quick list of our Social Housing ICT blog posts here

Could we help you or your organisation? Our contact details are here , get in touch we will be pleased to chat about your problems and help with your organisation issues.


File Under: #HomesForBritain,#HousingDAY,#InternetOfTenants,#Shout,#UKHousing, 07854655009, 1st Touch,1stTouch,360,365Agile,3squared,4Js, ACL,ALMO,AMS,AX,Aareon,Abritas,Academy,Accuserv,Accuserve,Active Housing,ActiveH,ActiveHousing,Acutence,Advanced,Affinity,Agile,Agile365,AirWatch,Alfresco,Alignment,Allpay,Amazon Web Services,Anite,Apex,App,ArchHouse,Archouse,Asprey e-state pro,Asset Management,Associates,Aurora,Average IT Costs,AWI SX Integration Toolkit,AWS, BI,BO,BPR,BancTec,BigChange,Blockwise,BluTek,Bluebox,Blueprint,Browser Applications,Business Objects,Business Planning,Business Process Review,Business social networking, CACI,Capita One Housing,CBL,CCS IT Keystone CCSIT,CEDRM,CHICS,CHR,CIH,CMS,COA,CORE,CPL,CRM,CRM2013,CRS,CTI,CTX,Cadcorp,Capita,CapitaOne,Capita One,Capital Management,Cashflow,Castle,Castleton,Castleton Technology,Cedar Open Accounts,Cerrus,Change,Charges,Chartered Institute Of Housing,Cheaper Housing IT,Chics, Citrix,Civica,Civica CTX,Civica Cx,Civica Genero,Civica Saffron,Clearview,Clik,Cx Assets, Cloud Dialogs,CloudDialogs,Coactiva,Codeman,Comino,Commontime,Community Reward Services,Company,Competitive Dialogue process,Component Accounting,Consilium,Consolidation, Consultancy,Consultant,Consultants,Contact Manager,Context,Contractor Systems,CorVu,Cost Reductions,Covalent,Crystal Reports,Customer Relationship Management,Cx,CxFeedback, DRS,Deeplake,Designer Software,Development Systems,Director,Document,Documotive,Docuware,Dynamic AI,DynamicAI,Dynamics 365,D365,Dynamics365,Dynaway ECMK,EDM,EDRMS,ERP,ESRI,Elmhurst,Enghouse Interactive,England,English,EnterpriseBI,Estatecraft,Esuasive,Etive,Exhibition,Exponential-e, Facebook,Factorwise,Field Service management,Finance,Financial Systems,Financials,FLS,Footprint,Forms,Freezes,Fusion,Fuzzlab Gas Tag,G-Cloud,GCloud,GDPR,GGP,GIS,GasTag,Genero,GeoSolveIT,Getting best from,GoTonySmith,Grasp,Grip,Group Apex, HFI (Housing Financials interface),HG,HRA,Hardware,Hitachi Systems,Hitex,HomeMaster,Hometeam,HouSys,House,Housemark,Housemark survey,Housing,Housing Contact,Housing Group,Housing Insight,Housing Management,Housing Management Consultant,Housing Partners,Housing Portfolio Management System,Hub Asset Management,Homeswapper,Housing jigsaw, Housing Support Pro,HousingIT,HousingSupportPro,HyperOptic, IMS,IT,IT Budget,IT Training,ITIL,Impact Response,In,In4,In4Systems Promaster,InfoBoss,InHouse,InMotion,InMotion2015,InMotion2016,InfoBoss,Infoflow,Information,Information Technology,Information@Work components,Informix,Innovation, Informetis,Inphase,Inside Housing,Insight,Internet Portal,Internetalia,Invu,Ireland,Irish,itLab, Keyfax,Keylogic,Keypera,Keystone,Kirona,Kypera,Keynamics, Landlord,Ledgers,Linkedin,Liquid,Locality,Localz, M3,MAVIS,MD,MDM,MI,MIS,MIS-AMS,MISCS,MRI,MS Dynamics,MRI,MS Dynamics CRM2011,Microsoft365,microsoft 365,MWL,Management,Management Server,Manifest,Measuring,Mebus,More IQ,MoreIQ,Microsoft Dynamics 365,Microsoft dynamics GP 2013,Miracle,MobileIron,Mobysoft,Monopoly board images and pictures,Montal,Mr Void,MriEngage,MrVoid,MoreIQ NDL,NINTEX,NINTEX workflow,NPS,NPS ASSIST,NPS Housing,NPS Job Manager Mobile,NROSH,Natural,Neighbourhoods and Communities,Nintexworkflow,Northgate,Northgate Codeman,Northgate Public Services,Notice, OA,OGC Buying Solutions,OJEU Limits,ORS,Ohms,OmFax,Omniledger,One,OneAdvanced,OneServe,Open source,OpenContractor,OpenHousing,Opti-time,Options,Optitime,Oracle,Orchard,Outsource and outsourcing,OutSystems, PIMMS,PIMSS Data,PM,PRINCE2,Paloma,Pamwin,PanConnect,People Value,Peoplevalue,PfH,Pick,PlanForm,Planned maintenance,Plenfific,Plus,Portfolio Management System,PowerObjects,Pro,Pro-Points,Prodo,Progress,Promaster,Propoints,Proval,Providers,Pyramid, QL,QLX, QLF, QL Yuneo,QuantSpark,Qube,QLX,Qlikview,QueryView,Queryview reporting,Quiss, RM865,ROCC,RPs,RSL,Rave,ReAct,Reality,RedkiteCRM,Red Olive,Registered,Registered Social,Rent Increase,RentSense,RentSenseLite,Repairfinder,Reporting,Reports,RobotAutomation,Rocket,Rubixx, Salesforce,Salesforce.Org,SAP,SASSHA,SDM,SHBVN,SM,SOTI,SP,SQL,SQL Open Housing,SQL Reporting,SQL Server,Saffron,Safron,Saturn,Scenario,Scotland,Scots,Scottish,Scout,Sequoa,Serengeti,Serros,Server,Service,Services,Servitor,Sharepoint,Sim,SimPro, Simdel,Simdell,Slash and Burn,Social Housing ICT,Social Housing Software Applications,Social Media,Software,Software solutions,Spotlight Service,Spotlightservice,Star rating,Stores and Stock,Strategic,SunAccounts,Sunguard,Surveys,Streetwise, Swordfish,Sx3,Symatrix Human,System alignment,Systems,Systemwise, T-Files,TEAMS,TED,TFiles,TP Tracker,TSG,Tagish Casework,Tagra,Task,TAIM,Technologies (India) PVT Limited,Telecetera,Template,Terminal Services,That,Three Star,Tilt,TiltAffinity,Today,Tony Smith,Tony Smith That Housing IT Guy,TonySmith that housing IT,TonySmithHou,TonySmithHousing, ,TonySmithHousingITguy,Total,Total Mobile,Totalmobile,Trace,Tribal,Twitter, U2,UC,UK,UK Housing,Ukhousing,UniClass Enterprise,Unidata,United Kingdom,Universal,Universalcredit,Universe,Unrest, Valueworks,Van Stock,Vantage,Vantage Sentinel,Version,Virtualisation,Visitour,Visualmetrics,Voice,Voice and data,Voluntas, Wales,Welsh,Wheatley,Windows Server,Workflow and,Work Hub,Works Connect, XML,Xen App,XenApp,Xmbrace, Yuneo,TS Acutance Consulting, ...
. . . . . . . . . . . . ES | FR | DE | IT | UK |

Tuesday, 1 December 2015

Cooking data into information

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @HousingITguy
or LinkedIn here uk.linkedin.com/pub/tony-smith-bsc-hons-acih/a/979/351/




Asbestos, love it or hate it, we have to manage it carefully, don't we?

The other day I was watching a demo of someone logging a repairs order in a CRM module and a message popped up. It was a warning that asbestos was present at the asset. Now in this case i think the point for the audience was to demonstrate that asbestos info was properly integrated to the contacts address & rent account.

However, spookily I have seen plenty of live running CRM modules where a message pops up, telling users that blue asbestos is present. You know what they do, they click OK to clear it off the screen. They certainly don't say, "Hey Mrs Miggings, I have got to warn you, you're riddled with blue asbestos, although don't worry about it!". Well most I work with don't anyway.

So what on earth would a message like that be for? Why have it and what would be of greater use?
Well obviously, CRM staff don't need to see that message, it just needs to find its way to all our external and internal workforces are fully aware of it, before starting works. Messages should be tailored to the context. If we have a non-English as first or preferred language speaker on the line, let's see that clearly and know we need to take extra care.

In addition, those messages can be translated in a more accessible way for operatives and contractors. For example, we might collect lots of vulnerability and disability data, how do we turn that into information, for say a plumber or a neighbourhood officer?  Well, a vulnerability such as 'Wheelchair user' could be easily translated to an icon indicating limited mobility. 'Deafness' of various degrees can be translated to 'Knock hard & Wait'. 'Violent' can be translated to a 'No lone visits'.

It's the difference between data and information and we often fall into the trap of thinking they are the same. They are similar, but poles apart in what can make us effective. Imagine data is green paddy field rice, stretching for miles and information is the nice white, fluffy stuff we enjoy so much with savoury sauces, in a small portion, served up on our plates.

The way we turn data into information is to add context. Information aids the transmission of knowledge and moves us closer to an end goal. If that's waiting ten minutes longer, for that customer to get to the door to let our plumber in, that's a result. I see too many reports too, in our software solutions, falling short of giving us information. It's a few columns of data at best in most cases. So let's up our game, get cooking, people!

     Catch the blog monthly archive at https://archive.org/details/@housingitguy

Related Post: Are some of our system problems because we sometimes just view 'Go-Live' as the endgame? 

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I would be pleased to connect with you on LinkedIn - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy Message me with any issues or queries, you would like to be explored in this blog. We generally receive a couple of suggestions each month.


Salad - No 1 CookingSalad - No 1 Cooking.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


Access a quick list of our Social Housing ICT blog posts here
Could we help you or your organisation? Our contact details are here , get in touch we will be pleased to chat about your problems and help with your organisation issues.

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Friday, 14 March 2014

Houses In Motion

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @hotpixUK


Never get to talk, tell us a little bit, but not too much....

The April InMotion event at The Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire, UK, has become more than a mobile working and repairs event, over the last seven years. It has become more of a general event for UK social housing practitioners. The date for the next one is Tuesday 29th April 2014 and over 300 delegates are expected.

Now, as a veteran on a stand at lots of these events, I have despaired sometimes at the number of  supplier sessions where products/silver bullets are plugged, with little real insight into real experiences, out in real organisations. All credit to the organisers, InMotion is concentrating on getting organisations to share their successes and a reveal a little of the pain they have gone through.

We are all grown up and experienced. Sorry Ms & Mr Salesperson, but real life is not quite like demo-land. Having implemented a few dozen solutions, in case you needed to be assured, you can achieve demo-land, but expect to put a lot of work in.

On this theme I will be chairing one session called "Best of Breed OR Single Supplier Systems, what's best for the customer journey". A very current topic and perhaps one that could be easily answered about 3 years or so ago. Now it's not so clear cut.

With a number of traditional ERP suppliers eyeing up social housing as a possible lucrative vertical market, maturity of MS Dynamics CRM and squeezed budgets, is best of breed worth another look.

Hopefully we can ask a few questions around costs, benefits, savings, how to best get separate applications 'plumbed in together' and what resources/skills are actually needed. From the variety of organisations I work with, it will certainly all depend on culture, attitude to risk, internal skills, budget, discipline to document and ambition to excel, as to what approach might be good for your organisation.

If you have implemented what you believe to be an outstanding example of 'Best of breed' or been surprised by how much your organisation has realised from one of the 'single supplier solutions', please get in touch and share your experiences. If you would like to join my panel, to share your experiences at InMotion2014 please give me a call.

Indeed, if you struggling as your 'Best Of Breed' has turned into a 'Heinz 57 varieties' or your 'Single supplier solution' is out on its own, and you need help, I am willing to listen!
See you at InMotion2014, say hello if you spot me, register here http://inmotion-forum.com/inmotion-2014/register/

*** Update 22/03/2014 ***
A great link here from Inside Housing http://www.insidehousing.co.uk/systems-in-the-spotlight/7002755.article on recent interlopers on the Housing Management System Scene. An interesting read!
**********************

You can link with me on LinkedIn here - uk.linkedin.com/pub/tony-smith-bsc-hons-acih/a/979/351/ It would be great to connect !

Read on to, stay Cool on UC:
http://tonysmiththathousingitguy.blogspot.com/2014/02/we-are-super-cool.html


David Byrne - Houses In Motion.


(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009

PS As usual, if there are subjects you might like me to tackle on this blog, please get in touch and let me know!

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