Five years of marXact is reason to celebrate. What can we say, it’s a party! We will treat you to fun content that is related to our founding, our process to come where we are now, and what you may expect of us in the future!
In this first blog, we speak with our founders Tommy (l) and Raoul (r) about our origin and how we’ve become the company we are today.
Hardware first
Tommy: “We knew from our own backgrounds and networks that the process of measuring to be installed fibre optic cables, was complicated. The person who installed cables did have a tablet, but could not necessarily draw with it, let alone measure. A surveyor still had to come (back) for this, which makes the work process both more difficult and slower. From that perspective and with that knowledge, we started looking at new possibilities for this sector, first of all at hardware.”
“As Tommy says, we started with the hardware. An easy-to-use instrument, which can be linked to GIS tools that people can use in the field themselves, that is waterproof, and all that at a good price. This resulted in the UNI-GR1, where ‘UNI’ stands for ‘universal’: easy to link with other products. This created a total instrument for every entry-level”, adds Raoul.
Followed by software
A few big and well-known names joined the first customers soon, including BAM and Heijmans. “They soon saw their efficiency increase by enabling field workers to survey themselves. These companies felt the need to be able to survey elements that were not included in fibre optic software soon. Recycle bins, asphalt, and other elements. As a result, we decided to also develop our own measurement software: UNI-Connect”, explains Raoul.
Since the launch of UNI-Connect as a survey software, updates and extensions have been released regularly. Tommy: “Our goal is to make digital surveying really easy and affordable for everyone. UNI-Connect helps us with this, because this software is easy to use in the field, every field worker who can use a smartphone can find his or her way in it. Many of the new features we release for free are requests from the field. Just like there was once a request for the measurement software that we were happy to comply with.”
And now
Now, we are five years later and where does marXact stand? Where did that listening to customers lead to? Well, to a lot! Tommy: “Up to now, we have invested every euro we earn into our company. In new features developed by our developers and released to customers for free. This is also reflected in the growth of our company. Until now, we have doubled in size every year and we are working with a club of about 20 people to make digital surveying as easy and accessible as possible for everyone, for every industry. We have so many plans for the coming time, even years.” On Thursday, Antonio and Rody will tell more about that, when they look forward to the next 5 years.
