“The next generation of software applications is where a constellation of PCs, servers, smart devices and Internet-based services collaborate seamlessly”

“customers need increasing access to resources, data and services at any time, any place and on any device”

“we'll move toward delivering more and more of our software as an online service”

“We’re betting the company on it”
Bill Gates, Microsoft, Sept ‘03

“So are we!”
Mike Griffiths, Expert Agent, December 03

We have been at the cutting edge of estate agency software for 20 years. We launched DOS then 16-bit Windows then 32-bit Windows ahead of everyone else.

Our previous business success allowed us the luxury and the time to review client needs and requirements. In late 2003, we concluded that a wholly web based solution was the way ahead. Estate Agents had grown tired of the need to support hardware, servers, Microsoft products etc. They needed instant access to their data from wherever they chose to work. Old fashioned desktop or client server solutions could not deliver. Few had in-house IT support, fewer still had any sort of IT strategy. Few customers took diligent backups or understood how to fix damaged database files. Consequently, most were locked into expensive software-only maintenance agreements that only tackled one element of the solution. server failure, theft or fire spelt business disaster

As we prepared to recruit our own team, we were introduced to 4 talented developers who had written a fledgling estate agency application, modelled on GMW’s System4 Sales product. We liked them, we liked the product so we bought them out. This shortened our development cycle, gave us a pool of development talent and allowed us to launch Expert Agent in September 2004.

The resulting product is a full estate agency CRM-type application with all of the functionality found in old-fashioned estate agency software but delivered via the web and accessed by PCs and mobile devices anywhere.

Technical Spec

ASP .NET – Expert Agent is written in Microsoft’s ASP .NET environment. Our developers are partners in the business and very experienced. We have a formal development-test-release process that uses Microsoft Sourcesafe, separate development and separate test servers.

SQL Server Databases – we have shunned the free open-source database products such as
MySql in favour of Microsoft SQL Server. This decision has committed us to considerable expense ongoing but also guaranteed stability, security and a ready availability of talented, qualified professionals to help us.

Hosting – we host Expert Agent in 2 locations. Our primary servers are in Red House, Docklands, London – the same building chosen to host Microsoft’s MSN and AOL’s UK service. Our main server rack comprises 6 Dell servers – 2 database servers, 2 webservers and 2 backups. All of this is connected to an 18-disk RAID array and backup devices. All of the servers are load-balanced using very expensive equipment and are fire-walled for security. Our second rack is at a data centre in Portsmouth – it comprises 4 Dell servers with a RAID array and backups. The London servers have 2 different fibre optic ISP connections to the outside world plus a fibre optic connection to the Portsmouth servers which have their own fibre optic ISP connection. Our equipment is worth in excess of £100,000 and our monthly hosting charges are vast!