Rugby is coming back to Wales, and we’re lending a helping tech hand in more ways than one. Live Welsh sport is creeping back onto our screens (hurray!). But even with games being played behind closed doors, there’s still a huge responsibility to keep staff, contractors and broadcasters safe. With people travelling from all over the country to make the Six Nations – and the Autumn Cup – possible, the Welsh Rugby Union’s focus is to deliver the best possible event with the safest possible working environment. That’s why they came to us. The WRU needed an app that would safely control access to the stadium, while tracking and tracing everyone signing in and out for each game. They’d seen a system being used by Tottenham Hotspur, but we knew we could do better. What happened next? On Friday 16th October, we presented our SWAPP app (link to: https://www.vindico.net/swapp/). They loved our unique innovation, but needed something that they could take on the road, and would be able to take on the wider challenges of the upcoming rugby internationals. The solution? SWAPP Lite. A version of our original SWAPP app that features an added permit module that allows the teams, staff and contractors to register in advance – and confirm that they’re safe to attend. By Monday 19th October (no, we don’t mess around!), we’d agreed the user journeys and visuals. But this entire new system had to be good to go that Friday. What did that mean? Coffee. Lots of coffee. With such a tight turnaround, there was no room for error – and we had to get it right first time. Nothing could get in our way – not even a fire that broke out in our Lead Developer Claudia’s building. Really? Yes, Really. But, ever the professional, Claudia calmly took her laptop outside and continued to work out in the street until 10pm that night. Yes, that’s the level of commitment we have here at Vindico, and YES we’re so lucky to have her. That Friday, we delivered the final product to the WRU – and they loved it! It went live that weekend to broadcasters, press and contractors, and it’ll be used to help keep everyone safe at over 20 of the WRU’s events and match days over the next six weeks. And that’s not the only Vindico innovation helping to make tomorrow’s Wales v Scotland game a reality. Aside from using our new SWAPP Lite app, tomorrow’s six nations game at Parc Y Scarlets will also be using Vindishow for all the big screen content. There’ll be five of our team on site to make sure the broadcaster feeds and in-game animations run smoothly. The biggest challenge will be stopping our Scottish MD, Jo, from hitting the “try” button every time Scotland get close. To find out more about SWAPP – and how it can help your business or event meet the latest Government or industry safety criteria – drop us a

Business partnerships that last 20+ years are rare – especially in the fast-paced world of tech. But it’s precisely these types of working relationships that we’ve become known for. Just ask our clients. Our unique #ThinkPurple approach (in case you missed it: that means asking better questions to deliver better outcomes) means we continue to work with our clients year after year – and the Llanelli Scarlets is a prime example. We’ve been working with the rugby team since 1999 (back in the days when they were known as Llanelli RFC). By 2001 we lent our tech expertise to every match day at the old Stradey Park. When the team moved to the newly constructed Parc Y Scarlets  in 2008, we were the people behind the design, build and management of the stadium’s entire tech infrastructure. It was this project that led to the development – and continuous evolution of – our Vindishow system, which is used to control every digital screen within the stadium including the large pitch side screen. You can find out more about how we continue to enhance match days here. We loved our partnership with the Scarlets so much that we even moved our offices to Parc Y Scarlets in 2014 – and we stayed until we’d outgrown the space in 2018. By 2019 we’d also taken on the Scarlets website  – creating bespoke game analysis plug ins and helping them skyrocketing their online footprint. Today, we continue to take care of almost all tech solutions for the Scarlets. We’re so proud of the partnership we’ve built – and the work we continue to do – that we’ve also been the West Stand sponsor for the last three years. Those words “West is Best” mean more to us than just branding – It’s with tons of pride that we continue to sponsor that stand – and we’ll keep doing so for as long as we can. But what’s next? Well, as 2020 draws to a close, we’re already looking ahead to 2021 – and we’re planning to move back home. Yes, that’s right. Vindico will be returning to PYS. Our team has doubled since we left – but we’ll be filling this new (larger) workspace with even more tech talent and innovation experience. Want to start building a partnership that stands the test of time? Click here to find out more about our #ThinkPurple ethos – and how it can transform your business for years

Vindico’s Think Air project has started to roll out more than 50 Air Quality Sensors across Wales. In fact, in the coming months we’ll have the largest live Air Quality Sensor Network in the country. It’s a project we’re really proud of, and it’s helping us drive positive change like never before. But let’s rewind. What is Think Air? Good question. We created Think Air with one simple mission in mind: to make the latest technology in air quality accessible, affordable and easy to understand. Why? Well, you see, air pollution is responsible for approximately 24,000 premature deaths every year in the UK. What’s more – poor health as a result of air pollution costs the NHS up to £20 billion a year. £20 billion? Yes, really. £20 billion. But there was a problem. Traditional sensors are very expensive – not to mention being highly limited. What does that mean? It means that most of our nation’s air quality has been modelled using only a handfuls of sensors. That is until now. Think Air is changing the way we measure, monitor, raise awareness of air quality. It’s also driving  positive change across Wales. “It’s been a labour of love of two years!” says says Vindico MD, Jo Polson. “Understanding the issues and changing behaviour starts with accurate measurement. “But more than that, the data needs to be accessible, affordable and easy to understand. “We’ve spent two years developing the unique sensors and software platform behind Think Air, and we’re now on track to having the largest live air quality network in Wales by the end of 2020.” How is Think Air funded? Glad you asked. Proceeds from every Vindico project go towards funding the development of Think Air throughout Wales. “We couldn’t have come this far without the support of our clients who have all contributed to Think Air through their contracted projects with Vindico. “As a great example, proceeds from the new Scarlets Rugby website will go towards sensors and raising awareness in their region and beyond.” Click here to find out more about Think Air – and how it’s driving change for good

This air pollution awareness campaign focuses on an area that’s close to home for us at Vindico. Here’s why…    Air quality. It sounds like a topic that’s reserved for the smoggy cities of Central America, congested Asian capitals and the bushfire zones of Australia. But it impacts on us all here in Wales every single day. It sounds far-fetched, but the stats are real.  Clean Air Day (link) aims to raise our awareness of the harmful effects of pollution – and how air quality impacts on our everyday lives. As the developers behind Think Air , it’s a subject that’s close to home for us. You may be surprised to know that air pollution causes up to 36,000 deaths in the UK each year.  It’s also responsible for as many as 24,000 premature deaths each year. In fact, both the World Health Organisation and the UK Government recognise that air pollution is the largest environmental health risk we face today. Poor air quality causes heart and lung diseases, it’s linked to low birth weight and children’s lung development , and may even contribute to mental health issues and wellbeing. Our Think Air project is something we’re really proud of, and we love any opportunity to shout about it. Here’s how our MD, Jo Polson, sums it up: “This project has been a source of inspiration for us. “The more we learned about the effects of poor air quality, the more we knew we wanted to use our skills to promote understanding and drive change. “We were tasked with making the latest air quality technology accessible, affordable and easy to understand, so we’ve spent two years developing the unique sensors and software platform behind Think Air.  “We’re now on track to having the largest live air quality network in Wales by the end of 2020 – so raising awareness of this topic is a breath of fresh air for us.” Want to hear more about our innovative air quality sensors – and how they’re leading the way in Wales? Listen to our MD Jo Polson and Professor Paul Lewis reveal how air quality impacts on human performance on this week’s episode of the 1202 – The Human Factors Podcast. Click here to listen Side note: There’s a great reason why the podcast is called 1202 – and it’s well

Our #ThinkPurple approach to tech and innovation has landed us on the shortlist for two awards this week. There’s never a dull moment in the tech industry – and this week’s been no exception. Not only have our Purple Vinjas been busy Vinja-ing away on some exciting (top secret, for now) projects, but we’ve kickstarted the week by making not one, but TWO award shortlists. First up – we’re excited to reveal that we’re finalists for Innovation Business of the Year at this year’s Cardiff Business Awards (link). As a business at the forefront of tech and innovation in Wales, we’ve always focused our efforts on being the best in our field. So much so, that it’s left us no room, until now, to shout about the national changes we’ve been driving – so this shortlist means a lot to us. It gives amazing recognition to the partnerships, projects and client collaborations we’ve been a part of – and we hope it will help us raise the profile of the exciting work we have in the pipeline, too. Click here to see our recent #ThinkPurple projects. The Cardiff Business Awards – which celebrates the Welsh Capitals’ best businesses – takes place virtually this year on Friday 13th November (yes, Friday the 13th – we thought the same). And as if that’s not exciting enough, we’re also finalists at this year’s Business Evolution Awards (link). This event recognises and celebrates the best and newest business thinking and practice from across the world – and it’s for businesses and organisations who are delivering remarkable results. The awards presentation takes place online on Wednesday 14th October 2020 as part of the Zokit Biz

Our MD Jo Polson talks air quality, pollution, and its impact on human performance. It’s one of our favourite subjects here at Vindico, so we jumped at the chance to talk about air. Yes, really! It’s an area that we’re  incredibly passionate about. We developed Think Air (link) – our own low-cost sensors and software platform – to raise awareness and understanding of air quality, and drive behavioural change. In fact, by the end of 2020 Think Air will be the largest live air quality network in Wales – and the largest in the UK by 2021. You can find out all about it – and why clean air is important for our health, our wellbeing, and our day-to-day performance over on the podcast. Click here to listen Side note: There’s a great reason why the podcast is called 1202 – and it’s well