AssetControl launches low-cost cloud asset platform

AssetControl has launched a cloud-based asset and key management platform for small and medium-sized businesses, positioning it against established asset management software providers.

Pricing starts at £20 a month, rising to £50 a month and £100 a month for organisations managing larger numbers of assets across multiple sites. The entry plan covers up to 50 assets, while the mid-tier plan covers up to 1,000.

The launch targets a part of the market that has often relied on manual processes rather than dedicated software. Many smaller businesses still track equipment, tools and keys through spreadsheets, whiteboards or ad hoc systems, particularly where larger asset management platforms are seen as too costly or difficult to deploy.

The platform runs in a web browser and does not require specialist hardware to get started. It also supports barcode and QR code scanning through USB scanners or mobile phone cameras for businesses that want to speed up check-in and check-out processes.

The software includes timestamped check-in and check-out records, user activity logs, overdue alerts for assets and keys, maintenance reminders, role-based permissions and multi-site management. It also provides an audit trail for asset movements across an organisation.

For businesses moving away from manual records, the platform supports importing assets, users and locations from spreadsheets during onboarding. This is intended to reduce the work involved in switching systems for companies that already hold data in basic formats.

Declan R, Marketing Apprentice at AssetControl, outlined what the company sees as a gap in the market.

"The problem we kept seeing was that businesses knew they had an asset management problem but felt like the solutions available were either too expensive or too complicated for their needs," he said.

Smaller businesses have often lacked the budgets or in-house technical resources associated with larger software deployments. That has left sectors with mobile equipment, shared tools or site-based operations exposed to missing items, delayed work and weak record-keeping.

Asset and key tracking software has typically been associated with larger organisations, especially those with dedicated IT teams and formal compliance processes. By offering a lower-cost monthly subscription with no setup fee and no long-term contract, AssetControl is seeking to broaden the market to companies that may not previously have considered specialist systems.

Market focus

Businesses in several sectors are already using the platform, although AssetControl did not identify customers or provide user numbers. Its positioning suggests a focus on organisations that need visibility of equipment across multiple staff members or locations without the cost or complexity of traditional asset management products.

That could include companies handling tools, laptops, shared devices, access keys or other operational assets that move regularly between people and sites. In those settings, a lack of visibility can create practical problems well before an item is formally recorded as lost.

Declan R said customers had highlighted the time spent searching for equipment as a recurring issue.

"One of the things we hear most from new customers is that they had no idea how much time was being lost to the 'where is it?' conversation," he said.

"Equipment gets borrowed, moved around, forgotten about. By the time something is actually missing, it has already cost the business time and money. AssetControl removes that problem entirely by making every asset's location and status visible to the whole team in real time," he added.

Pricing model

The pricing structure reflects a software-as-a-service model aimed at lowering the barrier to entry. Monthly billing and the absence of contractual lock-ins are likely to appeal to smaller firms that want predictable costs and the option to scale usage as asset numbers increase.

The basic plan targets early-stage users with relatively small inventories. The Pro and Enterprise tiers are aimed at businesses with broader estates, including those managing assets across several sites and teams.

AssetControl is continuing to develop the platform as it seeks to win business from more established providers in the asset management software market. That puts it in competition with vendors whose products have traditionally focused on larger customers and more involved deployments.

The company framed its strategy around serving businesses that have struggled to find a practical alternative to manual tracking.

"We are just getting started," R said. "The goal is to make AssetControl the go-to asset management platform for businesses that have always deserved better than a spreadsheet but never had a realistic alternative. That is what we are building toward."