Jun 26, 2020 · 5,568 recorded views
This app grew out of an idea I had originally built for a very different problem. My software concept, first developed in 2015 was an app that would send real-time alerts to warn lorry drivers if migrants had broken into (stowed away) in their lorries near the French coast. This used the same underlying logic that could just as easily protect tradesmen and van owners from tool theft:
If a tradesman or any VaVoid app user saw thieves breaking into vans, then they could report the break in using the app and then we could give an alert in real time to other van owners in that area that thieves were operating nearby so the tradesmen in the area could take additional precautions, such as making sure their valuables are removed from their vans and that all locking and security features are active.
The second part of the concept, hotspot reporting over time, worked the same way too. Just as reports built up over time to show migrant hotspots such as French rest areas, reports of van break-ins over time could highlight crime hotspots like hotel or train station car parks that van owners should avoid parking in altogether.
The original version of this software (from 2015) BF Intelligence, left me around £40,000 in debt, and I had to wait until I had stabilised myself financially before I could revisit the idea. By 2019 I was in a position to commission a full redevelopment, and in 2020 we released it as a free app for tradesmen and van owners: VaVoid - Van Crime Avoidance Network.
The original version of this software, BF Intelligence, left me around £40,000 in debt, and I had to wait until I had stabilised myself financially before I could revisit the idea.
Between the original development and redeveloping and maintaining VaVoid, the total cost has likely been around £100,000, and the app never reached enough users to fulfil its potential. I still believe in the idea of drivers and tradesmen helping protect each other. Looking back, I wonder whether I was simply ahead of my time (in 2015 with lorry drivers, and again in 2020 with van owners and tool theft), whether people are not as interested in helping each other as I hoped, whether I failed to promote it enough or didn't have the budget to do so properly, or whether it was just a reasonable idea that was never quite worth the cost of pursuing.
Please share with Tradesmen and Van Owners, it's completely free to use and could save many tradesmen's and other van owners livelihoods. I am very proud to announce the arrival of my newest born, called VaVoid App! The VaVoid app has been created to help tradesmen and other van owners in the UK to protect their tools, van and livelihood from the epidemic of van tool theft and van thefts that have been happening more and more frequently in the UK and worldwide in recent years. The VaVoid app concept is one that Van Security expert 'Jeff Scott' (Director of Sussex Installations) has created in order to give something extra to help tradesmen and other van owners across the UK (and worldwide) to protect their livelihoods. Jeff Scott is recognised worldwide as a van security expert and he demonstrates his van security innovations through his Sussex Installations YouTube channel. Jeff Scott recommends multiple strategies for van security and his newest innovation of this VaVoid app, now gives an additional strategy for van security; where tradesmen can help each other with this new 'VaVoid app - Van Security Avoidance Network'. Download the app now Apple App Store https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id14953... Google Play https://play.google.com/store/apps/de... Connect with us on Social Media @VaVoidApp Update 27th Jun 15.35PM; Thank you to everyone who has downloaded the VaVoid App so far! We have noticed some problems with members logging in, this is because your device may have added a capital 1st letter to your password (when you had intended for the 1st letter to be lower case) during the registration process. This has now been rectified during the updated version V1.0.1 of the app. The update is already live in the Google Play Store and will shortly be ready in the Apple App Store. Thank you for your patience with this teething issue! Please also give us feedback to take into consideration from future updates.
Historical context: This video records the advice, products and attack methods relevant when it was published. Current recommendations may have changed as vehicles, products and criminal methods evolved.
It grew out of a very different project of mine called BF Intelligence, first developed in 2015 to send real-time alerts warning lorry drivers if migrants had broken into (stowed away) in their lorries near the French coast. The same underlying logic worked just as well for van security: real-time alerts if thieves are breaking into vans nearby, and hotspot reporting over time so, just as migrant hotspots like French rest areas emerged from reports, van break-in hotspots such as hotel or train station car parks could be identified too.
Between the original BF Intelligence software from 2015, which left me around £40,000 in debt, and the full redevelopment and maintenance of VaVoid from 2019 onwards, the total cost has likely been around £100,000, and the app never reached enough users to fulfil its potential. I still believe in the idea of drivers and tradesmen helping protect each other, but looking back I do wonder whether I was simply ahead of my time, in 2015 with lorry drivers and again in 2020 with van owners and tool theft, whether people are not as interested in helping each other as I hoped, whether I failed to promote it enough, or whether it just wasn't worth the cost of pursuing.
If a tradesman or any VaVoid app user sees thieves breaking into vans, they can report the break-in using the app, and we give an alert in real time to other van owners in that area so they can take extra precautions, such as removing valuables from their vans and making sure all locking and security features are active. You can also check an area's report history before parking somewhere unfamiliar, like a hotel or train station car park, to see if it's a known crime hotspot, and you can choose to share your exact location, just your town, or only your country if giving away more feels too sensitive.
Transcript source: the YouTube transcript supplied for this project with minor corrections. Automated transcripts can contain recognition errors and should be checked against the original video.
