Andre' Joosten

"Meet Andre' Joosten, a seasoned system developer known for his exceptional problem-solving skills and innovative mindset. With a background in electronics and a degree from Holland, Andre's journey in the digital realm began by immersing himself in the analogue world and self-teaching the digital landscape.

Andre's passion for programming led him to join GPT Electronics (Plessey), where he actively engaged in programming and contributed to various projects.

One notable achievement was Andre's collaboration with his brother in the field of industrial embroidery. Recognising the need for improvement, Andre designed a hardware interface that replaced the paper tape with a computer interface, accompanied by a Pascal program for efficient embroidery design data management.

In 1966, Andre' joined forces with Alister Thyne to develop Protouch, to become a groundbreaking Point of Sale (POS) system that utilised touchscreens. Overcoming the challenges of creating a user-friendly and fast UI, Andre crafted an array of drivers for POS equipment, including printers, scales, barcode readers, and customer displays. The transition from Pascal to Delphi provided significant programming advantages from the enhanced IDE.

Throughout his career in developing POS systems, Andre worked on numerous interfaces and modules that expanded Protouch's capabilities. These included a golf ball dispenser, petrol pump interface, room charge CMS, account interfaces, and the development of a comprehensive back office solution encompassing real-time reporting, cash management, product and modifier management, stock control (multistore), recipe management, manufacturing, carcass yielding, loyalty programs, kitchen video systems, and network management for seamless online/offline operations.

Andre's pursuit of excellence led him to tackle the challenge of ensuring impeccable speed and reliability during peak operational periods. He worked tirelessly and optimised Protouch to meet customer demands for real-time performance, ease of use, and robust networking capabilities. The system garnered high praise from customers, who still recognise it as one of the fastest and most reliable solutions available today.

Andre' ventured into new horizons with the market shifting, joining BankLink (now MYOB) as a Senior Developer. There, he expanded his expertise, working with technologies such as .NET C#, SQL databases, EF, ClickOnce deployment, web apps, and synchronization frameworks, while integrating with various API clients for accounting software providers.

Andre's enthusiasm for technology and problem-solving persisted, leading him to complete a remarkable home project that showcased his proficiency in MVC Bootstrap websites, custom authentication, Entity Framework, Ajax, AngularJS, Razor, Signal-R real-time control, TCP/IP communication with Arduino, real-time camera views, and motion detection.

In 2017, Andre responded to customer demands by undertaking the ambitious task of rewriting Protouch's Back Office to run on a Windows 64-bit OS. Leveraging his expertise in .NET C# and cloud technologies, he built a new system from the ground up, optimising network communications and ensuring a seamless transition for existing customers. The newly redesigned system, now known as Protouch Advanced, retained the beloved user interface while incorporating modern functionalities such as cloud-based web shopping carts, enhanced web reporting, customer login portals, loyalty programs, voucher systems, delivery area control with Google Maps integration, SMS capabilities, and booking management.

Looking to the future, Andre' Joosten is excited about the upcoming challenges and opportunities in the hospitality industry. He is committed to further enhancing Protouch Advanced by incorporating AI to improve venues' customer satisfaction, operational performance, reporting, and profitability. Additionally, Andre' is open to bespoke solutions that address the unique needs of the hospitality industry, always striving to optimise operations and push the boundaries of technology.