Smart Central had an incredible year in 2022. Through innovative product launches and strategic partnerships, we were able to expand our offerings to meet the needs of childcare services in Australia.
We remain committed to providing childcare professionals with the best tools and resources they need to run their services efficiently and effectively.
In this article, we look back on some of Smart Central’s most significant accomplishments in 2022.
Ask Iris launch
In May 2022, Smart Central launched Ask Iris—an AI-powered chatbot designed to help childcare services maximise occupancy and fee revenue by engaging parents and nurturing enrolment leads. Ask Iris is the first of its kind to be offered in the childcare industry, and its potential to streamline communication between prospective parents and services is immense.
With Ask Iris, childcare services can easily connect with potential customers 24/7 and provide quick responses to enquiries about their service. Ask Iris can answer questions about programs, availability, fees, and more.
Parents who interact with Ask Iris receive an experience that is both seamless and intuitive, making it easier for them to engage with the service in real-time.
Furthermore, childcare professionals can easily access details related to each conversation so they can better understand what questions are being asked and make subsequent interactions more meaningful.
Smart Central has been thrilled with the response to Ask Iris, and we’re excited to see it realise its potential in 2023.
Acquisition by Zenith Payments
In July 2022, Smart Central was acquired by Zenith Payments, a leading payments processing and prepaid card provider in Australia.
Zenith is a long-term partner of Smart Central as the provider of ChildCare EasyPay, the integrated payments processing solution within Smart Central.
The long history of working together means it’s essentially business as usual but with the extra support and resources to get behind and drive forward our plans for the future.
The acquisition has also enabled us to collaborate with a like-minded company that shares our mission. We are committed to providing the best possible software solutions for childcare services, and this partnership allows us to continue on that path.
New Kiosk and Parent App
In September 2022, Smart Central released our all-new Kiosk and Parent App. The two integrated platforms offer a much more streamlined user experience while still providing the same practicality and usability as before.
Parents can now view and download photos of their children via the Parent App when used in conjunction with our Kindyhub learning platform.
Administrators now have access to a special feature on the Kiosk which allows them to sign in/out multiple children at once, as well as mark them absent quickly and easily.
ECA National Conference
In October 2022, Smart Central attended the Early Childhood Australia (ECA) National Conference. This was a fantastic opportunity to network with industry professionals and showcase our products.
It was great to meet many passionate educators and learn about the latest trends in early childhood education. We were inspired by the conversations we had and look forward to attending next year’s conference.
New Smart Central Logo
At the ECA National Conference, we revealed our new logo – a contemporary blue house. We also relaunched our All-in-One solution under our (new look) Smart Central brand and introduced new sub-labels to refer to the groups of features that comprise the All-in-One solution – Smart Admin, Smart Learn, Smart Staff, and Smart Connect.
Our new logo is a nod to the idea that Smart Central is home to a suite of solutions for childcare providers—a place where they can access all of the tools, resources, and support they need to run their services efficiently and effectively. We wanted our logo to reflect this idea, so we chose a house that is both modern and welcoming.
To learn more about our new logo, please download and read our brochure. We think you’ll find it both informative and inspiring.
Introducing the Smart Central House
Kindyhub Update
Finally, our team has been hard at work on a major upgrade to Kindyhub, our planning, documentation, and parent communication solution, which we acquired in 2021.
The Kindyhub features and functionality are fully integrated (under the new label ‘Smart Learn’) with the administration features to form our Smart Central All-in-One solution.
Work on the upgrade is continuing, and the new version is anticipated to be ready early in the new year. We will keep you updated on progress and look forward to demonstrating the new features and enhancements.
2023: All eyes on the future
2022 was an amazing year for Smart Central. We launched a new product, became part of a bigger team, and made major updates to our software. This year has been a testament to the hard work of our team and the loyalty of our customers, who have supported us throughout this journey.
As we look ahead to 2023, we’re confident that this is just the beginning of what Smart Central can bring to childcare services in Australia. With more product launches and partnerships on the horizon, we remain committed to providing childcare professionals with the best tools and resources needed to manage their services.
