Point of Rental: More Than Just Another Software Company

I've spent almost twenty years working in rental software, and during that time I've seen the industry change dramatically.

I've worked with hundreds of hire companies across the UK, Australia and New Zealand, from single-depot family businesses through to multinational organisations managing thousands of assets. One thing I've learned is that software alone doesn't transform a business. The people behind it do.

That's why I wanted to write about Point of Rental.

Not because I work there, but because I've had the unique opportunity to see the business evolve from both sides.

When I joined Higher Concept Software back in 2007, Syrinx was already building a strong reputation within the hire industry. It wasn't trying to be everything to everyone. It was designed specifically for rental businesses, and that focus showed.

Then came 2016.

For many people in the industry, the acquisition of Higher Concept Software by Point of Rental felt like a big moment. Whenever one software company acquires another, there's always uncertainty. Customers naturally wonder whether the product they rely on will continue to evolve, whether support will change, or whether they'll simply become another number.

Looking back now, I think it's fair to say those fears never really materialised.

What impressed me wasn't that Point of Rental bought another software company. Plenty of businesses do that.

What impressed me was that they invested in the people as much as the products.

The knowledge within the Syrinx team wasn't replaced. It was embraced. The same happened with other businesses that joined the Point of Rental family over the years. Rather than forcing every customer onto a single product overnight, Point of Rental recognised that different markets have different ways of operating, and that local expertise matters.

That's something I've always respected.

As the company has grown, it has continued to invest through acquisitions, bringing together businesses with different strengths and ideas. On paper, that looks like a strategy for growth.

From where I sit, it's been a strategy for learning.

Every acquisition has brought talented people into the organisation. Different perspectives. Different ways of solving problems. Different ideas that have ultimately benefited customers around the world.

I've been fortunate enough to work with teams in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and North America, and despite the different accents and time zones, there's something that has remained remarkably consistent.

People genuinely care about helping rental businesses succeed.

That probably sounds like something every software company would say.

But after nearly two decades in this industry, I've learned there's a big difference between saying you care and demonstrating it.

I’ve seen consultants working late into the night to help customers get through month-end. I’ve seen support engineers give up their weekends to keep businesses running smoothly. I’ve also seen developers sit alongside customers to understand why a process isn’t working as expected, rather than simply responding with, “That’s how the software works.”

That culture is difficult to manufacture.

It's built over years.

The rental industry itself has changed enormously during my career.

When I first started, cloud software wasn't really part of the conversation. Mobile apps were still a future concept. Artificial intelligence certainly wasn't helping businesses make decisions.

Today, customers expect real-time information, integrated payments, mobile workflows, online customer portals and connected equipment.

Point of Rental has had to evolve alongside those expectations, and in my opinion, that's one of the reasons it has remained one of the industry's leaders for more than forty years.

Is it perfect?

No software company is.

Every customer has different processes, different expectations and different priorities. Technology continues to move faster than ever.

What matters is whether a company continues to listen, continues to invest and continues to improve.

From what I've experienced over the years, that's exactly what Point of Rental has done.

For me, Point of Rental isn't just a software vendor.

It's a company full of people who genuinely understand rental.

And after spending most of my career in this industry, that's probably the biggest compliment I can give.