While it has served us well for over 10 years, the time has come to retire the CompetitionSuite Windows software. There are many factors that contributed to this decision some of which I will outline below.
The Internet is (Almost) Everywhere
A large majority of CompetitionSuite events are hosted in the US and Europe. Everyone is "connected". There are definitely spots around the US and Europe that internet access is slow or spotty, but overall there are very few locations that don't have internet. There may be a few competitions that don't have internet, but this is a risk I'm willing to take.
Technology has Advanced
Back when CompetitionSuite was first created, tablets and smart phones were in their infancy. They were slow, didn't have much disk space, and internet access was expensive. It was easier and faster to input all of the scores and commentary into a single computer and have it upload everything to the cloud. Not anymore! Groups expect their commentary to arrive as they walk off the stage, field, or performance area. Inputting all of the commentary and scores into a single computer for upload adds a significant delay getting the groups their commentary.
CompetitionSuite has Evolved
This is probably the biggest reason to retire the CompetitionSuite Windows software. CompetitionSuite continues to evolve with new features, new processes, and better support for custom scoring systems. Every new feature introduced for scoring systems would have to be implemented on the server and in the Windows software. Development of features including custom columns and tie breakers has slowed significantly because I've had to implement them twice! It's also caused multiple "bugs" in either the server or the software, only to be realized after the release (which isn't good). Having a single system that handles all of the scoring system calculations on the server means it's easier to implement new features and fix any issues that arise.
I'm sure there will be questions with this announcement and there may be some frustration, but the ability for me to focus on other parts of CompetitionSuite will bring exciting enhancements that I can't wait to share!