‍When we first started Rethink Solutions in 2001, our mission was to become the industry standard for real estate property tax software. While that’s still true today, a lot has changed in 20 years. For one, property taxes have increased significantly and continue to do so year-over-year. What’s more, the commercial real estate sector has seen rapid technological growth and global expansion. All of this has led to an acceleration in the evolution of PropTech and CRETech. 

We’re grateful to have been a part of this global journey so far and are excited about where things are headed. To celebrate 20 years of innovation in property tax management technology, we wanted to look back at some of our key milestones.

A 20-Year Look back at Rethink Solutions

It’s hard to believe that what started as a little shop in Toronto has grown into one of the world’s leading property tax software firms. Today, we’re proud to call some of the world’s best-known corporations our customers, and to service real estate portfolios around the world. As of this writing, we service real estate portoflios in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, the UK, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Poland, and beyond. 

Below are some of the key milestones in our history.

‍Prefer a visual summary? Scroll down to see the infographic version!

2001: Rethink Solutions is incorporated.

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2003: itamlink officially launches in Canada.

After two years of developing our software and collecting feedback, Rethink Solutions brings itamlink to the public. 

2009: Rethink Solutions launches itamlink Version 5.0.0. 

After six years on the market, we reimagine the itamlink platform based on feedback and data from our users. 

In the new release, we unveil a more intuitive interface and refreshed design. We also introduce the itamlink search bar to make finding property tax data easier. 

This version also marks the official launch of our Data Manager, which gives users the ability to copy, load, and update data in bulk. 

2010: Official U.S. Launch and Rebranding.

Our expansion into the U.S. is accompanied by a new logo. 

2011: Rethink Solutions Goes Global. 

In 2011, we officially offer itamlink to the rest of the world. This is also the year we build our first custom integration, supporting Accounts Payable data transfer. This integration marked the starting point of a broader push toward automation, which is today a core part of our offering. 

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2012: Launch of Capture. 

Itamlink Capture, our digital tool that converts paper documents into searchable, editable electronic data, is launched. This marks a significant milestone for Rethink Solutions and the property tax technology space; before itamlink Capture, standard practice was for teams to manually enter data and/or offshoring this portion of their business. Rethink is the first to market in the property tax space with an end-to-end data capture solution. 

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2013: Launch of the itamlink Dashboard. 

Our first iteration of the itamlink Dashboard is released, providing users with at-a-glance summaries and high-level analytics.

2014: First itamlink User Summit. 

We host our first user summit for a total of 35 attendees. The event offers customers an opportunity to learn and share challenges and best practices with each other. The Rethink team is also able to provide invaluable in-person training sessions and build deeper relationships with our customers. 

2015: Launch of our accounting and accruals module. 

By 2015, we see a rise in the numbers of team members from accounting becoming involved in property tax. With the launch of our accounting/accruals module and enhanced forecast and budget modules, itamlink becomes a central place to help bridge the gap between property tax and accounting/finance teams. 

2017: Rethink introduces a new UI along with advanced search functionality. 

By 2017, it’s been eight years since we officially launch our updated dashboard and design. This year, we unveil a new user interface, including a more advanced search to help surface granular data. We're also named one of the 20 Most Promising Enterprise Risk Management Software Companies by CIOReview. 

2018: Rethink Solutions commissions our first white paper, written by the International Property Tax Institute (IPTI).

The white paper, titled The Importance of Property Tax Software, explores how property tax teams can leverage technology to mitigate risk, address key challenges, and optimize portfolio value. 

2019: Rethink re-launches an updated itamlink Docs and first certified integration. 

We re-launch itamlink Docs, our document management system, which provides system storage and linking of files. The updated version showcases a new interface, drag-and-drop functionality, and the ability to associate specific records in the system (not just properties and parcels). 

In 2019, we also launch our first certified integration, partnering with MRI Software. 

2019: Rethink hosts first-ever experience-sharing event.

The success of our user summits continues to grow. Based on feedback from our customers, we host our first-ever experience-sharing event. This event is specifically dedicated to connecting customers with one another, where they can learn how others use itamlink to conduct activities and achieve their goals. 

In 2019, we’re also named one of the 20 Most Promising PropTech Solution Providers by CIOReview and one of the Top 10 Tax Technology Solution Providers by CFOTech. 

2020: Rethink launches new Enterprise plan. 

Our new plan is launched, with a focus on organizational security. itamlink Enterprise provides SSO (Single Sign On) and enhanced IT controls, including field-level permissions, user roles, and a user admin API. It also offers enhanced workflow automation with bulk-delete and webhooks, which allow users to send data from itamlink to other systems in real time. 

2020: Rethink launches Parcel Overlay. 

Parcel Overlay is launched, allowing users to analyze property and parcel data using built-in GIS-mapping technology. The tool enables users to explore parcel boundaries and review jurisdictional data for their own properties and neighboring ones. 

2020: Rethink hosts our first virtual user summit, which attracts over 175 people. 

Our virtual summit brings together itamlink users across industries and company departments.

2021: New features, integrations, team growth, and more events on the way. 

2021 promises to be our biggest year of growth yet. We’re expanding our list of integrations, as well as launching an updated Capture product. Also on the product side, we’re revamping a number of modules and features for improved usability and performance. 

Along with these software developments, we’re also planning and hosting a number of events, including our first-ever virtual experience-sharing event and an upcoming hybrid user summit. What’s more, our staff count has grown 50% over the year, a testament to the expansion of itamlink within existing organizations and to new ones, too. 

Some of our proudest accomplishments

Not everything we’ve worked on can be captured with a timeline. Here are some of the efforts of which we’re most proud. 

Growing a property tax management community

As we first began hosting events, webinars, and meet-and-greets, we quickly saw attendance shoot up. Professionals working in the property tax space wanted to connect with us and each other, even across industry verticals. When they met, they wanted to learn and share best practices, resources, and their own experiences.

In 2014, we hosted our first-ever user conference for a total of 30 customers. By 2020, that same conference attracted more than 175 people – and we now host multiple virtual and in-person events per year. 

As we’ve watched this appetite for industry connection grow, we’ve also broadened the scope of our events. We continue to regularly host expert-led sessions exploring industry trends, new technology, and opportunities for property tax teams. As well, we partner with IPTI (the International Property Tax Institute) to deliver content to our community. 

Through these sessions, professionals can come together and learn from each other. Not only do these offer valuable networking opportunities, but also help us understand the major challenges teams are facing as the industry evolves and market pressures change. 

We’re proud of our work to develop a global network of professionals and create a community where industry peers can come together to share ideas, experiences, and opportunities. 

Developing first-to-market technologies

We’ve always prided ourselves on building a product that customers love with features they ask for. Part of this has been our commitment to refining and iterating on products based on our customers’ feedback.

In the early 2010s, we were the first company in the space to bring itamlink Capture, an OCR tool that converts paper documents to indexable electronic data, to market. This was followed up in 2020 with Parcel Overlay, a visual means of analyzing property and parcel data, right in itamlink. We continue to strive to develop leading technologies, including AI capabilities and automation, that improve our customers day-to-day work activities. 

Going above and beyond to make our customers happy

One of the areas we’re most proud of is our NPS (Net Promoter Score) of 94, a value which has consistently stayed high throughout our tenure. To put that in perspective, world-leading companies like Apple and Cisco hold NPS scores of roughly 50 and 38, respectively. 

Customer-centricity is a core value for Rethink. We’ve upheld this high customer standard in key ways:

• Requesting and listening to customer feedback on key areas of product development
• Providing hands-on training during implementation and beyond to ensure customers enjoy using itamlink and are always making the most of new features 
• Ensure all customers have a dedicated Customer Support Specialist and access to fast, professional support during business hours

Where we’re headed

Our mission has always been to provide the trusted, go-to software for property tax management. We’re excited to continue innovating on our technology and services, and to grow an engaged, global community for property tax management.

From a technology perspective, some of our goals include expanding our offering to include more AI, greater automation, new integrations, and enhanced data capture. We hope that these tools will continue to help our customers glean more insights from their data and automate routine and tedious tasks, so they can spend more time on decision-making. 

We also have big plans for the community and education side, too. We want to continue to offer workshops, sessions, and events that engage the community and help them integrate best practices – from us and their peers – into their own day-to-day. We are working towards a repository of on-demand content and courses so professionals have an on-demand resource to educate themselves on the latest industry trends and technological innovations. 

Saying thank you to our customers, partners, and supporters

As we look back on 20 years, we couldn’t be more grateful to all the people that helped get us here.

Thank you to all our customers who have joined us on this journey, provided their feedback and suggestions to help us continuously improve on our software, and encouraged us to run events like our User Summit and Experience-Sharing event 

We can’t wait to develop technology and events to better serve our customers and build the future of property tax technology. Here’s to the next 20 years!