Our History

Megamation is a privately held software company specializing in CMMS (computerized maintenance management software) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems designed to help maintenance and operations professionals improve efficiency, enhance asset reliability, reduce costs, and deliver data-driven decisions.

Founded in 1984, we are one of the longest-operating independent CMMS developers. In 1998, we were one of the first companies in the world to offer internet-hosted maintenance management systems.

Today, we have offices in Oakville, Ontario, Amherst, New York, and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. We develop and support DirectLine, our cloud-delivered CMMS platform used by organizations across North America.

Maintenance Toolbox

Megamation began in 1984 as a Canadian licensee and reseller of Mapcon Technologies’ maintenance software, one of the first commercial CMMS products available. It didn’t take long for us to realize that customers needed more flexibility, more customization, and more long-term support than off-the-shelf products could offer.

Our first proprietary maintenance framework — Maintenance Toolbox — ran on Rev G, an early Pick-based operating system. That platform soon evolved into Advanced Revelation (Arev), and its stability and adaptability remain a part of DirectLine’s strength today.

In 1986, we formally incorporated as Megamation Systems Inc., committed to building software that would grow and adapt with our customers.

Advanced MPC

By 1987, we had moved completely into developing our own software, releasing Advanced MPC – Maintenance Planning and Control. This was a major milestone for us: a fully modular, enterprise-ready CMMS designed around real operational needs.

Advanced MPC offered:

  • Preventive maintenance scheduling
  • Work order management
  • Asset records and history
  • MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations) inventory and purchasing
  • Cost tracking and reporting

Our system’s modular architecture allowed it to adapt to diverse industry requirements. A key differentiator was its ability to run on local area networks (LANs), enabling multi-user access and real-time updates during a period when many CMMS systems were still single-terminal applications. Major manufacturers—including General Electric, at its Oakville and Cleveland facilities—were among the early adopters.

Throughout the 1990s, we continued refining Advanced MPC with new modules and stronger Windows integration.

DirectLine

Our success as an independent software developer with proprietary intellectual property allowed us to be at the forefront of changing how maintenance teams accessed their software.

In 1998, we became one of the first CMMS ASPs (Application Service Providers), an early version of today’s SaaS (Software as a Service) model. We could now offer fast remote updates as part of our unlimited training and technical support monthly subscription model.

The interface progressed from character-mode screens to GUI components built with Revelation’s Windows tools and OpenInsight’s launcher utility. This hybrid GUI strategy enabled modernization without requiring a full architectural rewrite.

We integrated Citrix technology. It allowed us to modernize rapidly without abandoning years of proven business logic. It provided compatibility across many platforms, required no local installations, and offered the stability our customers valued.

We could securely host applications on our own centralized servers, with clients able to securely access their data on their own custom system from remote locations over the internet — making us one of the first companies in our industry to make the switch to delivering all of its maintenance software over the internet.

In 2002, we launched DirectLine, our first fully native “cloud” hosted CMMS

Growing Across North America

With DirectLine, our customer base grew rapidly across manufacturing, healthcare, education, food and beverage, and government organizations. Major brands like Unilever, Hillshire Brands, and GE continued to trust us with their maintenance operations.

We developed our CMMS to include new modules, enhanced reporting, inspections, purchasing workflows, and analytics – all while maintaining backward compatibility with our clients’ systems.

During this period, we began experimenting with early mobile capabilities. Long before the term “mobile-first” existed, we were testing browser pop-ins, mobile-friendly window dialogues inside Citrix sessions, and tests on devices running Windows Mobile and early iOS versions.

These experiments demonstrated the need for a platform-agnostic solution that would work across multiple operating systems while sharing the same backend logic

DirectLine Mobile

In 2011, we committed to bringing DirectLine onto mobile devices — without compromising the stability and flexibility customers expected from us.

We launched our first browser-based mobile version in July 2012, supporting iOS 4, Google Chrome 18, and modern desktop browsers. We chose a browser-driven model instead of native apps to ensure device independence, shared security and permissions and centralized updates.

In 2018, we took the next major step by converting DirectLine Mobile into a Progressive Web Application (PWA). This gave maintenance teams:

  • Offline capability
  • Background syncing
  • Photo and video capture
  • QR and barcode scanning
  • A native-like experience — without an app store

Organizations like the Health Association of Nova Scotia were among the first to adopt the mobile system, using it for province-wide facility inspections.

Data Integration and API Development

Megamation was an early adopter of data integration. We started facilitating the integration of our software with external client systems using ODBC connections.

In 1996, Megamation’s Maintenance Management Module, using ODBC connectivity, started being offered as part of JBA International’s IBM AS400 ERP system called System 21.

In 2001, the University of New Brunswick integrated Advanced MPC using ODBC into its student information system provided by Datatel.

A relationship with Information Builders in 2008 led to Megamation’s integration into over 25 ERP software product providers, including SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft, and JD Edwards.

Many of these connections are still in place, albeit using updated modern technology including the University of New Brunswick (via Ellucian), Strattec Security Corporation (via Infor System 21), the Simcoe School Board (via Oracle) and the New Brunswick Department of Health (via Blue Elm).

We introduced our first standardized web API, DirectLine API v1.00, in May 2021. This marked a major step toward modern, real-time interoperability with finance, purchasing, analytics, and mobile applications.

We have since made enhancements, adding new endpoints, expanding data coverage, and improving performance and security. The API follows a REST-based architecture using JSON for data exchange, enabling real-time integrations while maintaining compatibility with DirectLine’s existing business logic and data structures.

  • API v1.05 launched alongside DirectLine 5.20 in April 2025
  • API v1.06 is currently in development

The API now serves as a bridge between DirectLine and dozens of third-party systems used by our customers.

AI

In September 2025, we released our first AI-supported functionality: the AI Baseline Checklist. This feature uses Google Gemini and OpenAI models, along with manufacturer-supplied equipment data, to automatically generate a starting point for maintenance checklists.

It’s an early step — but a meaningful one — in our broader roadmap to bring intelligent assistance and automation into DirectLine.

Today

Today, our software, DirectLine and DirectLine Mobile, is used across North America by organizations that depend on powerful maintenance software with unmatched stability, flexibility, and support.

Every implementation is a fully customized solution to meet a customer’s specific workflow with unlimited access to everything they need, including:

  • Dedicated Account Manager
  • Mobile optimized access
  • Single Sign-On implementation
  • API integration
  • Automated workflows
  • Unlimited:
    • Data imports
    • Online Training
    • Online Support
    • Reporting / Analytics
    • Work Order Management and Attachments
    • Requesters
    • Preventive Maintenance Management
    • Asset Management and Tracking
    • Over 25 maintenance modules for facilities, equipment, or machinery

We offer it all in an all-inclusive package with no annual or long-term commitment required.

We have proudly been developing and supporting industry-leading maintenance management software for more than four decades. It is all we do.