About Stratos Technology Partners
The Stratos Story
Stratos Technology Partners launched in 2011 with a small team working around David’s kitchen table. Initially working with a small group of Christchurch based clients, Stratos has grown to provide a full range of Software Development and SharePoint technology services to clients across New Zealand and Australia. Our team has a range of expertise and experience you would expect to find in larger service providers, however we still use a personal touch when partnering with clients. Taking the time to understand our clients business is at the centre point of everything we do. In 2017 Stratos was accepted into the Christchurch NZ High Growth Launch Programme and followed this up with the Amplifer Programme in 2018. This has been instrumental in developing our long term growth strategy and increasing the capabilities of our team. We are involved in many community IT groups including Canterbury Tech, Microsoft Communities and local user groups. Stratos are members of the Microsoft Partner Network.
Our Values
Our clients are a part of our team and are the driving force behind our values.
Ownership and Governance
Stratos Technology Partners is a privately held company owned by directors Steve Knutson and David Carter.
Our People
We are a like-minded group of people, inspired and driven to provide the best solutions for all of our clients
Steve Knutson
Managing DirectorSteve is a Microsoft MVP for Office Apps and Services encompassing SharePoint and Office 365. He brings more than 30 years IT industry experience to clients’ projects. Steve leads our SharePoint and Office 365 practice and has a keen interest in modern digital workplaces, collaboration and document management technologies. He also has a B.Sc in Computer Science from Massey University and is a Microsoft Certified System Engineer and Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist for SQL Server.
David Carter
Director & Software Development ManagerDavid has over 20 years of experience in the software development field working for a variety of companies locally and abroad. David and his team will help you to identify your business requirements and deliver a solution that will grow with your company. David's responsibilities include managing the software development process, liaising with clients and helping with the architecture of new products. He is also particularly partial to a nice glass of Oyster Stout after a long bike ride and any excuse to talk about software development.
Peter Cummins
Business AnalystPeter has decades of experience in the IT industry. His broad background includes solutions architecture, ERP consulting, business intelligence and software development, supported by well-rounded technical project management skills. His experience covers a wide variety of industries, from manufacturing to financial and public health. Peter manages the solution architecture for business intelligence and software integration.
Greg Jackman
Senior Software DeveloperMy biggest passion in software development is building reusable code. Refactoring code into more abstract reusable blocks is always my aim and there's plenty of scope for that at Stratos.
Outside of work I love exploring New Zealand and getting out into the mountains with my wife and three young boys. At weekends we're usually out and about in North Canterbury hiking or biking somewhere. We also love to travel. It took a back seat for a while when the boys were young, but recent trips to Oman, Nicaragua and Myanmar have given us a big wanderlust again.
Matt Tester
Senior Software DeveloperMy focus is on simplicity: complex problems need not have complex software solutions! By getting to the root of the business outcome we're striving for, it's always surprising how the initial solution can so easily lose sight of the problem. Outside of work I keep busy learning to be better at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and running in the local hills.
Gary Payne
Senior SharePoint ConsultantOut of work, I love getting into the hills - on foot, skis, rockface or bike (though am a very timid mountain biker). That's one of the reasons for living in Canterbury - it's all on offer near here! When the weather is bad or I need a rest, I like to play with wood in the garage, building things for around the house. As a way of sharing the pleasures of making stuff in the community, I am helping to establish a local "Menzshed". I read quite a few sociology and behavioural science books - the likes of "Nudge" and "Thinking Fast and Slow". They offer lots of insights into ways to build better technical solutions.
Jeremy Lawson
Agile CoachWith a background in software development, Jeremy is now an advocate for solving the "Why?" and has been breaking the tech-business divide to transform teams, business process, and tech strategies for nearly 15 years. Jeremy is a leader in the agile community, and an advocate for product mgmt, lean, agile, and systems thinking to help people and teams do better business. Outside you'll find Jeremy helping out with tech community events, workshops, bootcamps, hackathons, or conferences... or at the dog park.
Aaron Langley
SharePoint ConsultantI am a SharePoint Consultant and have been with Stratos for nearly 4 years. My main activities have been helping companies with large scale migrations to Office 365 and process improvement using innovative solutions to make processes more efficient and more user friendly. I have a background in project management, business analysis and solution design and development. Most of my free time is spent listening to audiobooks, snowboarding and spending time with my family and friends.
Ashley
SharePoint SpecialistI am interested in innovating and emerging technologies to increase usability and productivity. This resulted in a move from project / programme management to the SharePoint world. I enjoy identifying trouble areas and proactively implementing solutions, tools and processes to improve productivity and enjoyment in everyday work life for users. In my leisure time I enjoy travelling (from the wilderness at the weekends to around the world), watching sports, exercising and spending time with my partner and friends.
Blake Burgess
Software DeveloperAbout 15 years ago I compiled my first program and found joy. My mission now is to develop and operate effective software systems for all kinds of local and global problems. Stratos provides an excellent home for this by giving me the chance to work with brilliant colleagues and customers alike. After work I look after a general gaming community of about 500 people and I keep track of future technologies.
blake@stp.co.nz
Edwin Aangeenbrug
Software DeveloperStratos provides a lot of flexibility and the opportunity for technical innovation at a per project level, whilst never forgetting that the most important aspect of what we do, is improving business outcomes for our clients. I enjoy being part of an effective team to solve these challenges.
My primary interests involve bikes and the outdoors. I love being up in the mountains and the best way to explore them is on my bike.
Other less active activities I enjoy are Netflix and watching the various sports that I follow.
Iain Prior
Software DeveloperI love solving problems, I believe computers and software development in particular have the most challenging problems of all. I love designing the solution, and then putting the pieces together within the constraints of the particular problem. I have quite a bit of random tech experience - everything from ancient FoxPro db's to the latest fancy Angular and IOS! My work at Stratos generally revolves around building solutions for clients in the medical and agricultural industries. Personally I have a wonderful family that moved with me halfway around the world - all the way from South Africa! My son is loving life here and got to throw a snowball for the first time in his life recently. My wife is really enjoying life here and drags me away from the computer and out into all the nature around us.
James Gardner
Software Developer
I have a BSc in Philosophy and a Grad Dip in Computer Science from the University of NSW. I like the current Angular / Typescript combo on the front end using VSCode and .Net/WebAPI/EntityFramework/MSSQL to handle the backend. Javascript isn't my favourite language so anything the formalises it and improves type safety is a good thing in my eyes. That being said, I'm comfortable working with the many older technologies and frameworks that we support, WebForms and AngularJS for example.
I like mountain biking and road cycling, and I commute to work by bike. Since moving to Christchurch from Sydney, surfing has become more of a holiday hobby. Mountain biking dominates in summer and in the winter skiing and snowboarding become the focus.
Jignesh Patel
Software DeveloperI was employed in the Hospitality Sector and retrained myself by completing a bachelor’s degree in Information and Communication Technology. I have experience in developing wide range solutions using a variety of technologies such as .Net, Xamarin and Azure. Outside of work, I spend time exploring New Zealand, and enjoys various adventure activities like hiking and kayaking. With the passion for emerging technologies, I am the newest member of the Software Development team at Stratos.
Kitty Moran
SharePoint SpecialistI like anything I can play around with to improve usability and aesthetics; I'm all about the user experience! In my spare time I love writing or drawing in the sun with my cat Shade nearby, adding to my curio collection (birds eggs, feather, insects and more!), and going on adventures to the mountains with my husband, son and dog Arthur.
Nik Binzenbach
SharePoint SpecialistI came to these shores for the great adventure of fatherhood. Thanks to Stratos I also got the chance to move from in-house SharePoint administration to creating solutions for many different clients and environments. In my free time I enjoy watching and reviewing Asian cinema, learning about world history by reading a good book and showing my son the world.
Paula Hannon
Office AdministratorAfter 16 years of independent travel and guiding tours throughout Africa and South America, I decided it was time to come home. Originally from the North Island, but now consider myself officially immigrated to the South. I originally came to Christchurch to study Event Management and worked within the City Council Events Team. The earthquakes meant I had to change paths so I went back to tourism for a time and then moved around a variety of admin roles before ending up at Stratos. I enjoy the outdoors and have completed my first marathon in Queenstown. My parents are from Ireland and I do try to get to that part of the world every few years.
Pavel Smid
SharePoint ConsultantI came to New Zealand from the Czech republic, the journey to NZ was my childhood dream. After exploring big part of the country I decided to try living in here and I settled in Christchurch. I have spent the last two decades working with Microsoft products, most notably with SharePoint. With Stratos, I have an opportunity to build on that and to get to know new types of industries. My specialization are business applications based on Nintex Workflow, SharePoint and Office 365 applications. After work, I like activities that keep me fit, like playing squash or boxing. My ideal winter holiday is snowboarding in the mountains and in summer, scuba diving in the tropical seas.
Ray Singer
Software DeveloperHaving come originally from a design background, I retrained in software development. I, therefore, love to work in all areas of the technology stack. For me, it's not so much about the specific technology, as enabling users of our systems to work smarter with more efficiency and less resistance. When not working you’ll find me either writing electronic music or enjoying the outdoors with my family - on mountain bikes, in the surf, or flying kites at the estuary. I love to travel and have been lucky enough to play my music at overseas music festivals.
Rosy Wan
Software DeveloperBeing a software developer at Stratos is full of fun and solving problems just makes my day. I enjoy how we utilize different technologies in an innovative form to help people simplify their business processes. My most used framework includes Angular, .Net and TSQL for developing web applications. I came to Christchurch in 2014 and since then I have started hiking and camping, I enjoy short camping trips by the waterside, especially on nice sunny days. During my spare time, I like playing badminton and Gundam making.
Ruben Scrivener
Software DeveloperAs a Software Developer with over 10 years’ experience, I have developed a wide range of different solutions using a variety of technologies such as .Net, Angular JS and Azure. Prior to Stratos I worked for BluJay Solutions Limited and Integen as well as spending some time overseas teaching English in Japan. I also have a degree in Computer Science from the University of Canterbury. Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family, working on improvements to the house and the occasional run.