2021 is a very special year for Stratos Technology Partners as we celebrate our 10th year in business this April. In the very beginning we celebrated surviving the first month, then the first year and now we can celebrate our first decade in business.

Ten years ago, Christchurch was just a few weeks into recovering from the February Earthquake that had left our city badly damaged and our people grieving the lost and injured. At the same time another story was unfolding with the collapse of a local IT company and leaving former employees jobless.

In between after-shocks, a plan was formed over a couple of days and with nothing more than a handshake and determination to do the right thing, three guys registered a company, and the journey began.

We started life as Canterbury Business Solutions and later relaunched as Stratos Technology Partners which reflected our vision far better and signaled that we wanted to take things to the next level.

Since that shaky start, Stratos has grown up and become an integral part of the technology community. We have built a great team who design and deliver great solutions for clients across New Zealand, Australia and beyond! In the beginning we did things differently through necessity, now it is because those differences make us better. That difference is the very heart of our company values.

What is the secret to being a company that lasts a decade and beyond? We think it is is a combination of things. For us there are several key factors:

• As Directors we have always reached agreement on the big issues. Right from day one our futures were in each other’s hands and still are today.
• Our team determines how they deliver work and engage directly with our clients. Our developers talk to our clients directly. No filter!
• We support each other with a workplace where it is safe to ask questions, raise an idea and talk frankly when needed. This is purposeful and encouraged.
• We are agile and flexible. This is not just Agile (capital ‘A’) but also agile (and flexible) in the way we make decisions, react to changes, and adjust to meet our clients’ specific needs.

There are many highlights and big moments in the life of a company. In-fact, there are too many to list, so here are a few we are proud of:

• Hiring our first employee.
• Rebranding from Canterbury Business Solutions to Stratos!
• Being selected for the Christchurch NZ Hi-growth Business and Amplifier Programmes.
• Winning a major off-shore software project and making the Microsoft News.
• Sponsoring the Canterbury Tech Summit and Code Camp Christchurch.
• Presenting with clients at the New Zealand and Australian Digital Workplace Conferences.
• Creating a workplace where people can thrive!

We have burnt the midnight oil, learnt many lessons the hard way and enjoyed many successes. We have tried things that didn’t work, paused and tried again. We have followed the advice of others and ignored plenty too. Sometimes we have been right and other times we have got it wrong. We have always kept pushing ourselves to improve and do better the next time around.

None of this is possible without great clients. As a service company, we depend on our clients having work for us to do. We do not lock them in to long term contracts, so for us building a strong relationship is important. Our success is linked directly to theirs and there is no better example that when Covid-19 locked the world down. We are immensely, grateful to our clients who in a time of great uncertainty for themselves put their trust in our team and supported us by approving work and letting us get on with what we do best. Thank you!

We would like to thank our clients old and new, our current and former team members (also old and new), our partner companies, and everyone who gave us encouragement to keep on doing what we do. A special thanks goes to Peter for his role on the journey, and who continues to be an important part of our team. Finally, we thank our wives Kate and Victoria whose support has been second to none.

After 10 years we can say that we are proud of the company we have built. Where to from here? Well, we will be taking some time to reflect on the journey so far, celebrate our achievement and plan the next decade!