Kerikeri's ITea Support offers help with IT challenges

Rory Kniebeiss wants to help people solve their IT challenges, especially seniors and people on low incomes. Photo / Supplied

A new Kerikeri business aims to help people sort out their day-to-day IT challenges.

ITea Support offers a range of services for households, seniors citizens and businesses in the Bay of Islands and Far North.

Company owner/operator Rory Kniebeiss began the start-up business part-time in June after moving to Kerikeri about a year ago from Sydney where he was working in a corporate IT role for 21 years.

Mr Kniebeiss said he soon realised that as soon as he mentioned he understood information technology people were asking for help to sort out a niggly IT problem they were having.

A lot of the time it was about giving a hand with understanding how to best use a new mobile phone, to get internet and wi-fi working properly, learning how to stream videos, keep up with the family on Facebook and many more tasks that people take for granted in their day-to-day lives, he said.

What started off as helping friends and family has ended up as a job that he's loving.

"I think it's meant to be," said Mr Kniebeiss. "I really enjoy helping and interacting with all sorts of people, and it's been a great way to get to know the area."

Mr Kniebeiss, who moved from Australia with his partner who was from the Far North, said his aim was to provide a service to people needing low-cost support.

He believed everyone should be connected and shouldn't be left offline because they were stuck with an IT problem but couldn't afford to address it.

Seniors might need three hours when someone else might need 20 minutes. "Everyone's first-ever hour of support is free," he said.

It was often about fixing someone's confidence and helping them move forward, Mr Kniebeiss said.

The name ITea Support comes from a play on words, "I tea".

"I like to meet with people, have a cup of tea and chat about what problem they are trying to solve. I take the time to understand what they really need."

Mr Kniebeiss said a lot of the time, people (more so the ageing demographic and those new to modern gadgets) were being over-sold on technology goods and buying items that were beyond their requirements, spending much more than necessary.

It's a side of the technology industry needs changing that needs changing, he believes.

As well as fixing day-to-day computer issues and the like, Mr Kniebeiss' passion is home automation.