E-Rider Delivers ICT Support

Media Release 3 March 2008 Available for Immediate Release

Who Is That Masked Man!
E-Rider Delivers ICT Support To Wellington Community Groups

Here comes the e-rider!

From now on, not-for-profit and voluntary organisations in the Wellington region can call in the e-rider to solve problems with their use of information and communications technologies. It is a new pilot service provided by Wellington ICT – the community trust set up in 2002 to support the take-up and use of computers and related technology by individuals and organisations in Wellington, the Hutt Valley, Porirua and Kapiti.

ICT Wellington has made huge progress in recent years, for example, the Wellington Community Net (WCN) it manages and operates on behalf of the Wellington City Council now hosts over 600 community-related websites and receives over 6.6 million hits per month. The actual WCN website itself (www.wcn.net.nz) received 500,000 hits monthly. Sites hosted on WCN include:

 Plimmer’s Ark (www.inconstant.wellington.net.nz)
 Allergy Hyperactivity/ADD: (www.brendasampson.wellington.net.nz)
 Worser Bay Boating Club (www.wbbc.wellington.net.nz)
 Wellington Java User Group (www.jug.wellington.net.nz)
 Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (www.shcathedral.wellington.net.nz)

Erina Papp, Chair of the Board of Trustees says the e-rider service has been set up to meet demand from community organisations for professional ICT support fixing common computer problems, and making better decisions on the purchase of new technology.

The first e-rider is Lindsay Hunter – an ICT professional with 20 years experience who is also an active member of the Work and Age Trust. Lindsay is on call from 8.30am to 4.30pm each business day to visit community organisations and work through their ICT issues, hands-on or in an advisory role.
“Lindsay’s experience and knowledge can make a huge difference to the confidence and sound decision making of a wide range of organisations. The advice is 100% independent and is offered in a friendly and approachable way,” says Erina Papp.
The e-rider will advise on:

● Virus protection, firewalls, security patches, anti-spyware cleansing, and backing up
● Routine maintenance, including basic network administration
● Developing specifications for a computer system and assisting with the evaluation of proposals.

Details are available on www.e-rider.org.nz

Wellington ICT is running the e-rider pilot service as part of its Digital Strategy for the Wellington region. The service has a steering group chaired by Wellington ICT, with
membership from Boost New Media, Intergen Limited, Volunteering Wellington, Wellington City Council and volunteers. Financial support has also been received from the JR McKenzie Trust, Community Trust of Wellington, Trust House, Massey University, and the Wellington City Council.

Other initiatives by Wellington ICT (formerly known as Wellington 2020) include:

- The Whanau Link Project - provides laptops and wireless access to patients in hospices in the lower North Island.
- The Timberlea Project - installed a computer hub in the Timberlea Community Centre.
- Upgraded the computer facilities at the Teen Parents Centre
- Education portal for WelTec, the Open Polytechnic and Whitireia Polytechnic (www.wec.net.nz).
- Website for the WalkIT programme (www.walkit.info).

Celebration of the arrival of e-rider service and new Wellington ICT name:

5pm Monday 3 March
Internet NZ Boardroom
Level 10, Exchange Place, 3-5 Willeston Street,
Wellington

ENDS

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