Copyright © 2010 Alan Miles, Whanganui, New Zealand.

PHOTO: KRISTY BALLARD WAC030592-1
Wanganui Chronicle – Tuesday April 22 2003 – Copyright Wilson and Horton

Computer programmer Alan Miles with the tools of his trade, plus a microcomputer he built in 1977

Programmer flees the big smoke

By Judith Lacy

A Wanganui East house surrounded by trees is perhaps an unlikely location for a computer programmer whose clients are in Auckland and Hamilton. But Alan Miles, who moved to Wanganui in February (2003) is more than happy with his new office, a converted bedroom.

The owner/operator of Business Automation Ltd has set up in the River City after 12 years in Auckland and a brief stint in Wellington. Mr Miles, whose partner has lived in Wanganui before, said he got absolutely sick of the drone of the Auckland motorway and the traffic fumes. They moved to Wanganui for the lifestyle, the property prices and the climate: “Wanganui’s great; it’s wonderful.”

The only problem he’s encountered so far with his home business was not being able to get access to Telecom’s JetStream internet technology, but he’s been told this would be rectified in a few months. [Note: This has been rectified since this article was written.]

Business Automation develops and supports commercial software for a range of tasks, such as accounts, inventory management, product control and marketing. Clients include Holdfast Manufacturing in Hamilton and Auckland’s Ross Roofing.

Mr Miles describes himself as an unusual character. He started out with the former DSIR as an electronics technician, designing and developing hardware right at the time when microcomputers were just being played with. He then started his own company designing, manufacturing and installing microcomputers for industrial systems. Then came a switch to commercial software development.

Kiwis had always been good at inventing things, he said. “There’s something about our culture... that allows us to feel that there’s just got to be a way to do something, and we think about it till we figure it out.”

Mr Miles said he was keen to network with Wanganui companies, not necessarily looking for business in the traditional sense. He liked to help, and if that turned into business, that was fine: “To me, business flows out of helping people.”

Feel free to make contact with me: alan@alanmiles.co.nz