About Priority IT
At Priority IT, we work hard to stand out from (and ahead of) the crowd. We focus on three qualities people tell us they value most: our customer service excellence, cutting-edge expertise and in-depth experience.
We provide excellent customer service
We’ve built a close-knit team of experienced, like-minded experts who also happen to be really nice people. This helps us to deliver a professional service in a personal, friendly way. We make complex IT issues easy to understand, and communicate in plain English not geek speak.
Our team is headed by our founder, Kieran Thomas, and Support Manager, Peter Hopkins. Kieran and Peter are involved in every aspect of the business, so you’ll meet or talk to them at some stage, but whichever member of the Priority IT team you deal with, you’ll receive the same friendly, reliable service.
Meet the team
Kieran Thomas
Managing Director
Kieran Thomas : Managing Director
Kieran founded Priority IT in October 2010, bringing with him over 13 years of IT experience gained since 1997. Before establishing Priority IT, he worked as an internal IT manager and later managed an IT support company covering Wiltshire and Somerset, giving him invaluable insight into what businesses truly need from their IT partner.
His philosophy is simple: give local businesses the benefits of a full IT department without the associated cost or hassle. While his focus is on developing IT systems that meet clients’ current and future needs, Kieran’s hands-on approach means he still loves rolling up his sleeves to solve tricky technical issues.
Outside work, Kieran explores Wiltshire with his two Labradoodles, enjoys mountain biking, and frequents the county’s best pubs. His heroic-level of commitment to everything he does – whether fixing a complex IT problem or finding the perfect pint – is infectious and sets the tone for the entire Priority IT team.
Peter Hopkins
Cyber Security Tech
Peter Hopkins : Cyber Security Tech
Peter has many superpowers, but assisting clients through their Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications is one of his most frequently used skills.
Peter’s patient, methodical approach and genuine interest in helping clients understand their IT makes him a trusted adviser. He believes that Priority IT is successful because the whole company is set up to support clients properly. Like the rest of the team, Peter always explains why something needs to be replaced or why certain actions are necessary – he doesn’t sell new equipment for the sake of it but provides future-proofed solutions.
Peter loves solving problems, and every Christmas he creates a quiz for his family that has to be suitable for his five nephews and nieces, whose ages range from 1 to 17. His caring side extends to breeding and looking after his growing collection of temperate swordtail fish – currently 27 and counting!
Tim Benjamin
Senior Tech
Tim Benjamin : Senior Tech
Getting the job done right, first time is one of Tim’s mantras, and he always ensures that customers get what they need. He’s a fan of the Priority IT way of providing thorough service without looking to sell unnecessary upgrades or products. Quality, integrity, and reliability come first.
While Tim enjoys working with technology and helping clients understand theirs, he steers clear of it when he’s at home. The only gadget he uses is his phone – proof that even IT professionals value switching off from screens!
Outside work, Tim is a mountain bike rider who also plays five-a-side football and acts as assistant coach to a boys’ football team in nearby Bradford upon Avon. As a devoted Liverpool FC supporter, if hero wore a superhero cape, it would have to be a red one (even if that does clash with Priority IT green!).
Kerrie Thomas
Director of HR
Kerrie Thomas : Director of HR
A fantastic all-rounder, Kerrie ensures that the office runs smoothly and the bills get paid. She’s also a brilliant cook, often bringing brownies or other treats for the team to enjoy.
She’s often described as the unsung hero of the team, tending to remain under the radar as she carries out unseen tasks such as touching up paint on the walls, cleaning the kitchen cupboards, and generally ensuring the office is a great place to work.
Kerrie’s contribution to Priority IT’s success is invaluable. She keeps everything running behind the scenes so the technical team can focus on what they do best: supporting clients. Her attention to detail and care for the work environment creates the welcoming, professional atmosphere that clients experience when they visit.
Kerrie says if Priority IT had a theme tune, it might be the one from the old cartoon, Mighty Mouse: “Here we come to save the day!”.
Joleen Patterson
Tech Administrator
Joleen Patterson : Tech Administrator
A kind, empathetic person, Joleen is the perfect first point of contact when clients call the office needing help and advice. Before retraining in IT, she spent many years in nurse management and training social workers, bringing a deeply customer-focused approach to every interaction.
Outside work, Joleen loves all arts and crafts, especially crocheting, knitting, and sewing. If she were a superhero, she’d probably make her own costume – something colourful and creative that reflects her personality.
Joleen believes that Priority IT is such a great company because the team is so friendly and supportive, not just to clients but to each other as well.
David Blackman
Data Comms and Installer
David Blackman : Data Comms and Installer
The data cabling expert at Priority IT, David is an under-the-radar superhero. His work is often unseen but essential when installing CCTV, door access systems, and key fob entry – the security infrastructure that modern businesses rely on.
David approaches every installation with an eye for aesthetics as well as functionality. So forget unsightly cables trailing across walls or ceilings, David’s installations are neat, professional, and unobtrusive.
Outside work, David enjoys renovating his house and loves an eclectic mix of genres in film, music, and art. His creative sensibility and attention to detail translate directly into the quality of his work, making him the go-to person when installations need to look as good as they function.
Nathan Painter
Senior Tech
Nathan Painter : Support Engineer
One of our Senior IT Engineers, Nathan provides brilliant support to customers while also being a genuine superhero outside of work. He’s run the Bath Half Marathon to raise funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and he and his wife (who has MS) have two young children and are also foster carers, currently providing respite care when other foster carers need a break.
Nathan’s caring nature and real-world perspective shine through in his work. He always looks to provide down-to-earth, relatable advice to clients and delivers solutions that minimise disruption to their businesses. He understands that behind every IT issue is a person trying to do their job, and he treats every call with the importance it deserves.
Joe Robinson
Tech
Joe Robinson : Tech
Joe is one of our front-line call handlers, managing queries from clients. He has a love of solving problems and visiting clients on-site when needed. His superpower is speed – he loves to surprise clients with a swifter turnaround than they were expecting and always wants to get as much done in a day as possible. He particularly values the Priority IT workflow system, as it makes it much easier for him to carry out fixes and provide solutions with minimal disruption to clients.
Joe’s a keen musician and member of a jazz trio. He has six guitars, including the iconic Fender Telecaster. He previously taught music at St Gregory’s in Bath for a short period but says he much prefers working in the world of business IT support and helping Priority IT’s clients.
Jackie Piper
Accounts
Jackie Piper : Accounts
If Jackie isn’t in the office, she might well be walking somewhere in the countryside taking photographs. She’s a keen member of the Ramblers’ Association and an enthusiastic amateur photographer, so it’s not surprising that her favourite gadget is her digital SLR camera, which she uses to capture stunning photos of fungi, flowers and birds.
Having to spend hours waiting patiently to capture the right shot, Jackie jokes that she’d love the superpower to blend into the background – then she could get closer to the birds without them flying off!
In the office, Jackie is in charge of the finances, ensuring our suppliers get paid on time and that we do too. As a relatively new member of the team, she was impressed from day one with the friendliness of everyone, and with how knowledgeable and efficient the support team is.
Luna and Miley
Office dogs
Luna and Miley : Office dogs
If you ask Luna what her superpowers are, she’ll probably say being mum to Miley and friend to everyone who visits the Priority IT office – unless you’re delivering the post! She has boundless energy, is extremely inquisitive, and is very dextrous with a ball.
Miley, on the other hand, would say that her superpower is her nose. It’s always to the ground, and she has an uncanny ability to sniff out treats whether they’re in the office or in one of the Priority IT vehicles. She can’t yet sniff out the next cyber-attack, but she knows the Priority IT team have got that covered. Miley is learning fast though, so she may yet add cybersecurity to her skill set!
For friendly, professional advice on IT support for your business, call us on 01225 636000, or email hello@priorityit.co.uk
These days, our clients need us to fix fewer IT problems than ever before. That’s because we prevent so many potential issues from ever occurring.
We’ve cutting-edge expertise
Our advanced monitoring systems ensure your network is running smoothly, and alert us as soon as something goes wrong. This high-tech approach enables us to prevent many problems from happening in the first place, and to fix many IT problems before you even realise they occurred.
When problems do crop up, our technicians can usually address these by accessing your computer remotely, or by talking you through the problem over the phone. And whether providing support remotely, working on-site at your premises, or diagnosing and fixing in our labs, our skilled technicians will resolve your computer and IT problems quickly and efficiently.
We believe in ‘best of breed’ products, and only partner with hardware, software and systems suppliers we know and trust – and who, in turn, know and trust us to install, use and maintain their technology properly. Purchasing direct from our partners enables us to keep costs low and offer you the best possible value.
Our trusted partners
As accredited Microsoft Small Business Specialists we develop solutions for small and medium-sized businesses using Microsoft’s comprehensive portfolio of products. We follow Microsoft best practice to help you get the most out of your computer systems and investment.
As a Microsoft Authorised Education Reseller we can supply schools, colleges, universities and charities with heavily discounted Microsoft software.
Priority IT are Select Cisco Partners. Cisco are highly regarded for their exceptional security and network products, and now offer a complete range of competitively priced products for the SME market. These include their UC540 phone system for up to 32 users, and the SA520 Security Appliance, which offers a complete security solution in one box (email filtering, web filtering and SSL VPN) as well as an SR520 ADSL router.
Lenovo are the world’s second largest PC company. They produce excellent-value desktop computers, laptops and servers. We specialise in their ThinkPad, ThinkCentre and ThinkServer range, all of which are known for their IBM heritage. Lenovo purchased the brands in 2005, and build these products to a high standard, ensuring many years of reliable business use.
Dell are one of the largest PC vendors in the world. As a Dell Partner we can often supply Dell hardware cheaper than you can buy it direct from Dell.
We’ve proven experience
We have been helping small and medium-sized businesses get the most from their computer systems since 2010. We provide IT support to companies in all kinds of sectors – from engineering and manufacturing to financial services and HR. We are Cyber Essentials Plus certified, and can help your business achieve Cyber Essentials certification too.
If your business is based in Wiltshire, Somerset or the West, you’ll proably know some of our clients – such as those shown below.
For friendly, professional advice on IT support for your business, call us on 01225 636000, or email hello@priorityit.co.uk
Don’t just take our word for it: here’s what our clients say…
“At Walton Civil Engineering, we embrace technology to give our business an edge in a competitive sector. Priority IT have always delivered, and are continually developing our computer systems to keep us ahead of the competition.”
“There were no issues transitioning to Priority IT – my staff didn’t even know anything had happened!”
“Priority IT’s ability to talk through issues with our staff in non-computer speak helps us to better understand our IT requirements and ensure our systems can cope with our future business needs.”
“Priority IT are streets ahead of our previous provider. Their response time is so much better.”
“If you’re looking for a local company that will take care of you, Priority IT is an excellent choice.”
“Priority IT remove any worries I have had about IT, and Kieran and his team are always on hand if needed.”
“Their service is so good that I model our own customer service on it!”
“We’ve been using Priority IT for almost five years. They provide a great service and practical, down-to-earth advice. Their staff are friendly and happy to speak in English rather than using IT jargon.”
“I felt our previous provider was charging too much, delivering too little, and didn’t involve me. I now trust everything to Priority IT and I don’t feel taken advantage of. Everything just works!.”
“Priority IT sorted our connectivity in two weeks when BT couldn’t manage it in over six months.”
“After our initial meeting with Kieran, we felt he had a really good understanding of our business and the way we operate. The transition between our previous IT company and Priority IT was really smooth. Priority IT’s service is very easy to use, efficient and they are quick to respond. We would recommend them to anyone looking for efficient, professional IT support.”
