As we close the books on 2015, it's hard not to reflect on what a milestone year it has been for Equinox — marked by significant achievements and, also, by personal loss.
This year we said goodbye to Dennis Wynne, who joined Equinox in 1988 when only two founders — Byron Middendorf and Wayne Lowe — were here. Dennis was brilliant and magnanimous, and his intellectual capacity and sense of humor enriched this organization far more than any balance sheet can capture. He bore his illness with grace and dignity, and he is deeply missed.
Dennis's passing prompted us to take an action we had been considering for some time. Rather than pursue the venture capital offers that have come our way, we chose instead to implement an Employee Stock Ownership Program — transferring company ownership to the people who have made Equinox what it is. It felt like the right thing to do, and like the next natural step.
We also celebrated some remarkable tenure milestones this year. Ronnie Gibbs marked 25 years with Equinox, and several others are approaching 20-year anniversaries of their own. When you look around at the people who have given so much of their careers to this company, it's humbling.
A personal highlight of 2015 was the 17th Protector User Group Meeting — hosted at Nashville's Music City Center this year — which included bowling and a dinner at Pinewood Social. Watching customers and employees bond in that setting reminded me of why we do what we do. It's not just about software.
On the business side, 2015 brought record growth, an expanded customer base, a Risk Management System installation for Inteliquent, new cable operator integrations, FCC Rural Call Completion report filing capabilities, and BroadSoft Partner certification. We have more innovations underway right now than at any other time in our history.
None of it happens without the people — employees and customers alike — who give us a reason to come to work every day. We look forward to sharing more experiences with all of you in 2016.
About the Author — Byron Middendorf is the CEO and Co-Founder of Equinox Information Systems. To learn more about Equinox, visit equinoxis.com or call (615) 612-1200.