22 Years of PUGM Memories Coming Up

Ernest Howell
August 18, 2020

Every year for the past 21 years, Equinox has hosted the Protector User Group Meeting (PUGM). Despite the unforeseen events of 2020, Equinox will continue that tradition by hosting the 22nd PUGM in October. This annual educational event not only helps Protector users get a behind-the-scenes look at the application and its newest features, but it also lets them connect with an ever-growing community of telecom experts and collaborate with them to tackle the latest issues in toll fraud.

I joined the Equinox Support team in 1998, and the following year, Equinox held its first PUGM. So, with the exception of one year (2016 when my mother passed away), I have attended every user group gathering the company has ever hosted. I love participating in these events each year and especially look forward to the first day when I get to see the people that I’ve previously only “met” on the phone.

Equinox takes a very personal approach to support—I work directly with customers by phone and email every day, and I get to know each one of them. While I enjoy this level of interaction, there is nothing that takes the place of being able to get together face to face with our customers at the user group. That’s just one of the many aspects that makes the PUGM such a special part of my job at Equinox. During a recent planning session for the 2020 PUGM, I was asked what this event has meant to me over the years. There are so many fantastic memories that I wasn’t sure how to condense over 20 years of them into a single blog!

I’ll start by saying I don’t view the Protector User Group Meeting as a work function; instead, it feels more like a family reunion. I’m sure that’s why my favorite part is seeing everyone in person on the very first day. I used to drive the airport pickup van, so I was the first person to welcome customers to the event. It’s especially awesome when people I’ve worked with since my first day at Equinox return to the user group year after year. I also love going to dinner with everyone on the second night of the event—that is such a great time to catch up on what has happened in everyone’s lives since I last saw them. It’s also fun that we get to catch up while playing darts, golf, or bowling during those outings. One of my most memorable experiences at the user group was hearing Donald Williams recount his trip to Turkey. You just don’t get that type of story over the phone! Another fantastic aspect of the meeting is being able to encourage new attendees to connect with the entire Equinox team, other customers, and user group veterans—PUGM folks truly help each other.

This year marks my 22nd PUGM. As you likely know by now, Equinox announced that all aspects of PUGM 2020 will be online rather than in person. Although the format is different, I still look forward to it very much. I am eager to see the “Protector Roadmap” session and hear our customers’ reactions to it. I also know our customers will have more great ideas to submit during the WISH LIST portion of the event. Most importantly, I’m honored that our customers love us enough to attend the event even when we have to change the format due to a global pandemic.

This global pandemic has changed more than just the PUGM format. I’m fortunate to be able to work at home and continue serving our customers, but I sure miss the office atmosphere and synergy from working side-by-side with my Support team. The same is so true for the Protector User Group Meeting—I’m glad it is happening at all, but I will miss seeing everyone’s face. I will also miss being able to give Leo a hard time (that’s a tradition that has stood the test of time for sure!), and I am sad that we all won’t be going to Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint, because I especially wanted to school Mitch in ping-pong with my PUGM family as witnesses.

About the Author

In his role as a Protector specialist, Ernest has been helping customers day in and day out longer than any other member of the Equinox Support team. His primary responsibilities includes working with Protector users to schedule product updates, turn up new switches, fine tune configuration settings, implement blocking, or help troubleshoot a technical issue. Ernest and his wife Aleathia have two adult children and a couple of grandchildren. In his time away from Equinox, he enjoys spending time with his family, loves to watch and play sports (especially bowling), and listens to jazz every chance he gets.
To learn more about Equinox, its products, and staff, visit www.equinoxis.com or call (615) 612-1200.