The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same

By Matt Lowe
September 30, 2013

Throughout the lifespan of a business, there are always people who put their stamp on the company's character. Dennis Wynne is one such person. As Dennis celebrates his 25th anniversary with Equinox, we take this time to reflect on his enormously positive contribution and thank him for his many years of dedicated service.

I had the opportunity to interview Dennis last week for this blog. Dennis, who is currently the Vice President of Systems at Equinox, began his career with the company in 1988 as a computer programmer, having no previous professional software experience. His former position was as a field engineer working with computer hardware. When Dennis arrived dressed in a suit and tie for his first interview and noticed the casual dress, laid back environment, and the spirit of camaraderie, he knew Equinox was the place for him! He is grateful that Equinox was willing to invest in someone who had no previous professional software programming experience. He has returned the investment many times over with decades of excellent work.

Some major landmarks in Dennis' career at Equinox include the development of Protector as Equinox's fraud management system. Dennis played an integral role in the design, architecture, and implementation of this flagship product—all the way through the support lifecycle. That's because, as Dennis explained, in the early days, the developer of a software solution was also the primary point for customer support. Wayne Lowe, the President of Equinox said of Dennis, “Dennis is the most logical person I've ever met. His skill in this regard has helped us resolve more mysteries than I can remember. In fact, there has never been a support issue that we could not solve.”

In reflecting on the company changes over the past quarter century, Dennis is quick to turn the spotlight off himself and give credit to others for catapulting Equinox from an early start-up in the late eighties to the company it is today. Dennis explained that hiring David West as the VP of Sales was critical, because “David took us to heights we had never been before.” Likewise, Dennis credits Joe Herron as a key Equinox player, noting, “Hiring Joe to handle customer support and interface with customers was a stroke of genius.”

I asked Dennis how the industry has changed in the past 25 years and how Equinox has evolved with it. Dennis recalled that the sheer cost of communication services has dropped dramatically in the past quarter century. The telecom boom brought venture capital into the industry and reduced costs. He also noted that the types of fraud have changed, but the threat remains constant. Domestic fraud was a real, legitimate concern for carriers 20 years ago. While still a concern today, it pales in comparison to international fraud. “To see the communication industry go from wireline to wireless to VOIP has been a remarkable transition,” commented Dennis. Regardless of the industry's environment, with Dennis' leadership, Equinox remains at the forefront of the telecom industry in providing an excellent solution to combat fraud.

Dennis has been a stalwart figure in the office at Equinox. According to Byron Middendorf, CEO of Equinox, “Dennis is a natural wealth of knowledge. And the icing on the cake is he is one of the kindest people you will ever meet—approachable by all without a trace of conceit.” His impact can be felt by each customer who uses an Equinox product. Equinox is truly a better place as a result of Dennis Wynne's presence and contribution. We look forward to his future contributions as well.

Finally, people don't often stick with a job for many years these days. I asked him what made him stay for 25 years. “It is important to me to be proud of where I work, and Equinox is proud to treat both customers and employees fairly,” said Wynne. And that's something that will stay the same no matter what other changes our industry sees over the next quarter century.

About the Author: Matt Lowe is a Sales Engineer at Equinox Information Systems whose primary task is to evaluate and improve the company's sales process, materials, and tools. He does so by acquiring and applying market intelligence gathered from the telecommunications industry. His other major responsibility is to coordinate project implementations by working with customers. In his spare time, Matt enjoys traveling with his wife and playing basketball with the guys from the office.
To learn more about Equinox, its product, and staff, visit www.equinoxis.com or call (615) 612-1200.