Home / Our News & Events / Blogs / Who You Gonna Call?...
By Matt Lowe
May 5, 2014
When examining the history of Equinox Information Systems, it is impossible to do so and ignore the contribution of Ronnie Gibbs. This month marks Ronnie’s 24th anniversary with Equinox. In the company’s 27 year history, few have been here longer and made more of an impact than Ronnie. I had the opportunity to sit down with one of our most senior software developers and reflect on his time at Equinox.
Ronnie started at Equinox in the spring of 1990, about nine months after graduating from college. He considers his time at Equinox his first and only “career job.” Before joining the 5 folks at Equinox in 1990, he had personal computer programming experience from high school and college. He quickly developed into one of our most trusted professional programmers. He has seen the growth of Equinox from its infancy to the industry-leading producer of telecom software it is today.
One of Ronnie’s biggest accomplishments is his work in the creation of TeleLink, which is Equinox’s business assurance, reporting, and mediation tool. His work was fundamental in developing the call matching, rating, and routing assurance modules that can be added to a base TeleLink installation. There isn’t much at Equinox that Ronnie doesn’t have a hand in. Recently at a company party, Ronnie took home the “Ghost Busters Award” for being the employee who the rest of us are most likely to call when in need of a solution. “Who you gonna call?”—Ronnie Gibbs, that’s who!
Byron Middendorf, CEO of Equinox, had this to say about Ronnie, “Without exception, every employee in the company knows that when you approach Ronnie for help, you will be treated with respect, patience, and a ferocious tenacity to solve the problem.” Wayne Lowe, President of Equinox, added, “When computer programmers get together on a project, a pecking order is quickly established based upon the egos and strengths of the individuals involved. Ronnie never exerts himself, but in the end is always looked to as a leader because of his experience and tenacious approach in solving any problem.”
In an industry where computer programmers have an average tenure of 3-5 years, you might wonder why he has stayed at Equinox this long. His explanation is simple: “It is a great place to work.” Ronnie appreciates the company’s work environment as well as the emphasis on all employees’ families. Each day also presents new challenges that keep Ronnie interested. “Dynamic, is the one word I’d use to describe my job,” states Gibbs.
What’s the future look like for someone who has worked at the same company for 24 years? Ronnie is the primary Sr. Developer who works closely with our Jr. Developers. The ability to see folks develop professionally provides Ronnie with a great sense of satisfaction. That’s because he is a great teacher and mentor. He doesn’t simply help people; he helps them learn how to help themselves.
When reflecting on the industry changes that occurred during his experience at Equinox, Ronnie mentioned that he remembers when 16MB was a serious amount of storage space. Now, we install at customer’s sites where 8TB of data is stored! And, he marveled at the transition from rotary phones and tape storage to VoIP and SSD over the years.
Ronnie personifies the goals and character of Equinox. His impact on the company, its products, and ultimately on our customers, does not go unnoticed. Equinox is a better place thanks to Ronnie Gibbs. We appreciate his service for 24 years and look forward to his continued contributions in the future.
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 processes, 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 directly with customers. Along with his wife, Matt is looking forward to the birth of their first child. To learn more about Equinox, its product, and staff, visit www.equinoxis.com or call (615) 612-1200.
