As a network engineer, Brian is involved in all voice-related services his company provides, from their core switch to IP business phone systems and all network and applications (including Protector) that support those services. He’s been at the company 18 years and has been involved with every aspect of Protector since they spun up servers for the system in 2018. His organization supports customer PBXs via SIP trucks, other telcos, and peering over long-distance toll traffic over SIP trucks. As such, they rely on Protector to monitor and give visibility into potential fraud in that core network as well as external customers’ traffic. Brian’s a big fan of Protector in general. He explains, “It’s always monitoring for unwanted events, but its ability to target specific cases is amazing. It lets us create custom, very granular rules to not only stop fraud but to also avoid false alarms, for example, a hospital who legitimately pumps calls to India once a week. Plus, Protector lets us blacklist bad actors and get them off our network.”
Brian appreciates knowing who he’ll talk with (Mitch or Ernest) if he contacts the help desk. He said, “Corporate culture is what sets Equinox apart from the scores of other venders I work with. It feels like family. There isn’t a disconnect…if I call Mitch for help, I know there is a team backing him. Equinox gives me the highest level of commitment and service anytime I deal with them.”
Having attended the last five Protector User Group Meetings (PUGM) in a row, Brian describes them as “Warm and welcoming. Everyone uses Protector so differently and has unique use cases, so there isn’t a minute when I am not learning from the staff or other attendees. The open discussions and networking are so valuable!”
Originally from the village of Bergholz, Ohio, Brian moved a bit growing up due to his father’s job in the trucking industry. Active duty took him around the world and to several US cities before he and his wife of 26 years settled in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. He and Gail have 6 children and 9 grandchildren they adore and frequently visit. Besides family time, Brian volunteers with Boy Scouts as his son achieved Eagle Scout rank, is on a trap shooting team, and loves to bicycle long distances. His goal is to cover the 100-mile rails-to-trails route to his office soon!
We heartily thank Brian for his service to this great country and are grateful his telecom career led him to cross paths with Equinox. His PUGM participation, comments, and questions benefit the entire Protector community!
