Fraud Management in Music City: The 2017 Equinox Protector User Group Meeting

Dear Colleague:

User conferences in fraud management are a great chance to get up to speed on the latest fraud control strategies and network with experts.

In Nashville from November 13^th through 15^th,  Equinox Information Systems is hosting its 19^th annual Protector User Group Meeting, a fraud management symposium.

Users of Equinox’s Protector FMS product can attend the conference for free, but it’s also open to others at a cost of $1,295 per person, though you need to first contact Equinox to receive an invitation.  Details on the conference are on the Equinox IS website.

Equinox’s EVP David West has been telling me about this conference for a long time.  This year I finally decided to drop the writing for a few days so I can attend this conference and network with FMS pros, some of whom I’ve interviewed by phone but never actually met in person.

This educational conference is integral to Equinox’s mission to help telecom carriers protect and optimize revenue through an effective fraud control program.  The event will not only delve into the hot fraud topics of the day, but features an excellent speaker line up:

Event Chairperson and Opening Speaker
Byron Middendorf, Founder and CEO of Equinox Information Systems

Before founding Equinox in 1986, Byron worked as an account executive for AT&T, Director of Telecommunications for the State of Tennessee, and Director of Sales for Compco.  As CEO, he has overseen the growth of Equinox from an early adopter tech startup to a leading supplier of telecommunications analytics software in the US market, achieving profitability in the second year and in each subsequent year thereafter.

FMS Toolbox: Using and Optimizing the Latest FMS Features
David West, EVP Equinox Information Systems

With a BA in Political Science from Wheaton College (IL) and an MBA from Vanderbilt University, David began his career in the publishing industry with roles in sales and project management.  David joined Equinox in 1996 with a focus on sales and strategic planning.  That role continues today, as David oversees the company’s sales and marketing team, develops the company’s long-term strategic plan, and works directly with the company’s hundreds of customers across the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

Best Practices for Defining and Maintaining Regions, Profiling and Defaults
Christi Vanoye, Fraud Management Expert and Implementation Manager

Since 1998, Christi has visited more than 40 states and multiple countries to install and train customers.  In addition to training for new and existing Protector and TeleLink installations, she also helps customers ensure that their fraud management system is fully configured and provides fraud monitoring consultation based on her years of experiences and interactions with nearly 100 different fraud management implementations.  Christi is a Texas A&M University alumna.

Discussion: Increasing FMS Efficiency by Automating Imports — Hot List and Rates
David West / Christi Vanoye / Derek Drake Senior Software Developer and Interface Expert

After graduating from Union University in 1995, Derek joined Equinox as a junior developer.  Over the years, he developed an expertise in user interfaces, which lead to his current position as the senior developer in charge of all interface efforts for both Protector and TeleLink.

Case Study: Fraud Management in the Trenches, Closing Potential Fraud Holes
David Horowitz Senior Manager-Service Resolution at Access Point Inc.

Fraud Control Survey: Identifying and Overcoming Revenue Share Control Obstacles
Dan Baker, Research Director/Co-founder of TRI.

Dan Baker is research director of Technology Research Institute (TRI) and has been researching telecom software and systems markets since 1994.  He publishes two on-line magazines: Black Swan Telecom Journal is focused on fraud control and revenue assurance; and Top Operator covers telecom network backbone, cloud, wholesale, and back office solutions in North America.  Dan recently completed authoring a 385-page report, Telecom Fraud Management Services, Software & Strategies 2017, that includes commentary from 49 named fraud/security control experts and dozens of anonymous contributors.

CFCA Update
Chris Walters — Telephone Fraud Manager at Charter Communications

Chris Walters is a rockstar in the fraud management industry!  Not only does he fight fraud each day as part of his job, but last year he served as the President of the Communications Fraud Control Association (CFCA).  He currently serves as CFCA’s Vice President, where his enthusiasm for promoting the organization’s Certified Communications Security Professional (CCSP) program and all things related to fraud management solutions (FMS) is put to good use.

Other presentations include:

• Case Study: BroadSoft Learning Curves
  David Horowitz Senior Manager-Service Resolution at Access Point Inc
• FMS Panel
  David West facilitates a panel-led Q&A among today’s top telecom carriers and service providers.
• SIP Monitoring: Another FMS Strategy
  David West, Equinox EVP
• Case Study: Lessons from the Tier 2 Telecom Fraud Trenches
  Speaker TBD

The conference also features commentary from top product architects David Bastin and Bill Menees.  The event also includes multiple product training sessions and dedicated networking opportunities. For complete details, visit the Equinox event page.

As you can see, Equinox has tapped me up to give a presentation, too.  I plan to circulate a short survey on day one of the conference, then later interpret the survey results with feedback from the many experts at the meeting.

Looking forward to a great learning experience and valuable exchange with colleagues.  See you there!

Dan Baker
Research Director, TRI