Today, Lane is spotlighting our valued team member, Ray. As a software engineer for Lane, Ray has been with Lane since 1980 and has been helping to develop and improve our fax solutions while witnessing several changes in the industry. With 43 years of experience, Ray has seen it all and is a valuable asset to our team.
What Roles Has Ray Worked in Since Starting with Lane?
Over his tenure at Lane, Ray has had numerous positions in different departments. He is instrumental in where the product is today due to his experience and longevity. Ray started at Lane in the Systems Integration department. There, he helped gather all the hardware for a particular sales order, assembled and tested it, and finally packaged it all for shipping. When a software issue was found, Ray would assist the engineering department with tracking down the problem. After a while, the engineers would bring him the software and a program listing, allowing him to run tests and locate issues.
After about six years in Systems Integration, the former VP of Engineering, decided it would be beneficial to create a Software QC department. Ray was then moved into that role. After about four years in that role, he was paired up with one of the engineers and tasked with adding significant functionality to one of our products. The engineer instructed Ray on how to use the development system, the files’ locations, and a basic overview of the existing software.
As Ray’s time became more involved in engineering rather than Quality Control (QC), he trained someone to take over in QC and moved into engineering full-time. When this started, we did not have the type of product Lane has today.
“There were no PCs, no fancy programming languages, only proprietary hardware. It is hard to say what will be worked on at any given time, as it could be any part of the existing Passport system or some proof of concept for a customer request or idea.”
What Are the Top Development Projects Ray Has Worked On?
Technology has changed so much in a short time. When the first PCs were introduced, we began converting our software from proprietary hardware to make it run on an IBM PC running OS/2. As Windows became a more stable platform, all the OS/2 software was converted to run on Windows, and the Passport 3000 was created. From there, we have evolved and continued developing Passport. Today, it remains our flagship product.
Ray’s Favorite Memory Working With the Lane Team
Some of Ray’s best memories are from attending the early trade shows as part of the setup and tear-down crew. Additionally, he loved traveling to many different cities and meeting and working with the sales and support personnel from our other offices.
Ray’s Interests & Hobbies
Outside of work, Ray likes to collect knives of all types and various types of flashlights. He is also a collector of firearms, both military and civilian, from 1917 to the present. Ray also recently obtained his amateur radio technician license and started studying for a general license.
How Has Lane Changed Over the Years?
Lane had only been in business for four years when Ray started. He’s seen the ownership change multiple times, but our company goals have always remained the same. Produce a customer-driven and high-quality product while providing first-class support. Working at Lane has been a true blessing. “Never let it be said that 4- 6 years of college can totally beat on-the-job training.”
Lane: A Company That Values Its Employees
Ray’s experience and dedication to Lane over the past 43 years is truly remarkable. From starting in Systems Integration to becoming a full-time software engineer, Ray has been integral to Lane’s growth and success. His passion for technology is evident not only in his work at Lane but also in his hobbies outside of the office.
