News

Who's Who: Peter and Sylvia Berens

Peter and Sylvia Berens, co-founders of Apunix, share business goals and personal interests.

March 12, 2006

Working together and also living together isn't such a bad deal. Just ask Peter and Sylvia Berens, co-founders of Apunix Computer Services (San Diego).

Sylvia Berens

Married for 26 years, the couple shares a similar educational background; both hold doctorate degrees from the University of San Diego. In fact, the two met while attending college. Peter, a graduate student, and Sylvia, an undergraduate teaching assistant, were assigned to teach the same introductory chemistry class to science and pre-med majors.

Turns out the two had "very similar values and ideas we wished to impart on the students," explained Peter. The Berens have been together ever since.

Peter started Apunix in 1981 to capitalize on his extensive knowledge of the UNIX operating system. Meanwhile, Sylvia completed her PhD and briefly worked as a college professor. Unfortunately, the school went bankrupt and (fortunately) Sylvia joined her husband full-time at Apunix.

From molecular modeling to kiosks

Apunix originally stood for Array Processors running under the UNIX operating system, Peter Berens explained. He first used array processors in research at UCSD, pioneering work in computer molecular modeling. Bell Labs was one of the first Apunix customers.

The company's focus has been to develop leading-edge software, hardware, and cross-platform solutions. Its turnkey kiosk solutions can be found in a variety of markets including gaming, hospitality, tourism, healthcare and education. Apunix has received many industry awards from Frost & Sullivan, KioskCom, Kiosk magazine and Kiosk.org.

"It (Apunix) started out as just the two of us for the first several years," said Peter Berens of the company he owns with his wife. "Over the years we slowly grew the company to where we now employ over 20 full-time employees." Several of the employees have been with the company for more than five years.

According to Peter Berens, a typical day for him and his wife includes coming into the office during the late morning. No, the couple doesn't necessarily like to sleep in. San Diego traffic is "horrendous" so the Berens opt to drive into work after rush hour and stay late most evenings.

While they may share a home and a business, at work the Berens maintain separate domains. Sylvia handles the marketing, customer relations and employee issues. Peter's in charge of the more technical aspects of the company.

"Our days are very busy as our company is a very dynamic environment," said Peter Berens. "Our employees tell us it is a stimulating environment, with lots of interesting projects and development going on." Both Berens remain excited by new challenges and ongoing research and development.

Peter Berens

There are definite advantages to working together, according to the Berens. "We only need one hotel room when we travel," Sylvia noted.

Peter and Sylvia are frequently invited to speak at various tradeshows and conferences. Their presentations often reflect the fact that they know each other very well. "We are uniquely able to weave in and out from both a marketing and technical perspective without missing a beat ..." said Sylvia.

Not all work

Don't think that Peter and Sylvia are all work and no play. While they admit that the demands of their business don't give them much free time, the Berens enjoy traveling to unusual and exotic places. They've also traveled to almost every state in the United States with "only a couple left" to visit, according to Peter Berens.

When not working or traveling, the Berens share their time with a local children's shelter. Peter's hobby at home, not surprisingly, is computers. The pair also enjoys art and theater.

"If we had more free time, we could find plenty of other pursuits to fill it," Peter said.

Their business, coupled with their personal interests, has led the Berens to some interesting projects. They've been involved in 3D imaging of dinosaur fossils with Jack Horner, the lead consultant on the movie Jurassic Park. Other notable projects include scanners for the Rolling Stones and imaging for the America's Cup.

When asked what the couple would do if they didn't have Apunix, Sylvia responded, "We would always work together, even if we ran a restaurant, or some other line of business."

The couple, who have no children, say their company and its employees come first. That doesn't mean they aren't planning for the future. Said Peter, "If Apunix ever becomes successful enough for us to leave with enough money, we would like to focus our time on a non-profit endeavor that would help children in some way."