Prestigious IEEE award recognises pioneering work on Software Defined Networking

L-r: Mayur Channegowda and Dr Reza Nejabati

20 April 2016

Three members of Bristol’s High Performance Networks Group have won the 2016 Charles Kao Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Communications Society.

Mayur Channegowda, Dr Reza Nejabati and Professor Dimitra Simeonidou received the award for their pioneering work in Software-Defined Networking (SDN), and specifically for their paper entitled: ‘Software-Defined Optical Networks Technology and Infrastructure: Enabling Software-Defined Optical Network Operations’. The paper was first published at the IEEE Journal of Optical Communications and Networking in 2013.

The paper introduces for the first time the idea of extending SDN beyond packet-switched networks to cover emerging-speed optical networks. The technology introduced in this paper enables creation of open and programmable internet infrastructure that uses light to carry internet traffic.

The innovation proposed in this paper has been the cornerstone for a successful technology start-up in the High Performance Networks Group, Zeetta Networks. The start-up develops commercial solutions for a programmable network that enables monitoring, management and automation of data flows across different types of connected devices.

Professor Dimitra Simeonidou, head of the High Performance Networks Group and Director of the Smart Internet Lab, said: ‘Software-Defined Network (SDN) technologies reported in this paper will revolutionise future networks. It makes me incredibly proud to lead a team of researchers that pioneered fundamental ideas for the development of open and programmable networks. This award is the latest validation of our world leadership on Transport SDN technologies, which is now widely recognised by the international community.’

The award will be presented at the IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC) 2016 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in May.

Further information

About the Smart Internet Lab

The Smart Internet Lab builds on strategic and applied research on key communications and digital technologies at the University of Bristol to create, and permanently support, a hub for Internet Research with long lasting benefits for society and economy.

About the High Performance Networks Group

The High Performance Networks (HPN) Group led by Professor Dimitra Simeonidou specialises in the application of advanced hardware and software technologies, targeting the future optical networks for Internet of Things, data centres, grid/cloud-based applications, distributed technologies, etc. The group is equipped with world-class laboratories, including state-of-the-art optical transmission testbeds, and a software-defined network experimental platform.