Historic milestones to be honored by IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee during November 2013 IEEE 802 Plenary Session in Dallas, Texas and University Outreach Program

PISCATAWAY, N.J., USA, 1 November 2013 – IEEE announced that the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) is commemorating the 40th anniversary of Ethernet and the 30th anniversary of IEEE 802.3 “Standard for Ethernet” by launching its “I Spy Ethernet IEEE 802.3” contest. Open to both young and experienced technology innovators, inventors, and architects around the world, the contest seeks submissions of photographs or drawings of unique, groundbreaking, or visionary uses of Ethernet. Open for two months, contest entries can be submitted to IEEE-SA between 1 November and 31 December 2013.
 
To enter the “I Spy Ethernet IEEE 802.3” contest, individual contestants are asked to submit a photo or a sketch of an example of how Ethernet is being deployed presently or how it might be deployed in the future. All entries will be posted on the IEEE-SA Ethernet Anniversary Facebook page, allowing anyone with access to Facebook to “Like” the entry they think is best, most unique, or most innovative. Based on a the number of Likes, the top three entries will be judged by a panel selected from members of the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working Group and Dr. Robert (Bob) Metcalfe, inventor of Ethernet and 1996 IEEE Medal of Honor award winner. The winning entry will be featured in a widely publicized animated short, with the contestant being recognized in the film’s credits.
 
“This contest is all about the future of Ethernet and its positive impact on humanity. And there’s so much more to explore on a global scale in the areas of energy, healthcare, education and more,” said Bob Metcalfe. “The ‘I Spy Ethernet IEEE 802.3’ contest will help generate new and exciting ideas about what’s possible with Ethernet technology and get more people thinking and talking about as yet unimagined Ethernet applications that will help change our lives.”
 
In addition to the contest and promoting the benefits of Ethernet technology, the IEEE 802 November Plenary Session will take place in Dallas, Texas at the Hyatt Regency Dallas, 10-15 November 2013. IEEE 802 plenary sessions are held three times per year, in March, July, and November. The IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee strives to develop standards that will improve communication for communities everywhere, with many positive results including faster Internet access, longer battery life, improved health, better security, and improved energy-efficiency.
 
Open to all plenary session attendees and to the public, the IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee is hosting an Ethernet 40th Anniversary Celebration on Monday, 11 November 2013, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. As part of the celebration, Bob Metcalfe will be the featured keynote speaker.
 
“Along with meetings, tutorials and networking opportunities, the IEEE 802 Plenary Session in Dallas will host study groups, working groups and committees that aim to work on furthering Ethernet’s success and bright future,” said Paul Nikolich, chair of the IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee. “Having Bob Metcalfe as the keynote speaker at the Ethernet 40th Anniversary Celebration is truly an honor. I’d like to thank Bob for his continued commitment to IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standards and our collective work to further progressing the technology he created.”
 
Another opportunity at the IEEE 802 Plenary Session is the IEEE 802 LAN/MAN Standards Committee University Outreach Program, which invites students and faculty members from universities to attend the meetings and tutorials that will take place on Tuesday, 12 November. University Outreach Program participants are also invited to attend the anniversary celebration on 11 November.
 
The purpose of the program is to increase the understanding of the importance that IEEE standards hold within engineering technology, observe the standards development process, and encourage participation in IEEE Standards Education Committee programs, including applying for student application paper grants, and more.
 
“For participating university students and faculty, the day will start with a brief orientation session followed by an opportunity to observe the sessions in progress, ending with a wrap-up session providing further opportunities to ask questions and provide feedback,” said David Law, chair of the IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working Group, and distinguished engineer for HP Networking. “We encourage all students and faculty of universities to participate in what will be a very rewarding day of observing the IEEE 802 networking standard development process.”

For more information, visit www.ieee.org