Thomas Saponas believes that although the communications industry is in the midst of its largest downturn in history, leading optical component and network-equipment manufacturers will continue to invest in research and development to remain competitive.
"The need for bandwidth continues to grow - even in today's business climate," says Saponas, senior vice president and CTO of Agilent Technologies. "Industry analysts report that network traffic continues to grow exponentially. Innovations that deliver greater bandwidth at the same or lower cost are key to the industry's future."
Saponas will speak at SUPERnet 2002's Tuesday Evening Keynote Session on Jan. 22 from 5 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. The event will be hosted by the Telecommunications Industry Associatio (TIA). SUPERnet, a TIA conference and exhibition that exclusively focuses on broadband infrastructure and applications, will be held at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, Calif., January 21-24, 2002.
SUPERnet combines both educational seminars and technology exhibits targeted toward decision-makers responsible for building next-generation broadband networks. SUPERnet's conference partner, the International Engineering Consortium (IEC), will present the educational programming.
Saponas has more than 27 years of experience in engineering and management. His responsibilities at Agilent include developing the company's long-term technology strategy and overseeing the alignment of the company's objective with its centralized research and design activities.
In addition to serving as senior vice president and CTO, Saponas also serves as the director of Agilent Laboratories. Since June 2000, he has guided the research efforts of the company's central research lab as it pursues new technological breakthroughs that will expand Agilent's existing markets or create new products.
"We are pleased to have Mr. Saponas share his vision of the development and future of optical networking at SUPERnet 2002," says Matthew Flanigan, president of TIA. "Shattering the last-mile barrier to high-speed broadband services through optical networking is critical to the growth of our industry and the nation's economy. Mr. Saponas' vast experience and knowledge of the industry will, no doubt, enrich the SUPERnet experience."
For more information visit www.supernet2002.com.
