Discoveries, inventions, and research studies of scientists and engineers in both academia and industry have shaped the technology roadmaps of companies in the telecommunications industry. IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc) provides the platform and venues for collaboration and networking among global technical communities in telecommunications, which are critical for moving technology forward in our industry. It is for this reason that ComSoc has created the IEEE ComSoc Corporate Program. In this month President’s Page, I am pleased to introduce Dr. Cynthia Sikora, the ComSoc Industry Outreach & Technical Activities Director, to share with us the IEEE ComSoc Corporate Program.

As the Industry Outreach & Technical Activities Director of the IEEE Communications Society, Dr. Sikora works with the volunteer leadership to improve the technical value and engagement with industry, as well as to drive society initiatives, Technical Activities and Educational Programs. She worked at Bell Labs for many years. As their Global Strategic Programs Director and the Government Compliance Director, her teams focused on programs that supported research and innovation by creating collaborative opportunities and building bridges between organizations. Dr. Sikora’s technical background is in the area of Human Factors/User Experience (HF/UX). She holds a Ph.D. degree in Information and Cognitive Sciences and a Master’s degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. She did human factors research and development at Unisys Corporation before joining AT&T.

The ComSoc Corporate program was developed over the course of 18 months, following research conducted by ComSoc volunteers with high-level executives in industry. The program was then conceived and structured based on the companies’ needs. The new program rewards industry for supporting the mission of ComSoc by recognizing those companies that consistently engage and sponsor our efforts.

Much like a “Rewards” program or a “Frequent Flyer” program, the ComSoc Corporate Program awards companies a program level and the associated benefits based on annual spend with ComSoc. The program will bring the industry’s most progressive and accomplished companies closer to the ComSoc community to encourage partnership and collaboration. Among the many rewards that participating companies will receive is access to a Resume Book and a University Capabilities List. These repositories provide companies exclusive access to technical talent and visibility into resources at academic institutions for collaboration and outsourcing. Participation in the program enhances the company’s visibility in the industry and builds relationships with the communication technology industry’s best and brightest.

In an effort to support the program’s growth and evolution, the Corporate Program participating companies will also have an open channel of communication to learn about new events, activities, and opportunities, while providing feedback to dedicated staff and volunteers about their needs now and in the future. As an example, companies have expressed an interest in having access to a strong talent pipeline and connecting with academic researchers. As a result, the program will provide bridges between companies and these key groups within ComSoc’s membership and community.

The ComSoc Corporate Program Oversight Committee is a newly established IEEE ComSoc Ad Hoc Committee under the Technical and Educational Activities Council (TEA-C) that is responsible for ensuring the success and integrity of the ComSoc Corporate Program. The committee will ensure that we are appropriately engaging our corporate partners and recognizing the opportunities for new products and services to keep companies actively involved with us. The committee will be responsible for evolving the program to adapt to the changing needs of our industry partners and to increase connections between companies and other members of ComSoc including technical professionals, researchers, and students. New activities and events are expected to emerge as a better understanding of the needs and opportunities are identified.

The ComSoc Corporate Program Oversight Committee Members (2023)

Chair | Sherman Shen
Co-Chair | Robert Schober

Voting Members (2023)

TEA | Wei Zhang
MGA | Ana Garcia Armada
Conferences | Nelson Fonseca
Publications | Chengshan Xiao
Industry Advocate | Bin Zhao
Industry Advocate | Steve Izzo
Industry Advocate | Rose Hu

Staff | Cyn Sikora, Eric Schnell, Harold Tepper

ComSoc is committed to providing value to all of our members including our partners in industry that support our conferences, events, standards efforts, technical communities, and contribute to our publications. This industry engagement ultimately supports the growth of our community’s contributions that will create tomorrow’s improved capabilities.

The ComSoc Corporate Program was created to strengthen the connections between companies and others striving to make progress in communications. This loyalty program allows companies to be consistently informed of the opportunities to connect with ComSoc technical communities and rewards them for their efforts to partner with ComSoc to advance technology for humanity.

To celebrate the launch of the program, ComSoc hosted an exclusive Corporate Program Gala Dinner at IEEE ICC 2023 in Rome on May 29th. To learn more about the ComSoc Corporate Program, please visit the website: https://www.comsoc.org/about/corp-program. Thank you.