Click here for guidelines and information about the Circle of Excellence Program and sample Nomination Statement.
Circle of Excellence Program Guidelines.

2006 Winners

Nabeel Cocker & Rimma Iontel, Verizon

• Nabeel was key to organizing the Verizon physical layout, connectivity and addressing, and centralizing monitoring at GMI 2006.
• Rimma played a critical role in organizing activities at the Verizon site for GMI 2006, and specifically in maintaining the big Scenario sheets, in addition to serving as a site monitor and many other roles.

David Hutton & Peter New, Vodafone

• As well as supporting the event organization prior to the testing beginning and being on site for the full 12 days at BT, Dave and Peter were the front line support for the Vodafone supplied HLR that was a key factor in the Open Mc testing at GMI 2006.
• Dave and Peter have continued to support the event as a whole in preparing the report for the UK test site and have remained positive and enthusiastic for a task that is above and beyond their day to day duties.

Dan has made an outstanding contribution to the MSF during his short time with us. As Berlin is his last meeting, it seems particularly appropriate to recognize his contribution, in particular:

Providing critical technical support to the media launch of GMI 2006 in person at Zonic's European NetEvent held in Garmisch, Germany and on the US media and analyst phone in a few days later.

Playing a major role in the IMS educational members event in Ottawa.

Consistently providing intellectually "heavyweight" contributions to TC meetings.

Ensuring that there is a succession plan in place within Vodafone to ensure that the MSF continues to receive appropriate support.

2005 Winners

Carol Daniels, MetaSwitch

Carol Daniels joined the MAE committee in January of 2005. Since then, she has led the effort to increase MSF’s visibility by increasing MSF participation in industry conferences and speaking events. She has made a significant contribution by securing high profile engagements for MSF speakers at VON, Broadband World Forum, and Telecom ’05. In addition, Carol has been an active member of the MAE’s Public Relations Sub-Committee which overseas all of the MSF’s PR efforts. Carol is an excellent example of how an MSF member can align the goals of MSF with their day job such that MSF can reap substantial benefits.

Yasuyuki Matsuoka, NTT

Matsuoka-san has produced several valuable contributions that support MSF’s next generation QoS architecture. He developed the COPS-PR Implementation Agreement and contributed to the QoS discussion with his distinguished knowledge of the latest router technologies. Due to his important contributions MSF is the only the forum that will successfully demonstrate a real NGN QoS solution.

The 3GPP/IMS Task Force

Though some members of this team are elected MSF officials and, therefore, ineligible as individuals, this is a nomination of the entire team (as one entity) for a Team Award. The team's co-ordinated work over several months, which resulted in a seminal White Paper, benefits the MSF community by aligning the MSF's work with state-of-the-art standards and by charting a coherent course for MSF's work for years to come. Even more significantly, this effort demonstrates the productive teamwork, co-operation, and interaction which are the hallmarks of the MSF.

Cindy Morgan, AMS

At our last meeting the MSF recognised everybody who had had contributed to our major success in GMI2004, with one important omission! Here in San Francisco, we at last have Cindy with us to thank personally for all that she did in co-ordinating requests into the MSF office about this event. Always helpful, Cindy was the very bedrock of our efforts in 2004 and all too often, was left behind in the office when we were meeting at various exotic locations around the globe! She has without any exaggeration or exception, impacted positively on the relationship with every MSF member company in this room and now we thank her for all her efforts.

2004 Winners

Tom Taylor, Nortel Networks

Tom’s early attention to detail brought many issues to light early in the planning stages [of GMI 2004]. This allowed many details to be worked through in advance of the event to ensure it went smoothly.

Jong Hyuck Sun, Alcatel

Mr. Sun put so much hard work into establishing GMI2004 international link (both Internet 2 & Plain Internet ) between KT & BT also including IP addressing planning, routing resolution & documentation.

Ken Mills, BT

• Long term contributor to MAE
• GMI2004 planning team for 18 months tirelessly representing host interests
• Passionate determination to bring experience of GMI2002 into GMI2004

Peter Chang, Cisco Systems

Rich Seager, NG Technologies

Under Rich Seager's leadership the MSF achieved much including GMI2002 and the launching of GMI2004. Rich has led the TC through some of the dark times for both the industry and the membership and was instrumental in seeing to it that the MSF made progress and achieved recognition during this time. Now that he has stepped down from the leadership, he fully deserves this award in recognition for his dedication to the MSF cause.

2003 Winners

Dal Chohan, Fujitsu

The Circle of Excellence for Q403 is awarded to Dal Chohan from Fujitsu. Dal has earned this award for his professionalism in working with vendors such as Alcatel, Marconi & BT. In the true spirit of MSF collaboration, Dal has very quickly produced a Multi-service Access Gateway Implementation Agreement (MSF2003.117.00) which is both fit for purpose & which extends the influence of the MSF into this important area.

Paul Drew, MetaSwitch

Wayne Cutler, Marconi

Wayne has been instrumental in working through the tough designs of the GMI event this past year and has been a person that could be counted on for their input when needed. Wayne has also been helping the Protocol and Control working group and a key contributor to not only his but other contributions from his peers within the forum via comments and advice. His work and dedication has brought MSF forward in technical maturity.

2002 Winners

Simon Tavanyar, Siemens

In our attempt to put together the GMI-2002 Event, our GMI Project Team has invested a tremendous amout of time and effort. It is a quality group of committed individuals who I think are all exceeding what was expected of them. One that is certainly standing out is Simon Tavanyar, vice-chair of the Interop WG. He has worked countless hours offline to keep the project moving. He has been invaluable in putting together documents and requirements that need completed, doing many himself. He has provided the vast majority of all evaluation, analysis, and followup on test requirements, and participant matrix documentation...the GMI would have no chance of success without Simon.

Randy Haberman, WorldCom

Over the last 6 months, Randy Haberman has battled to make a fitting contribution to the MSF's Implementation Agreement for the Trunking Media Gateway. The work is detailed, with changing priorities & the frustration of late contributions. However, he has doggedly persevered and his work will go forward as an important influence on the industry as we strive to accelerate the deployment of open architecture multi-vendor next generation switching systems.

Mike Kallas, Vocal Data

Mike Kallas deserves this award because of the significant impact he has had on the MSF's forward programme through his work in leading the PSTF (Physical Scenario Task Force). As a result of his efforts, the MSF now has a prioritised set of Physical Scenarios which will be used to drive the MSF's 2002 Interoperability Event. This work is of particular importance as it bridges the work on functional architecture & protocol profiling with the need to demonstrate commercial exploitation to drive added value to the MSF membership.

2001 Winners

Susumu Yamamoto, NTT Corporation

Mr. Yamamoto has worked hard within both the Media Control working group and the Interoperability working group. He has consistently produced detailed and valuable technical contributions that are focused on the key deliverables of the MSF such as Implementation Agreements and interoperability test plans. His contributions and technical knowledge are of great value to the MSF's core mission of promoting interoperability.

Yasushi Takagi, NTT Corporation

Mr. Takagi has continuously attended the MSF technical meeting and he initiated the architecture study on Next Generation Mobile Communication network and its convergence on fixed network. He wrote several important contribution to the TC committee meting and edited the document on the architecture model on mobile communication network of MSF. We believe that he made an outstanding contribution to MSF on this area.

Mick Montague, Marconi Communications

It is my privilege to nominate Mick Montague for the MSF Circle of Excellence award. Mick Montague's contribution to the MSF has been highly significant. His commitment to the organization, his keen insight on technical and business issues, and his enthusiasm for life were attributes that have made the MSF an enjoyable and productive forum. Mick will be missed and as a token of our appreciation and respect I believe that it is appropriate, and deserved, that Mick should be awarded the MSF Circle of Excellence of Award.

Roy Mauger, Nortel Networks

Roy Mauger of Nortel Networks won this award for his work in extending the MSF architecture to include IP/MPLS. This is an important new area for the MSF to make its mark. Roy has risen to the challenge by demonstrating professionalism & technical excellence in leading an architecture sub-goup in this important area. His contribution has been significant both through his personal impact & by his ability to solicit substantial contributions from MSF membership.

2000 Winners

Marco Schneider, SBC Technology

I have been impressed by the very positive contribution Marco has consistently made to the Architecture Working Group, both contributing in his own right & also, always being willing to speak up & build on the work of others.

Chris Gallon, Fujitsu

Although not an elected nor selected member of the leadership for the Media Control Working Group, Chris Gallon has stepped into the leadership breach for the Media Control on numerous occasions. He has graciously accepted the role of taking minutes when the Vice Chair has been unable to fulfill those duties . Chris has done an outstanding job, not only capturing the notes but continuing to participate in the on-going discussions. In addition, Chris has consistently brought a high level of attention to the technical issues being discussed in the working group, participating vigorously for the last eighteen months or so, in helping the MCWG form their work. He has also been influential in bringing the appropriate resources and contributions from Fujitsu to the MCWG to help in areas where the group lacked the expertise (such as CAS). Chris has been one of the predominate players from Fujitsu in the MSF and has taken the work back to his company for review and analysis.

Ken Mills, BT

(Ken is always) behind the scenes, doing the hard work, attending the many meetings, working on slides, generating ideas, trying to figure out what we are doing as we are figuring out how to do it, all the while just doing it. And yet Ken has VOLUNTEERED (yes, you heard that right, volunteered) to be a member of the Marketing Awareness and Education Committee. That means he has been working very hard to help keep the MSF name in the world's footlights and to ensure that the 'stars' are in the spotlight while he shoulders a large amount of the work. Ken has been more than an active member; he has been a mainstay. He is part of a dynamic duo that hold no elected jobs, no resume-building titles. Ken has served as the focus for several specific tasks such as the updating of the MSF Presentation and member/ surveys. He has taken 'homework' assignments and action items and has actually completed them. He has continued to generate new ideas for how to put the MSF message into the world, and to refine the message we are currently sending. He also has helped to focus on the current members in order to educate them on the MSF as well as developing ways to improve the membership experience. Without Ken there would not be an MAEC.

Scott Yagel, Alcatel

Another foot soldier in the fight to make the MSF name known. (Scott) is behind the scenes doing the hard work , a tireless volunteer member of the Marketing Awareness and Education Committee. Scott, too, has been more than an active member; he is one of our flying buttresses. Scott has taken the lead for several tasks as well like coordinating the make-over of the MSF website. He even took the difficult and very un-PC job of answering the question "What is the difference between the MSF and the ISC?" as a homework assignment. He has taken on all requested duties and DELIVERED. Scott has been vocal, and supportive, and dependable and reliable. He has been a player since the very beginning and has worked to refine the message the MAEC has been sending to the world, to the MSF Board and leadership, to the MSF membership. He is one half of the MAEC.