Washington, D.C., January 26, 2000 -- At an awards ceremony held on Tuesday evening, Mike O'Dell, chief scientist at UUNET, an MCI WorldCom Company, was named the Ovations Award winner in the category of Backbone Network Design and Engineering. The awards, sponsored by CMP Media's tele.com and ComNet 2000, recognized O'Dell for his innovation, technical expertise, and vision in the past year in the area of network design and engineering. O'Dell was nominated on the basis of UUNET's deployment of Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS), a technology that enables traffic routing and management to be performed on a single platform while increasing the efficiency and performance of IP networks.
"Michael O'Dell is using MPLS to build the next-generation Internet backbone, as well as consistently deploying cutting-edge technology and remaining a hands-on manager and technologist," according to tele.com magazine.
The Ovation Awards honor 10 service provider leaders for individual achievements in technology, services, business, and legislative policy. The program was created by tele.com magazine and the organizers of ComNet 2000 to honor the outstanding individual achievements of today's next-generation service providers. Other categories included Access Network Design & Engineering, Wireless Network Design & Engineering/Services, Consumer Services, Business Services, Business Development, Customer Service/Customer Care, Community Services, and Policy Innovation. Mike O'Dell's nomination was submitted by Marconi Communications, a leading global provider of high performance communications solutions for public and private networks.
"In accepting this award, I'd like to recognize the efforts of UUNET's engineering and network operations employees," said Mike O'Dell, chief scientist, UUNET. "Our deployment of MPLS demonstrates the commitment they have to meet the growing needs of our customers throughout the world. Without their dedication, MPLS would not be a reality for UUNET."
