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Jerry Foss, located in Warwickshire, U.K.
email

Current Position

Lecturer in Digital Media Networks and Technologies, Technology InnovationCentre, Birmingham City University, U.K.; Course Director; Consultancy (in telecommunications networks and services evolution); Involvement and directing consultancy and research activities. Also a Visiting Professor at EIGSI, La Rochelle, France.

Profile

Very broad and deep knowledge and experience in engineering and marketing in the telecommunications and adjacent sectors. 29 years experience at Marconi (formerly GEC / GPT) in system architecture and development; solution architecture and adjacent disciplines.

Great understanding in evolving next generation markets, technologies and services: Experience in services markets: commercial services markets (including media); government and local authority services.

Visionary and innovative: Respected by many parties in the industry; proven track record for analysing, assimilating and predicting technology and market trends; consultancy, thought leadership and strategic evaluation; scenario setting.

Experienced and respected for producing papers and presentations; an experienced conference/event speaker nationally and internationally.

Areas of specific involvement

Media / Telecommunications networks and markets: Media Distribution Network Architectures, strategies and solutions; Broadband Triple Play (Multiplay), xDSL, Cable, IPTV, VOD, Middleware, End-User Equipment and Networks, P2P; WiFi; VoIP; multi-agent-based systems. Service integration, platforms and brokerage.

Market evolution: value models, rights and content management, regulatory issues. Information infrastructures: community networks and educational services; sociological issues.

Research in: e-Commerce; automated enterprises; service and content brokerage; intelligent agents; networked virtual collaborative environments; community (and education) network services. Current research involvement includes "LiVE" - Learning in Virtual Environments - a collaboration with industry and the public services sector.


Activities, Involvement

2005 - to date

Lecturer at the University of Central England, Birmingham. Subjects: Digital Media Technologies, Digital Systems, Telecommunications, Media Industry, Client/Server Systems; to undergraduate and postgraduate level; Course Director, course development.

Guest lecturer (Wireless LANs, Broadband Multiplay) to postgraduate level at other universities

Consultancy, research and presentations to industry (media services futures, communications services, networks).


Research Project – Collaborative Project "LiVE" - Learning In Virtual Environments (2007-2008)

A matched-funded collaborative project between Birmingham City University, Daden Limited, Grid-108, Birmingham City Council, Digital Birmingham and BT I was instrumental in setting up and defining the project. I am now managing the operational activities.

 


1975-2005 - GEC Telecommunications, GPT and Marconi Communications, 1975-2005

Note - 1975-1988: GEC Telecommunications; GEC became GPT in 1988; GPT became Marconi Communications in 1999.

2001 – 2005: Marketing Organisation – Consultant Engineer / Solutions Architect

Triple Play (IP Voice, Data and Media distribution on Broadband)

Derived and managed strategy for correlating triple play services across Marconi covering both technical and marketing aspects; derived evolving market value models for media distribution and service integration. Worked with third party partners, specifically for IPTV, SoftSwitch (VoIP).

Managed Triple Play solution for a Local Loop Unbundling (LLU) project: Liaison with partners to successfully derive a solution and integration of partner equipment.

 

Vision and innovative service solutions

Developed scenarios for market adoption of “disruptive” technologies, services and user adoption (e.g. P2P distribution); forecast of effects on next generation networks and services.

Market analysis and intelligence. Provided key support within Marconi, including Government facing facilities. Developed accurate scenarios for market reaction to disruptive technologies and radical user adoption; effects on next generation networks and services

 

Demonstration Suite / Validation Model

Managed the development strategy of the demonstration suite. Managed model development and configuration for broadband access/triple play and SoftSwitch demonstrations; collaborated with suppliers to build the access, triple play and VoIP models; presentations of solutions to a wide range of CXOs, partners and customers. Managed the development of an online interactive demonstration facility, design of on-line interactive demonstrations.

Managed the logistics for demonstration models for exhibitions (CeBIT, etc.): Design and build of models, shipping, installation and associated formalities.

 

Also responsible for …

Exhibitions, presentations - CeBIT, VON, Enterprise Networks, invited speaker to events, etc.

Support for commercial bids, including government-facing initiatives

Representation at Broadband Stakeholders’ Group (BSG)

 

1999 - 2001: Strategy Department - Consultant Engineer

Next Generation Services and Applications Group

Vision and innovative new service solutions; Market analysis and technology trend development.

Initiated and pursued study of service brokerage concepts, technologies and markets.

Awarded joint patent (with P.J.Williams, ex-GPT) - for "Mobile Terminals in the Enhanced Internet.

 

Research Project with Southampton University – “Brokerage in an Information Economy” (1998-2000)

Founded and managed a highly successful project in agent based brokerage for online information economies, taking concepts into a joint-academic collaboration (with University of Southampton). Developed the concepts for the study; directed the strategic development; conveyed the project in white papers delivered at international conferences. The project successfully developed highly advanced agent architectures for online negotiation and service platform management for automated enterprises.

 

Research Project – Centuri21 (EU funded, online communities, 1999-2001)

Provided key vision and input to Centuri21 (EU funded project for online local authority services): Formulated the direction, objectives and work packages of the project; managed the user interface development. The project delivered numerous innovative online services across Europe. See annex to this cv for project details.

 

Project – Advantage W.Midlands’ “Coventry and Warwickshire Strategy for the Information Society”

As invited consultant, provided key input into strategic plans; communications technology consultation

 

QMW Industrial Steering Panel

Was a member of the Industrial Panel for the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Queen Mary Westfield College (University of London). The role involved planning and guidelines on development of MSc courses.

 

1988 – 1999 – Specialist Engineer

System design and development for Intelligent Network (IN) (1990-95)
CSCW, Virtual Organisations, Networked Virtual Reality (1991-96)

Research in VR and real world correlation; VR User interface metaphors; networked collaborative working (CSCW)

Research project at GEC's Hirst Research Laboratories, investigating networked VR. Management for project for budget and strategic issues.

 

Research Project – Virtuosi – Networked Virtual Reality (1993-1996)

Was joint-founder of project (DTI funded – 6 industrial partners, 4 Universities): Key input in the project building stage: negotiating with collaborative partners, rationalising project shape against collaborative resources, budgets and manpower; building in relevant technology and social-science partners. Formulating direction, objectives and work packages of project. The project was a milestone for the development of virtual communities and interfaces for collaborative working.

Provision of key technical input on telecommunications aspects; cross-project inter-disciplinary integration. Conveying project concepts in white papers, delivering at international conferences. See annex to this cv for project details.

 

Community Networks Projects

Was invited for consultation on telecommunications network infrastructures; information service infrastructures. Provided key input into strategic plans; communications technology and online user services:

National Rural Enterprise Centre (became the “Regionet” project) (1996-98)

Lincolnshire 2000 community Network (1997)

 

Information Services and Infrastructures

Key input on service infrastructures to GPT's strategy exercises and studies. Key member of "new networks and services" strategic development groups and forums

Identified market/technology trends; promoted the issues and opportunities; identified and liaised with partners (industrial, academic); formulate findings and opportunities in written papers for publications; research projects resulted, along with input to strategic planning. A key achievement was the concept of service brokerage – technologies, realisations and evolving markets. Was awarded an Individual Contribution Award for work on next generation services.

 

Pre 1988 – Development Engineer

1986-88 Development of C7: CCITT standards recommendations.

1986-88 Development of GSM protocols: CCITT standards recommendations.

1984-88 Proposals and developments for data networks access to ISDN (X25, X75, X71, X31, etc), CCITT standards recommendations. Input to New Networks Technology Forum X25 group.

1981-84 Work on "System X" and ISDN signalling protocols (DASS, DASS2, DPNSS, CCITT I.series)

1980-81 MOD Work

1979-80 Attended Aston University - "Bosworth Course" (postgraduate course, Telecommunications Technology)

1975-79 Development of signalling protocols on Crossbar Switching system; logic circuit design.

 

Papers, Publications and Presentations

Dynamic Intelligent Intermediation (J.D.Foss); invited presentation to BBC Technology Forum, December 2005

Beyond MultiPlay (J.D.Foss); invited presentation to BBC Technology Forum, February 2005

From Triple Play To The Global Jukebox (J.D.Foss); invited presentation to BBC Technology Forum, July 2004

Service Brokerage, Dynamic Virtual ASP's and the Info-Climate (J.D.Foss); Networks2000, Toronto, September 2000.

Brokerage In An Information Economy (J.D.Foss, Kulwinder Garcha, Phil Turner, Nick Jennings); INET2000, Yokohama, Japan; July 2000.

Brokering Automated Enterprises (J.D.Foss); INET'99, San Jose, California, USA; June 1999.

Information Brokerage for Online Automated Enterprises (J.D.Foss); Computing and Control Engineering Journal (vol 10, no.1); (IEE); February 1999

Brokering the Info-Underworld (2) – chapter in BT Engineering Journal, Summer 1998.

Brokering the Info-Underworld (J.D.Foss); FITCE UK (Federation of Telecommunications Engineers of the European Community); London, August 1998.

Intermediation and Information Brokerage (J.D.Foss), ISSLS'98, Venice, Italy, March 1998.

Brokers and Intermediaries in the Info-Underworld (2) (J.D.Foss); Colloquium on Information Overload, IEE, London, December 1997.

Brokers and Intermediaries in the Info-Underworld (J.D.Foss); ISS'97, Toronto, ON, Canada, September 1997.

Brokering the Info-Underworld – chapter in book "Agent Technology" - eds (N.Jennings & M.Wooldridge), Springer, 1998.

Brokering the Info-Underworld (J.D.Foss); UNICOM seminar, "Real World Applications of Intelligent Agents", Heathrow, UK, June 1996

Agents In Information Brokering Services (J.D.Foss); UNICOM seminar, "Business Applications of Intelligent Agents", London, UK, November 1995.

Information Services and Group Activities in a National Information Infrastructure (J.D.Foss); Fifth IEE conference on Telecommunications (ICT'95), Brighton, UK, March 1995.

The Global Information Trading Environment (J.D.Foss, E.Ackroyd, B.C.M.Atkin); ISSLS'93, Vancouver, BC, Canada, September 1993

Information Trading In Distributed Virtual Environments (J.D.Foss, E.Ackroyd, B.C.M.Atkin); IEE colloquium "Using Virtual Worlds", London, May 1993.

 

Have supplied quotes and input for a number of other publications.Additional Information

 

Additional Information

Memberships – IEE (now the IET), ISOC

Member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE, now the Institution of Engineering and Technology, IET); member of the Internet Society (ISOC)

Full detailed CV (MS word format)
Short-form CV (MS Word format)


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