Google’s Chief Internet Evangelist Vint Cerf and Robert Kahn have been awarded a Franklin Institute Award for developing TCP/IP, the protocol that allows effective communication between millions of computer networks.
About Franklin Institute Award:
Since 1824, The Franklin Institute of Philadelphia has honored the legacy of Benjamin Franklin by presenting awards for outstanding achievements in science, engineering, and industry. Past laureates include Thomas Edison, Marie Curie, Claude Shannon, Jane Goodall, Nikola Tesla, Stephen Hawking, Edward Lorenz, the Wright Brothers, Bill Gates, and Albert Einstein.
What Is TCP/IP?
TCP/IP technically applies to network communications where the TCP transport is used to deliver data across IP networks. A so-called "connection-oriented" protocol, TCP works by establishing a virtual connection between two devices via a series of request and reply messages sent across the physical network.
Who Is Vint Cerf?
- Vinton Gray Cerf is an American Internet pioneer, who is recognized as one of "the fathers of the Internet"
- In the early days, Cerf was a manager for the United States' Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA) funding various groups to develop TCP/IP technology.
- Cerf was instrumental in the funding and formation of ICANN from the start.
- Cerf is active in many organizations that are working to help the Internet deliver humanitarian value to the world. He is supportive of innovative projects that are experimenting with new approaches to global problems, including the digital divide, the gender gap, and the changing nature of jobs.
- Cerf is also known for his formal attire, typically appearing in a three-piece suit daily for work—a rarity in an industry known for its casual dress norms.
Who is Robert Kahn?
- After receiving a B.E.E. degree in electrical engineering from the City College of New York in 1960, Kahn went on to Princeton University where he earned a M.A. in 1962 and Ph.D. in 1964.
- In 1972, he began work at the Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO) within Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency(DARPA).
- In the fall of 1972, he demonstrated the ARPANET by connecting 20 different computers at the International Computer Communication Conference.
- He then helped develop the TCP/IP protocols for connecting diverse computer networks.
- He started the United States government's billion dollar Strategic Computing Initiative, the largest computer research and development program ever undertaken by the U.S. federal government.
- After thirteen years with DARPA, he left to found the Corporation for National Research Initiatives (CNRI) in 1986, and as of 2015 is the chairman, CEO and president.
