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Light Reading is thrilled to announce the finalists for this year's Leading Lights Awards program, which is now in its 14th year.
April 11, 2018
I'm delighted to announce this year's shortlists for the annual Leading Lights Awards, which, once again, show how this incredibly important industry continues to innovate, push boundaries and deliver solutions to some of the communications networking industry's most pressing challenges.
We received hundreds of entries from an incredibly broad range of companies, which made the judging process incredibly tough, but very rewarding. I have to congratulate those who took the time and to make a submission -- across the board it was an outstanding set of entries.
But, as ever, we've had to narrow the field and identify the finalists in each of our 24 regular Leading Lights categories and the three Women in Comms categories.
The winners, and the identities of this year's Light Reading Hall of Fame inductees, will be announced at the Leading Lights awards dinner, which will be held during the evening of Monday, May 14, at the Brazos Hall in Austin, Texas, the evening before the doors open to the Big Communications Event.
Space at the awards dinner is limited, so don't delay in booking your seat or table: All the details and contacts you need can be found right here.
Figure 1: Last year's Leading Lights trophies before we gave them away...
So, who's made the shortlists this year? Below are the categories for this year's awards. Click on the name of the category to see the list of finalists. In the coming weeks the Light Reading team will write about the finalists and provide some insight into the shortlisted submissions.
Most Innovative Cable/Video Product or Service
Awarded to the company that has developed a potentially market-leading product, application or strategy that has enabled the launch, deployment or creation of innovative, profitable cable, video, TV or multimedia services during the past year.
Most Innovative Mobile/Wireless Product or Service
Awarded to the company that has developed a potentially market-leading product, application or strategy that has enabled the launch, deployment or creation of innovative, profitable mobile/wireless services (4G/WiFi/unlicensed) during the past year.
Most Innovative Telecoms Product (Optical/IP/Carrier Ethernet/FTTH)
Awarded to the company that has developed a potentially market-leading optical/IP/Ethernet/FTTH product that, through engineering and technical excellence, enables the deployment of profitable next-generation telecom services.
Most Innovative Gigabit/FTTx Service
Awarded to the communications service provider that has launched the most innovative fiber-to-the-home/building/cabinet service during the past year.
Most Innovative Business Cloud Service
Awarded to the communications service provider that has launched the most innovative business cloud service for enterprise and/or small or midsized corporate users during the past year.
Most Innovative SD-WAN Service
Awarded to the company that has launched the most innovative SD-WAN service for enterprise and/or small or midsized corporate users during the past year.
Most Innovative SD-WAN Product Strategy (Vendor)
Awarded to the technology vendor that has devised the most innovative software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) product/platform strategy during the past year.
Most Innovative NFV Deployment Strategy (Network/Data Center Operator)
Awarded to the network or data center operator that has devised the most innovative network functions virtualization (NFV) strategy during the past year.
Most Innovative NFV Product Strategy (Vendor)
Awarded to the technology vendor that has devised the most innovative network functions virtualization (NFV) product strategy during the past year.
Most Innovative Automation Strategy (Network/Data Center Operator)
Awarded to the network or data center operator that has devised the most innovative automation strategy during the past year.
Most Innovative Edge Computing Strategy
Awarded to the network operator or technology developer that has devised the most innovative edge computing strategy during the past year.
Most Innovative Security Strategy
Awarded to the communications service provider, systems integrator or technology developer that has unveiled the most innovative security strategy during the past year.
Most Innovative IoT/M2M Strategy (Service Provider)
Awarded to the communications service provider that has unveiled the most innovative Internet of Things/Machine to Machine (IoT/M2M) strategy during the past year.
Most Innovative IoT/M2M Strategy (Vendor)
Awarded to the vendor that has unveiled the most innovative Internet of Things/Machine to Machine (IoT/M2M) strategy during the past year.
Most Innovative 5G Technology
Awarded to the company that, during the past year, has developed a potentially market-leading product that will enable the launch, deployment or creation of 5G services.
Most Innovative 5G Strategy
Awarded to the company that has outlined and clearly communicated an innovative, market-leading 5G networking technology or service development strategy during the past year.
Outstanding Transformation Strategy (Service Provider)
Awarded to the communications service provider that has devised and implemented a transformation strategy of any kind (business, technical, cultural) that will improve its business potential and competitiveness and help its customers transform.
Outstanding Components Vendor
Awarded to the components vendor that stands out from its competitors, innovates constantly, helps set the industry trends, makes investors proud, and makes employees happy.
Outstanding Test & Measurement Vendor
Awarded to the communications networking test and measurement, monitoring or assurance systems vendor that stands out from its competitors, innovates constantly, helps set the industry trends, makes investors proud, and makes employees happy.
Outstanding Digital Enablement Vendor
Awarded to the next-generation OSS/BSS/analytics/digital commerce systems vendor that stands out from its competitors, innovates constantly, helps set the industry trends, makes investors proud, and makes employees happy.
Outstanding Communications Technology Vision
Awarded to the company with the most innovative, transformative strategic vision for the global communications sector that harnesses next-generation technologies including (but not limited to) artificial intelligence/machine learning, fog networking, robotics, drones, virtual or augmented reality and any other developments that will shape a 5G world.
Company of the Year (Private)
Awarded to the privately held firm that stands out from its competitors, innovates constantly, makes investors proud, and makes employees happy.
Company of the Year (Public)
Awarded to the publicly listed firm that stands out from its competitors, innovates constantly, makes investors proud, and makes employees happy.
Best Deal Maker
Awarded to the company that has consistently demonstrated good timing, judgment and execution in high-profile acquisitions, partnerships, joint ventures and other multi-company financial arrangements.
Figure 2: Bob Burris (right), senior VP of global engineering and operations at GTT Communications, picks up the 2017 Company of the Year (Public) Leading Lights award from Light Reading's Ray Le Maistre.
Women in Comms awards
Also, for the third year, we had dedicated Women in Comms (WiC) categories this year:
Female-Led Startup to Watch
Hedy Lamarr Award for Female Tech Pioneer of the Year
Most Inspiring Woman in Comms
The shortlists for those awards can be found on the Women in Comms site. (See Congrats to 2018's WiC Leading Lights Finalists.)
Light Reading Hall of Fame
The shortlist for this year's Light Reading Hall of Fame, which seeks to recognize several individuals -- the famous and infamous -- for their remarkable contributions to the sector, will be published soon: Look out for the special poll on Light Reading.
The Hall of Fame inductees will be named at the Leading Lights Awards dinner.
— Ray Le Maistre, Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading
Here are the finalists in the Most Innovative Cable/Video Product or Service category:
Comcast -- X1's Winter Olympics Viewing Experience
Cisco Systems -- Smart Rate Control enabled Virtual DCM
Nokia -- Nokia's virtualized Distributed Access Architecture
Evolution Digital -- eSTREAM 4K
Huawei Technologies -- Huawei Envision Video platform
Harmonic -- VOS SW Cluster
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Most Innovative Mobile/Wireless Product or Service category:
CommScope -- Era
NetComm Wireless -- Intelligent Fixed Wireless Access (IFWA-6xx)
Qualcomm Technologies -- Snapdragon X24 LTE Modem
Reliance Jio Infocomm -- WiFi Access Point Solution
SK Telecom -- T map x NUGU
Sprint & Airspan Networks -- Magic Box
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Most Innovative Telecoms Product (Optical/IP/Carrier Ethernet/FTTH) category:
3-GIS -- 3-GIS|Prospector
Calix -- Calix AXOS E3-48F Gfast Remote Node
Ciena -- Liquid Spectrum
CommScope -- NG4
Infinera -- ICE5
Inphi -- Porrima 16nm 400G PAM4 Platform
Juniper Networks -- TCX1000 Programmable ROADM
Menara Networks -- Tunable OTN SFP+
Microsemi -- DIGI-G5
Nokia -- Photonic Service Engine 3 (PSE-3)
Oscilloquartz -- OSA 5430 synchronization solution
Sedona Systems -- NetFusion
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Most Innovative Gigabit/FTTx Service category:
CityFibre -- FTTP partnership with Vodafone
Comcast Business -- Business Internet 1 Gig (general availability)
Mediacom Communications -- Open Road Gigabit Expansion
Sonic -- Sonic Gigabit Fiber
Ting Internet/ADTRAN -- Ting Internet MAGIC Smart Homes Deployment
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Most Innovative Business Cloud Service category:
AT&T -- Cloud to Cloud feature in AT&T NetBond for Cloud
Comcast Business -- Business VoiceEdge
Orange -- Orange Cloud
Telenet -- Telenet's Wi-Fi Business Service
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Most Innovative SD-WAN Service category:
Aryaka Networks -- SmartACCESS
AT&T -- AT&T SD-WAN Network Based
Comcast Business -- Comcast Business SD-WAN powered by ActiveCore
GTT Communications -- GTT's SD-WAN service
Interoute -- Interoute Edge
TELUS -- TELUS NaaS
Windstream Enterprise -- Windstream Enterprise SD-WAN Concierge service
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Most Innovative SD-WAN Product Strategy (Vendor) category:
Cisco Systems -- Cisco SD-WAN
Huawei Technologies -- SD-WAN
LiveAction – LiveNX
Nuage Networks -- SD-WAN 'Branch in a Box' Solution
VeloCloud by VMWare -- VeloCloud (now part of VMware) Outcome Driven Networking
Versa Networks -- Versa SD-Branch
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Most Innovative NFV Deployment Strategy (Network/Data Center Operator) category:
Boingo Wireless
Comcast Business
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Most Innovative NFV Product Strategy (Vendor) category:
Accanto Systems -- StratOSS Lifecycle Manager (aka IBM Agile Lifecycle Manager)
Affirmed Networks -- 5G Mobile Core
Amdocs -- Amdocs NFV Powered by ONAP
Casa Systems -- Axyom 5G Core
ENEA -- NFV Edge Suite
EnterpriseWeb -- CloudNFV Solution
Huawei Technologies -- Huawei Cloud Core Network Solution
Mavenir -- CloudRange
Netcracker Technology -- Hybrid Operations Management for Netcracker 12
netElastic -- NFV Software
RAD -- vAccess
VMware -- vCloud NFV OpenStack Carrier Edition
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Most Innovative Automation Strategy (Network/Data Center Operator) category:
Colt Technology Services -- Colt automation strategy
Epsilon -- API integration
Reliance Jio Infocomm and Cisco Systems -- Cisco Network Automation Platform
Reliance Jio Infocomm -- Reliance Jio Network Operations Automation
SK Telecom -- Carrier Grade Operation Strategy for E2E 5G Network
Verizon -- Verizon Service Designer
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Most Innovative Edge Computing Strategy category:
Aricent -- Multi-access Edge Computing Strategy
Athonet -- MEC Gateway
Huawei Technologies -- Huawei MEC Solution
NXP Semiconductors -- NXP Edge Computing Solutions
Qwilt -- Open Edge CDN
Radisys -- MEC (Multi-Access Edge Computing) Platform
Vapor IO -- Project Volutus
Vasona Networks -- Path To 5G From The Mobile Edge
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Most Innovative Security Strategy category:
A10 Networks -- Thunder TPS
AT&T -- Threat Manager with AWS
Equinix -- SmartKey
Mavenir -- Spam and Fraud Control
Nokia -- Deepfield
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Most Innovative IoT/M2M Strategy (Service Provider) category:
AT&T -- Multi-Network Connect
Cubic Telecom -- P.180 Connectivity Service
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Most Innovative IoT/M2M Strategy (Vendor) category:
Amazon Web Services -- AWS Greengrass, AWS FreeRTOS, AWS IoT Analytics
Huawei Technologies -- Huawei full-stack IoT solutions
Nokia -- Nokia Worldwide IoT Network Grid (WING)
Nordic Semiconductor -- nRF91 Series
Verimatrix -- Vtegrity
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Most Innovative 5G Technology category:
Dali Wireless -- Virtual Fronthaul Interface
Ericsson -- 5G NR Software
Movandi -- BeamX
Netcracker Technology -- Netcracker's 5G Monetization solution
Radisys -- MobilityEngine
SK Telecom -- Perfect 5G Connectivity
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Most Innovative 5G Strategy category:
Ooredoo Qatar -- 5G
Qualcomm Technologies -- Multi-Band 5G NR Interoperability
Sprint -- 5G Massive MIMO
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Outstanding Transformation Strategy (Service Provider) category:
Colt Technology Services -- Strategic Transformation and deployment of the Colt IQ Network
Intelsat -- Hybrid Networks for Connected Cars
Reliance Jio Infocomm -- Tribe: Enterprise Collaboration Suite
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Outstanding Components Vendor category:
Acacia
Champion One
MaxLinear
Microsemi
Source Photonics
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Outstanding Test & Measurement Vendor category:
Infovista
Kentik
Keysight Technologies
Litepoint
Polystar
Sandvine
Spirent
Verimatrix
VIAVI Solutions
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Outstanding Digital Enablement Vendor category:
Accedian
Amdocs
EnterpriseWeb
Itential
Lumina Networks
MYCOM OSI
Netcracker Technology
Openet
Sigma Systems
Tata Consultancy Services
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Outstanding Communications Technology Vision category:
Apstra -- Apstra Operating System 2.1
CBRS Alliance -- Spectrum Sharing Implementation Strategy
Cohere Technologies -- 5G turboConnect Fixed Wireless Access
Juniper Networks -- The Self-Driving Network
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Company of the Year (Private) category:
Apstra
Aryaka Networks
Colt Technology Services
Sedona Systems
Sigma Systems
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Company of the Year (Public) category:
Amdocs
Boingo Wireless
Comcast Business
GTT Communications
Infinera
RADCOM
Reliance Jio Infocomm
VMware
Back to introduction/page 1
Here are the finalists in the Best Deal Maker category:
Amdocs
GTT Communications
VIAVI Solutions
Back to introduction/page 1
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