Software-Defined Networking (SDN), Network Function Virtualization (NFV) and Cloud-Edge-Fog Computing are driving an unprecedented techno-economic shift in the Telecom and ICT industries. Network softwarization and programmability promise to reduce operational costs, provide better flexibility and bring new service paradigms. In particular, they are enabling the deployment of 5G infrastructures, spanning from high data rate fixed-mobile services to the Internet of Things, which is expected to accelerate the digital transformation that all the industry is witnessing. As a result, new service models and new value chains will emerge, leading to novel business models and significant socio-economic impact.
Considering this important trend, the SDN Initiative that was running in 2014-2017 under the Future Directions Committee of IEEE decided to launch a new conference that was capturing the important development in the scope of softwarized networks. The International Conference on Network Softwarization, aka NetSoft was then created and had its first event in April 2015 in London, UK.
NetSoft is now a recognized event in its domain and successive venues have been as follows:
- IEEE NetSoft 2020, 29 June-3 July 2020, Ghent, Belgium
- IEEE NetSoft 2019, 24-28 June 2019, Paris, France
- IEEE NetSoft 2018, 25-29 June 2018, Montréal, Canada
- IEEE NetSoft 2017, 3-7 July 2017, Bologna, Italy
- IEEE NetSoft 2016, 6-10 June 2016, Seoul, Korea
- IEEE NetSoft 2015, 13-17 April 2015, London, UK
In 2021, NetSoft is hosted in Tokyo, Japan, and is organized around the theme Accelerating Network Softwarization in the Cognitive Age.
