Smart contract, an important building block of adaptable and dynamic networks

Sandor Albrecht, PhD

Director, Ericsson Research,
Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract

Information and communication technology is radically transforming business and our society. Today, there are already many more computing gadgets in the world than there are people. In a few years from now, almost everything we manufacture will have a built-in microprocessor and be connected to the Internet. However, considering the scale of IoT, we need to change the way we think about networks. There is a great need to automate as many network management tasks as possible; ultimately creating an environment where dynamic and automated networks and services will adapt to devices, instead of having them adapt to their environments as they do today. Ultimately, we envision networks and service even being able to negotiate business agreements for Internet access without human intervention. This talk will give a short introduction to smart contract and blockchains, explaining how such technologies can be used to create dynamic networks that can automatically adapt and allow devices to seamlessly connect to the Internet. The talk will explain how smart contracts and blockchains could be used to automate identity- and policy management across networks to simplify network management – and ultimately offer global Internet access.

Short bio

Sandor Albrecht https://se.linkedin.com/in/sandor-albrecht-a319191 is the Director of Research Area Digital Services Design, meaning he leads teams that explore new ways of connecting human beings and things, all in the pursuit of making it more enjoyable to work and live in a sustainable world. Based in Stockholm nowadays, he began his Ericsson career in Hungary in 1999 as an R&D project manager. He moved to Sweden in 2010 as Head of Technology Strategy for IP and packet transport evolution. He is an entrepreneur inside Ericsson’s global organization. As founder and Head of Ericsson Garage, which has ten centres of innovation and incubation around the world, he sees to it that Ericsson encourages fresh ideas and invests in the right future for customers and partners. He received his Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Budapest University of Technology and Economics in 1993, and his PhD from the same institution in 2004. He also holds a Master of Advanced Science from the University of British Columbia in Canada and holds a Master’s of Business Administration from Central European University Business School, Budapest, Hungary.