Contents
Vint Cerf
Co-designing TCP/IP, the communication rules that helped make the Internet possible.
Internetworking paper · MCI Mail
- Born
- 23 June 1943
- Birthplace
- New Haven, United States
More people
Vint Cerf
Cerf worked with Robert Kahn on connecting different kinds of computer networks. His later career combined commercial internet development with advocacy for open standards and accessible communication.
Early life
California schooling
Attended Van Nuys High School, where future internet colleagues Steve Crocker and Jon Postel were fellow students.
Mathematics and computing
Studied at Stanford, worked at IBM, then earned a UCLA doctorate in 1972.
Career
- 1972
Stanford research
Joined the faculty and worked on ways to connect packet networks.
- 1982
MCI
Moved into commercial communications and led development of MCI Mail.
- 2005
Google
Joined as chief internet evangelist, advocating for the network’s development.
Contributions
Internetworking paper
With Robert Kahn, described a protocol for communication between different packet networks.
MCI Mail
Helped launch the commercial electronic-mail service.
Internet Society
Co-founded the organisation and served as its first president.
Beyond computing
Accessibility
His experience of hearing loss helped inform his interest in accessible communication.
Beyond Earth
Worked with NASA researchers on networking designed to tolerate the delays and interruptions of space communication.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗Institutional biography and contributions ↗Photo: Duncan.Hull. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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