Welcome from the General Chair

On behalf of the Executive Committee, it is a great pleasure to welcome you to the 2012 IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference (WCNC 2012), Paris, 1 – 4 April 2012. The conference features 116 technical sessions disseminating the latest research results in communications and networking as well as 9 panels in which industry leaders will address technical and business challenges and give their vision on future trends. Prior to the start of the technical sessions and panels, which are scheduled from Monday to Wednesday, the program includes 9 tutorials by world-renowned experts on Sunday, 1 April 2012. This is a great opportunity for students, researchers, and practicing engineers to learn about new technologies and keep up-to-date in this rapidly evolving field. The same day, we also have 5 full-day workshops and 2 half-day workshops on emerging topics, which nicely complement the main program of the conference.

The Opening Plenary on Monday features two distinguished guests as keynote speakers: Dr. Gee Rittenhouse, Chairman of the Board, GreenTouch, and Dr. Siavash Alamouti, Group R&D Director of Vodafone. We also have two distinguished keynote speakers on Tuesday morning: Dr. Thomas Sälzer, R&D Director of Huawei Technologies France, and Prof. Andrea Goldsmith from Stanford University. I am honored and delighted to have this set of prominent guests as keynote speakers, who will add a special touch to the conference program.

It is a privilege to have Paris as host city for IEEE WCNC 2012. As the world’s premier tourist destination, this city enchants 25 – 30 million foreign visitors every year. The conference venue is the Palais des Congrès at Porte Maillot, which is only a few minutes away from the city’s legendary street Champs Elysées. It is in this fabulous environment that IEEE WCNC 2012 will bring together researchers, developers, practitioners, and business executives from all over the world. The conference committee has also prepared an exciting social program that will make your stay in this magnificent city most enjoyable.

Welcome to Paris and enjoy the program of IEEE WCNC 2012.

Prof. Hikmet Sari General Chair, IEEE WCNC 2012