For the three year cycle (2013-2015) our research focuses on convergence driven by the adoption and extension of Internet technologies in various application domains i.e., the Future Internet, the notion of Smart Cities, the Internet of services (IoS), Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine Type communications (MTC).

We have achieved our primary goal of maintaining a long record of capacity building.   Research and training of postgraduate students in these emerging technologies i.e., the Evolved Packet System (EPS) and Machine Type Communications are of significant importance to Telecommunication and mobile operators, Large Enterprises and SMMEs in South Africa.   
Students working on developmental issues are learning how to develop software systems that are cognizant of realities in the telecommunications infrastructure.

We are confident of our contribution in educating and imparting the understanding of new technologies to our postgraduate students and researchers and in the creation and dissemination of knowledge through research and technology transfer.  With a 2:1 (Industry/THRIP) financial support, the number of postgraduate students in the Centre remains healthy; we should however strive to increase the number of females and black South Africans particularly at the doctoral level.

We have built a solid bridge between our industry and the Centre for Broadband Networks to identify collaborations between the two sectors.

It is of paramount importance that students publish in international journals and international flagship conferences; exchange of ideas with other international researchers in these fora leads to setting collaborative work with international researchers.   Every member in the CoE is encouraged to publish in Journals and flagship international Conferences sponsored by International Societies, i.e., ACM, IEEE Communications, IEEE Wireless Communications, IEEE Computer Societies, IFIP.

In the local scene, CoE students and members are strongly encouraged to publish a full/regular paper, if in the second year of study, and a Work in Progress paper to the South African Telecommunications and Applications conference (SATNAC) if in the first year of study.

The record of research publications is healthy with contributions to chapters in books, articles in international journals and peer reviewed papers in international conferences.    Details on publication appear elsewhere in the report.