President's Page - May 2025 | IEEE Communications Society

IEEE ComSoc Corporate Program

Since its founding in 1952 with just under 600 members, the IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc) has grown substantially, with membership as high as 38,000. The organization focuses on advancing communication and networking technology for the betterment of humanity. These advancements result from collaboration among community members from academia and industry. ComSoc provides a platform and venues for networking and collaboration between technical communities in telecommunications. In line with this mission, the ComSoc Corporate Program was launched two years ago to promote joint activities between academia and industry, encouraging technological breakthroughs and fostering their early adoption. In this month’s President’s Page, I am pleased to introduce Regan Pickett, the ComSoc Industry Outreach Senior Manager, to update us on the progress of the fledgling IEEE ComSoc Corporate Loyalty Program.

Regan Pickett has a long history of successfully leveraging corporate programs to strengthen the connection between industry and academia, advancing technology in the process. Before joining ComSoc, she worked for the IEEE Computer Society, where she launched a highly successful sponsorship and exhibit sales program. Before her role at IEEE, she managed the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) corporate program and directed corporate outreach for Optica. She is now applying her expertise to enhance the value of the IEEE ComSoc Corporate Loyalty Program for all our members and industry partners.

Launched in 2023, the ComSoc Corporate Program rewards the industry for supporting the mission of ComSoc by recognizing those companies who consistently engage with ComSoc activities and products. The program has brought the industry’s most progressive and accomplished companies closer to the ComSoc community to encourage partnership and collaboration.

The Corporate Loyalty Program rewards companies based on their annual spending on ComSoc activities such as conference sponsorships and exhibits, registrations, advertising, training, membership, and more. There are three program participation levels, each providing a sliding scale of valuable benefits. Participation in the program strengthens the company’s visibility in the industry and builds relationships with the communication technology industry’s best and brightest. There are currently 14 companies in the ComSoc Corporate Loyalty Program.

Companies benefit in many ways by participating in the corporate program, including discounts on membership, advertising, and training courses. This year, we are excited to introduce the ComSoc Connector, a new platform designed to strengthen the connection between our ComSoc members and the companies. The ComSoc Connector will enable companies in our corporate program to connect with ComSoc members for talent acquisition, collaboration, and outsourcing opportunities. ComSoc members can create individual profiles to be considered for recruitment by industry partners or establish research lab profiles for potential collaboration or outsourcing with these companies. This platform will provide companies with exclusive access to technical talent and visibility into academic resources for collaboration and outsourcing, all closely aligned with their specific technical areas, as all profiles come from members of the Communications Society.

To ensure that ComSoc continues to improve and evolve in response to the needs of our industry partners, we have established a long-standing Industry Outreach Board (IOB). This board is now responsible for overseeing the ComSoc Corporate Loyalty Program. The IOB focuses on effectively engaging our corporate partners and identifying opportunities for new products and services that encourage active participation with us. Additionally, the committee works to adapt the program to the changing needs of our industry partners, fostering connections between companies and other ComSoc members, including technical professionals, researchers, and students.

The ComSoc Industry Outreach Board

Chair | Fawzi Behmann

Staff | Regan Pickett
Cyn Sikora
Harold Tepper

In 2025, as part of a new initiative, the Board Chair established an Industry Advisory Group comprising corporate representatives. This group will propose innovative strategies to engage industry partners. As the Board gains a better understanding of industry needs, new activities and events are expected to emerge. This approach will help the Corporate Loyalty Program evolve to meet the changing requirements of our industry partners, enhancing connections between companies and the ComSoc community.

ComSoc is dedicated to delivering value to all of our members, including the industry partners who support our conferences, events, standards efforts, and technical communities and contribute to our publications. This engagement with industry ultimately fosters the growth of our community, leading to enhanced capabilities for the future.

The ComSoc Corporate Loyalty Program was established to enhance the relationships between companies and individuals dedicated to advancing the field of communications. This program ensures that companies stay informed about opportunities to connect with ComSoc’s technical communities and rewards them for their efforts in partnering with ComSoc to promote technology for the benefit of humanity.

To learn more about the ComSoc Corporate Program, please visit the website: https://www.comsoc.org/about/corp-program. Thank you.

Publications

President's Page - May 2025

IEEE ComSoc Corporate Program

Robert Schober

President

Regan Pickett

Industry Outreach Senior Manager

The ComSoc Industry Outreach Board