Robert Metcalfe - Definition

Robert Metcalfe (born 1946 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American technology pioneer who invented Ethernet, founded 3Com and formulated Metcalfe's Law.

Bob Metcalfe was working at Xerox PARC in 1973 when he invented Ethernet, a standard for connecting computers together over short distances. In 1979, Metcalfe departed PARC and founded 3Com, a manufacturer of computer networking equipment.

In 1980, he was the recipient of the Association for Computing Machinery Grace Murray Hopper Award for his work in the development of local networks, specifically the Ethernet.

In 1990, Metcalfe departed 3Com following a dispute with the board, and has spent his time writing and speaking.

He graduated from MIT with two Bachelor's degrees, one in electrical engineering and another in business from MIT's Sloan School of Management. He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University, with a thesis on packet switching (which was actually written while working at MIT's Project MAC).