Cloud computing is a technical and social reality today, it represents a dramatic shift in the design of systems capable of providing vast amounts of computing services and storage space. It is also a business reality today as an increasing number of organisations are adopting this paradigm since it increases efficiency, helps improve cash flow and offers many more services and benefits. The rapid shift in IT towards cloud computing is creating a worldwide skills gap. Our MSc course in Cloud technologies and its applications will be taught with respect to their design, architecture and implementation, as well as the use of tools which are used to model the behaviour of cloud based systems. The MSc in Computer Networks with Cloud Technologies aims to produce postgraduates with an advanced understanding of Cloud based systems and their planning, implementation and maintenance. The course aims to prepare a student with specialist knowledge and skillset in key areas such as cloud architecture, modelling tools, virtualisation, distributed systems, cloud services and management. Students will be able to develop technical solutions and strategies for cloud systems’ management and operations. They will also be able to develop the ability to critically evaluate and analyse the associated architectures, management protocols and associated policies for cloud based systems. The course aims to provide experience in the design and implementation of distributed systems and to build applications in the cloud using platforms and toolkits such as Google App Engine, VMware Cloud Foundry, Microsoft Windows Azure, CloudSim, CloudBees, GigaSpaces.

Our students are now working in companies such as ARM Holdings Ltd, BBC, Broadcom, British Aerospace, BskyB, BT, Cisco, Dell, Fujitsu, Google Enterprise, HP, Huawei Technologies, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Philips, Quinix, Rolls Royce, Sony, Virgin, Xilinx and other medium and smaller companies. Our research-active staff work in areas such as digital signal processing, ultra-low-power signal processor design, communication networks, distributed computing, microwave filters and circuit design, satellite navigation, and next-generation communication systems. Furthermore, staff are actively involved with industry and these links, together with the research activity, inform the teaching of these state-of-the-art MSc courses. All of our courses are in the process of seeking accreditation by the Institution of Engineering and Technology. The types of Job that a graduate from the Networks suite of MSc courses may wish to apply for include: Network support engineer Network design architect Network manager Project manager Security auditor Network security architect Distributed systems engineer Teaching Research and development