The Networking Research Group focuses on basic and applied research in all areas related to networked systems, mobile computing, sensing, and Internet of Things. Researchers build proof-of-concept systems, engage with academia, publish scientific papers, release software for the research community, and transfer cutting-edge technologies to Microsoft’s product groups.
Our research has created significant impact on Microsoft products, including Azure Networking, with features such as data center network architecture and virtualization, software-driven wide-area network (SWAN), Data Center TCP (DCTCP), Data Center QCN (DCQCN), cloud-scale network emulator, and most recently intra-region RDMA, XBOX, such as the XBOX Wireless Controller Protocol, the Windows Networking Stack, with VirtualWiFi, and many more.
![6G | Space - header illustration | AI head looking out into a mix of industry and communications icons](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/uploads/prod/2012/07/space-6g_header_1400x788-1024x576.png)
6G & Space
![digital map showing global data network connectivity](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/uploads/prod/2018/08/01_MSR_SIGCOMM_Data_Network_1400x788-1024x576.png)
Networking for AI
![conceptual cloud security image](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/uploads/prod/2022/01/cloud-security_600x338.jpg)
Zero Trust & Zero Management
![Photography depicts Microsoft's FarmBeats technology uses AI and IoT to help increase farm productivity.](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/uploads/prod/2018/10/MS_AI_Agriculture_DataVis_001-480-x-280.jpg)
Networking for Industry
![a man using Microsoft PowerPoint on a laptop computer](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/uploads/prod/2022/01/NetSecurityGrp_Office365_1400x788-1024x576.jpg)
Our impact
We strive to find a balance between long term research and product impact. You may know about our research from the papers we publish and the talks we give, but we also have a broad impact on Microsoft products, including:
- Azure
- Bing
- Office 365
- Windows
- Xbox