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Dr Andy Harter, Fellow of St Edmund’s College and the Cambridge University Computer Laboratory, has been awarded the Faraday Medal, the most prestigious award of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Dr Tim Constandinou, Chair of the IET Awards and Prizes Committee, said: “The Awards and Prizes Committee was unanimous in recommending Dr Harter for the IET’s Faraday Medal.  Dr Harter’s work has over many years has proven to have wide-ranging impact. This includes leading the development of successful technology such as Virtual Network Computing (VNC), which has created new markets and brought significant economic and environmental benefits. VNC remains the most popular remote access software as well as the most ported, with over 1 billion copies on more different kinds of computer than any other application.

“Dr Harter is equally skilled at creating new pathways to commercialisation, pioneering open source without compromising profitability. Through his philanthropy and mentoring initiatives he is supporting others to follow his example.”

The Faraday Medal dates back to 1922, and is awarded for notable scientific or industrial achievement in engineering and for conspicuous service rendered to the profession. Dr Harter is CEO of RealVNC, which he founded in 2002.

Dr Harter said: “It is a tremendous honour to have been nominated for this award. It recognizes a career in innovation and enterprise, during which it has been an enormous pleasure to lead some extraordinarily talented teams of people in research, development and commercialization of advanced systems. It is also a privilege to have been responsible for making substantial technology freely available, which has had significant impact on a global scale.”

The prize consists of an engraved bronze medal and vellum scroll which will be presented at an awards ceremony in November. The recipient also signs the Roll of Honour album, a leather-bound volume containing the photographs and signatures of all Faraday Medallists. Previous winners include: Professor Sir Richard Friend; Professor Roger Needham; Professor Sir Maurice Wilkes; Sir Martin Ryle; Sir William Henry Bragg and Lord Rutherford.

Dr Harter is also chair of the Cambridge Network.

Date awarded

20 September 2016

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Andy Harter