Marco Rodrigues
Faculty of Applied Science & Technology
Degree: Telecommunications Technology Coop
Year of graduation: 2006
Network for Change
Most of us take the pervasiveness of technology for granted. From smartphones to cloud computing, technological advances have given us mobile, instantaneous connections that impact our daily lives at every level.
When Marco Rodrigues thinks about the role of technology today, he sees not only a world transformed over a relatively short period of time, but a future of limitless possibilities that will make our lives easier and safer.
“It is estimated that over the next three to five years, there will be 25 to 50 billion connected devices across the globe,” says Rodrigues, Distinguished Systems Engineer and Chief Architect at Juniper Networks which develops and supplies high performance networking products to the world’s telecommunications, web, cable and enterprise companies.
“Companies will be building many disruptive technologies with the entire world being connected and measured in real time” he explains. “We are poised to see an explosion in the Internet of Things – from connected wearables, autonomous cars and drones, smart sensors for homes, cities, etc., all enabled through platforms similar to what most Cloud companies provide today. It’s all very exciting but scary at the same time. The opportunities are there and they are inspiring.”
Technology – specifically the potential of the Internet - has been inspiring Marco since he was a child growing up in Toronto. He was already working for Internet service providers when friend and former Sheridan classmate Peter Van Oene – a consulting engineer at Juniper - connected him to Sheridan’s Telecommunications Technology program which offered Marco the chance to expand on the core skills he already possessed.
It was a tough program recalls Marco, who continued to work full time while attending Sheridan. “Faculty like Bill Farkas and Felix Carapaica rode us hard but it was because they cared about their students and the topics. If you reciprocated, it became a mutually beneficial experience for everyone. I witnesses Bill and Felix in their office preparing for upcoming lectures – it was inspiring they cared so much about delivering the best lecture.”
Following graduation, Marco spent just over a year at Telus in Toronto before moving south of the border to join Juniper in 2007, rising to become Senior Consulting Engineer in 2013. For the past year, he has worked out of Dallas, Texas, most recently as Chief Architect on the AT&T team. Servicing one of Juniper’s biggest clients, Marco leads the design and technology recommendation of various services and architectures, an achievement that no doubt led to his being named a Distinguished Systems Engineer – one of several in the entire organization.
This and other accolades Marco has racked up at Juniper for his pioneering work are a testament to his passion for the vast network driving these technological advances. Advances that continue to change our lifestyles and hold such promise for the future.
“Juniper’s founder Pradeep Sindhu says, ‘connect and empower everyone.’ That’s a very important message to me because I have witnessed and helped in the current transformation of the world and can see how future developments will make this world even more exciting. I know it sounds corny but that’s what grounds me.”
Learn more about Sheridan’s Applied Computing programs
Most of us take the pervasiveness of technology for granted. From smartphones to cloud computing, technological advances have given us mobile, instantaneous connections that impact our daily lives at every level.
When Marco Rodrigues thinks about the role of technology today, he sees not only a world transformed over a relatively short period of time, but a future of limitless possibilities that will make our lives easier and safer.
“It is estimated that over the next three to five years, there will be 25 to 50 billion connected devices across the globe,” says Rodrigues, Distinguished Systems Engineer and Chief Architect at Juniper Networks which develops and supplies high performance networking products to the world’s telecommunications, web, cable and enterprise companies.
“Companies will be building many disruptive technologies with the entire world being connected and measured in real time” he explains. “We are poised to see an explosion in the Internet of Things – from connected wearables, autonomous cars and drones, smart sensors for homes, cities, etc., all enabled through platforms similar to what most Cloud companies provide today. It’s all very exciting but scary at the same time. The opportunities are there and they are inspiring.”
Technology – specifically the potential of the Internet - has been inspiring Marco since he was a child growing up in Toronto. He was already working for Internet service providers when friend and former Sheridan classmate Peter Van Oene – a consulting engineer at Juniper - connected him to Sheridan’s Telecommunications Technology program which offered Marco the chance to expand on the core skills he already possessed.
It was a tough program recalls Marco, who continued to work full time while attending Sheridan. “Faculty like Bill Farkas and Felix Carapaica rode us hard but it was because they cared about their students and the topics. If you reciprocated, it became a mutually beneficial experience for everyone. I witnesses Bill and Felix in their office preparing for upcoming lectures – it was inspiring they cared so much about delivering the best lecture.”
Following graduation, Marco spent just over a year at Telus in Toronto before moving south of the border to join Juniper in 2007, rising to become Senior Consulting Engineer in 2013. For the past year, he has worked out of Dallas, Texas, most recently as Chief Architect on the AT&T team. Servicing one of Juniper’s biggest clients, Marco leads the design and technology recommendation of various services and architectures, an achievement that no doubt led to his being named a Distinguished Systems Engineer – one of several in the entire organization.
This and other accolades Marco has racked up at Juniper for his pioneering work are a testament to his passion for the vast network driving these technological advances. Advances that continue to change our lifestyles and hold such promise for the future.
“Juniper’s founder Pradeep Sindhu says, ‘connect and empower everyone.’ That’s a very important message to me because I have witnessed and helped in the current transformation of the world and can see how future developments will make this world even more exciting. I know it sounds corny but that’s what grounds me.”
Learn more about Sheridan’s Applied Computing programs