6 Key Milestones in Computer Networking History

When it comes to amazing advancements in computer networking, there are literally dozens of technologies that paved the way and shaped the field as we know it. Looking way back, inventions that pioneered networking include the SAGE national air defense system and SABRE, the first online reservation system, both built by IBM.

In this slideshow, we focus on a few key revolutionary developments are core to the enterprise network IT pros work on today. These milestones each have their own unique story and often contain bits of history that are fascinating and sometimes humorous.

You will notice that this list doesn't include more recent technologies such as network functions virtualization (NFV) or SD-WAN. These technologies may eventually prove to be historically significant, but it's far too early to tell. We can only speculate on what technologies have the potential to impact us in the future.

So please join us for a trip down memory lane to recognize six great milestones in computer networking history.