On behalf of the organising committee of the International Workshop on Wireless Ad-hoc Networks (IWWAN) 2004, I would like to welcome you to Oulu.

Your host city of Oulu is located 160 km south of the Arctic Circle and is situated at the very centre of the Northern Finland’s high tech region. Oulu is a truly unique location where ultra hi-tech development mixes with the midnight sun and the wild North.

IWWAN is the first in what is planned to be an annual series of workshops on wireless ad-hoc networks. IWWAN 2004 will highlight the growing applications and power of ad-hoc networks in achieving ubiquitous, pervasive communications in future systems. The workshop will focus on the increasing importance of ad-hoc architectures in next generation networks including interoperation with fixed and cellular networks. The range of topics presented at IWWAN is diverse within this field, covering existing and future networks, information theoretic analysis and field trials. The range of topics shows the growing importance of this area of research.

IWWAN has drawn submissions from countries across Europe, the USA, Japan, China, the Middle East and Australia, making it a truly international event. The plenary speakers for IWWAN include experts from industry, academia and EU and will present future visions of ad-hoc networks and the practical market realities driving these visions.

Our speakers this year are:

Walter Hirt
IBM, Switzerland

Prof. Petri Mähönen
Aachen University, Germany

Bernard Berani
European Commission

Prof. Kaveh Pahlavan
Worchester Polytechnic, USA

Dr. Lakshman Krishnamurthy
Intel, USA

Given the more intimate nature of a workshop, there will be ample opportunity to meet and discuss with the Plenary and other speakers in more detail. I encourage you to do this, to take advantage of the networking opportunities, to enjoy the hospitality of Oulu, and enjoy the beautiful long, late evenings of Summer.

I wish you an enjoyable and stimulating workshop!

Dr. Ian Oppermann
IWWAN General Chairman
Director, Centre for Wireless Communications