Blog: Spotlight on SIG Network

Networking is one of the core pillars of Kubernetes, and the Special Interest Group for Networking (SIG Network) is responsible for developing and maintaining the networking features of Kubernetes. It covers all aspects to ensure Kubernetes provides a reliable and scalable network infrastructure for containerized applications. In this SIG Network spotlight, Sujay Dey talked with Shane Utt , Software Engineer at Kong, chair of SIG Network and maintainer of Gateway API, on different aspects of the SIG, what are the exciting things going on and how anyone can get involved and contribute here. Sujay : Hello, and first of all, thanks for the opportunity of learning more about SIG Network. I would love to hear your story, so could you please tell us a bit about yourself, your role, and how you got involved in Kubernetes, especially in SIG Network? Shane : Hello! Thank you for reaching out. My Kubernetes journey started while I was working for a small data centre: we were early adopters of Kubernetes and focused on using Kubernetes to provide SaaS products. That experience led to my next position developing a distribution of Kubernetes with a focus on networking. During this period in my career, I was active in SIG Network (predominantly as a consumer). When I joined Kong my role in the community changed significantly, as Kong actively encourages upstream participation. I greatly increased my engagement and contributions to the Gateway API project during those years, and eventually became a maintainer. I care deeply about this community and the future of our technology, so when a chair position for the SIG became available, I volunteered my time immediately. I’ve enjoyed working on Kubernetes over the better part of a decade and I want to continue to do my part to ensure our community and technology continues to flourish.