Updated: June 27, 2007
Ray Ozzie, an industry visionary and pioneer in computer-supported cooperative work, is Microsoft's chief software architect.
Ozzie assumed the chief software architect's role in June 2006, when Chairman Bill Gates announced his intent to relinquish his Microsoft day-to-day responsibilities in July 2008. In his role as CSA Ozzie is responsible for oversight of the company's technical strategy and product architecture. Ozzie is also directing development of the company's next-generation software services platform.
Previously, Ozzie was chief technical officer from April 2005 to June 2006. He assumed that role in April 2005 after Microsoft acquired Groove Networks, a next-generation collaboration software company he formed in 1997.
Prior to Groove, Ozzie was a founder and president of Iris Associates, where he created and led the development of Lotus Notes. Before Iris, he contributed to the development of Lotus Symphony and Software Arts' TK!Solver and VisiCalc, and was involved in early distributed operating systems development at Data General Corp.
Ozzie earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he was first exposed to the nature and significance of collaborative systems and computer-supported cooperative work while working on the university's seminal PLATO project. This work significantly influenced his perspective on collaborative systems and the projects he has undertaken throughout his career. He's subsequently been honored as one of the school's distinguished alumnus.
Honored as one of seven "Windows Pioneers" by Microsoft, Ozzie was named "Person of the Year" in 1995 by PC Magazine, and has been inducted into the Computer Museum Industry Hall of Fame and the InfoWorld Hall of Fame. In November 2000, he received the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Computer Society's W. Wallace McDowell Award, and in 2001 he was honored as a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer.
He has served as a member of the National Research Council's Computer Science and Telecommunications Board, and was a member of the NRC committee that produced the landmark CRISIS report on the societal impact of cryptography.
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MIX08 - March 5, 2008, Las Vegas, Nev.: Microsoft Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie during the keynote speech at MIX08 conference.
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MIX07 - May 1, 2007, Las Vegas, Nev.: Microsoft Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie presenting the company's vision for the next generation of web development at Microsoft's MIX '07 conference.
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SENIOR LEADERSHIP - June 15, 2006, Redmond, Wash.: (L-R:) Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates, Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig Mundie, Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie and CEO Steve Ballmer at a news conference announcing increased roles in the company for Ozzie and Mundie.
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FINANCIAL ANALYST MEETING - July 27, 2006, Redmond, Wash: Microsoft Chief Software Architect Ray Ozzie outlines Microsoft's transformation to a world of live services at the company's annual gathering of financial analysts.
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LIVE SERVICES - Nov. 1, 2005, San Francisco: Microsoft Chief Technical Officer Ray Ozzie briefs journalists on the company's vision for delivering seamless experiences with Internet-based software services.
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COMPANY MEETING - Sept. 23, 2005, Seattle: Microsoft Chief Technical Officer Ray Ozzie addresses employees at Microsoft's annual company meeting at Safeco Field. At right, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.
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INNOVATION ACROSS THE COMPANY - July 28, 2005, Redmond, Wash.: Microsoft Chief Technical Officer Ray Ozzie (center) is flanked by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Ed Lazowska of the University of Washington at Microsoft's annual Financial Analysts Meeting.
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