Ray Ozzie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ray Ozzie
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Ray Ozzie at the Web 2.0 Conference
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| Born | November 20, 1955 |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
| Known for | Chief Software Architect, Microsoft Lotus Notes |
| Spouse(s) | Dawna Bousquet |
| Children | Neil Ozzie Jill Ozzie |
Raymond "Ray" Ozzie (born November 20, 1955) is an American expert in computer software. He held important jobs at Microsoft between 2005 and 2010. These jobs included Chief Technical Officer and Chief Software Architect. Before working at Microsoft, he was most famous for helping to create a program called Lotus Notes.
Ray Ozzie's Life and Work
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Ray Ozzie grew up in Chicago, Illinois. Later, his family moved to Park Ridge, Illinois. He finished high school there in 1973. In 1969, he learned how to program computers. He used big machines like the GE-400 mainframe and the Olivetti-Underwood Programma 101.
He earned his degree in computer science in 1979. This was from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. While there, he worked on a computer system called PLATO system. After college, he started working at Data General Corporation.
Ray Ozzie then worked at Software Arts. This company was known for creating VisiCalc, an early spreadsheet program. He helped improve VisiCalc and another product called TK Solver. Soon after, he joined Lotus Development. There, he helped create Lotus Symphony.
In 1984, Ozzie left Lotus Development. He started his own company, Iris Associates. His goal was to create a new product. This product became Lotus Notes. It was partly inspired by his experiences with the PLATO Notes messaging system. Lotus bought Iris Associates in 1994. Then, IBM bought Lotus in 1995.
Ozzie worked at IBM for several years. Later, he left to start another company called Groove Networks. In 2005, Microsoft bought Groove. Ray Ozzie then became one of Microsoft's main technology leaders. He was a Chief Technical Officer.
In 2005, he wrote an important message inside Microsoft. It was about how the internet was changing everything. He warned that Microsoft needed to change quickly. If they didn't, their business could be in danger.
On June 15, 2006, Ray Ozzie took over a very important job. He became the Chief Software Architect at Microsoft. He took this role from Bill Gates himself.
In October 2008, Ozzie announced a big new project. It was called Microsoft Azure. This was the first major project from his special labs. These labs focused on new and exciting ideas for Microsoft's future. Azure helps people use computer services over the internet.
In January 2009, another project from his labs won an award. This project was called "Live Mesh." It won a Crunchie Award for being a great new technology. In October 2009, he also started FUSE Labs. This group worked on new ways for people to connect and share online. They focused on social experiences for phones and the internet.
Ray Ozzie announced he would leave Microsoft on October 18, 2010. His last day was December 31, 2010. In 2011, he helped create a group called Safecast. This group is a non-profit organization.
In January 2012, Ozzie started a new company called Talko Inc. This company made apps for business teams to talk to each other. It was especially useful for jobs where voice communication is key. Talko launched in September 2014. Ray Ozzie said the name "Talko" was a tribute to "Talkomatic." This was a popular group chat program he used on the PLATO System in the 1970s. In December 2015, he sold Talko to Microsoft. His goal was to add Talko's voice features to Microsoft's Skype.
In 2013, Ozzie joined the board of directors at Hewlett-Packard. He still serves as a director for Hewlett Packard Enterprise. He also joined the board of Safecast in 2017.
In April 2020, Ray Ozzie started a new company called Blues Wireless. He raised $11 million for this new business. Blues Wireless works with IoT, which means "Internet of Things." This involves connecting everyday objects to the internet.
Awards and Honors
In 2004, Ray Ozzie was chosen to be a member of the National Academy of Engineering. This honor was given to him for creating and developing online tools that help people work together. These tools include Lotus Notes.
See also
- Windows Pioneers
