Ray Ozzie created Notes and sold it to Lotus, and later sold it to IBM. Microsoft had a chance to buy Notes before Lotus/IBM but passed. Later Ray founded Groove, a Massachusetts based collaboration company. This time Microsoft bought the company, and made Ray the Chief Technology Officer of Microsoft, reporting to Bill Gates.
It was one year ago this week that Microsoft acquired Groove. The Boston Globe ran several stories on Ray and his impact at Microsoft. "How Office got its groove" is an interesting summary of Ray's career and his job at Microsoft.
Ozzie, at age 50, has embarked on the most formidable challenge of his storied career, and the results could determine the shape of the technology landscape for years to come. He is leading Microsoft's push to blend Internet-based software and services with traditional desktop offerings at a time when new delivery models and a new crop of rivals, from Google Inc. to Salesforce.com, are making the most serious run at Microsoft's dominance in more than a decade.
But to succeed, Ozzie's new ''live services" strategy may require a change in the DNA of a company that still makes the bulk of its money from products, like Windows and Office, that come preinstalled on personal computers in tens of millions of homes and workplaces.
Best known as the creator of Lotus Notes, the popular e-mail and calendar program, Ozzie joined Microsoft a year ago this week when the high-tech behemoth agreed to buy his most recent start-up, Groove Networks of Beverly, Mass., for $120 million. In that deal, Microsoft acquired Groove's collaboration software, which it plans to feature in a new premium version of its Office suite for businesses.
Ray has already made a big impact at Microsoft. He wrote a manifesto The Internet Services Disruption which laid out the vision for "Software as a Service" and the basis for Windows Live and Office Live. Ray created SSE, Simple Sharing Extensions for RSS, which will be offered under the Creative Commons license. This was a major move for Microsoft to be part of the open source movement.
Ray maintains his Massachusetts connection alternating weekends between Manchester (north of Boston) and Seattle. Groove Networks maintains its offices in Beverly Massachusetts with 190 employees. It is quite possible, even likely, that Microsoft will expand its presence in Massachusetts.
I worked for Ray at Groove for several years. He is the smartest guy I have ever worked with, a true visionary, and a great guy too. Rarely have I seen someone so smart yet so humble, a charismatic leader yet one who shuns the spotlight. He cares deeply about every person he works with, and has passion for everything he does.
Ray Ozzie is the new face of Microsoft and one everyone can look up to. Here is Bill Gates view on Ray from a story by the Boston Globe.
Our industry is defined by incredible people who have a vision and the drive to make it a reality. Ray is one of those people. He did it with Symphony, Notes, Groove, and now he's bringing to Microsoft his scenario-based approach to the development of software and services. Ray's a world-class engineer, but perhaps most importantly he focuses on what people want to accomplish and then envisions the types of technologies that can make it happen. It's this type of end-to-end thinking, combined with an emphasis on simplicity and clarity, which makes Ray such a great asset to Microsoft.
Microsoft acquires companies for three reasons; people, people, and people. Bill Gates often remarks that the assets of a software company walk out the door every night. If they don't come back the next day your company is done. Microsoft acquired Groove to get Ray and the rest of the people. The technology, while great, was a secondary factor.
Software development is all about people. Ray Ozzie is the best in the business.
