Ray Ozzie

Ray Ozzie is an American software architect and entrepreneur. He is best known for his work on Lotus Notes and Groove Networks, and for his tenure as Chief Software Architect at Microsoft Corporation.

Ozzie began his career at Data General, where he worked on operating systems software. He later joined Lotus Development Corporation, where he played a key role in the development of Lotus Notes, a pioneering collaborative software platform. Lotus Notes popularized the concept of groupware and had a significant impact on how businesses communicate and collaborate.

In 1997, Ozzie founded Groove Networks, a company focused on collaborative software using peer-to-peer technology. Groove developed a platform that allowed teams to work together online, even when offline, and to securely share documents and data. Microsoft acquired Groove Networks in 2005.

Following the acquisition, Ozzie joined Microsoft as Chief Technology Officer and later became Chief Software Architect, succeeding Bill Gates in that role. At Microsoft, he was responsible for guiding the company's technical vision and strategy, particularly in the areas of cloud computing and software services. He championed the shift towards software as a service (SaaS) and played a crucial role in the development of Microsoft's Azure cloud platform.

Ozzie left Microsoft in 2010 and subsequently founded Cocomo, a company focused on developing cloud-based collaboration tools. Cocomo was later acquired by Talko, a company he co-founded, which focused on improving mobile communication for teams. Talko was eventually acquired by Microsoft in 2015.

Throughout his career, Ozzie has been recognized for his contributions to software development and his vision for the future of computing. He is considered a thought leader in the areas of collaboration, cloud computing, and software services.