Other individual winners at the nonprofit's industry group's fifth annual Interactive Leadership Awards included: James Dolce, president and CEO of Unisphere, CEO of the Year; Steve Papa, CEO of Endeca, Entreprenuer of the Year; Robin Regensburg, managing director, RainCastle Communications, Contribution to Society; Joost Bonsen, venture catalyst, Unsung Hero.

Company awards went to Upromise and Kronos for Most Innovative Company and Company of the Year, respectively.

"Each of our winners has led the way for innovation by creating cutting edge products, services and jobs for the region," said Leslie Cushing, MIMC's executive director.

In the early 1980s, when the rest of the industry focused on PCs, Ozzie was devising ways for groups of individuals to communicate and collaborate. The result, Notes, is used by 80 million people and has been hugely profitable for Lotus, the Cambridge-based division of IBM.

Then, in late 2000, Ozzie reappeared with Groove. The Beverly, Mass., company's product is built on peer computing architecture, which bypasses central servers and links individuals directly over the Internet.

It's the same approach employed by Napster, the music company that allowed users to swap digitized music files. Groove lets close-knit groups to collaborate on a range of activities within secure, shared virtual spaces, in real-time, or at different times. The company has received investments from venture capital firms as well as Microsoft

While I'm truly flattered to receive this award, software is inherently a deeply collaborative art," Ozzie said, thanking the designers and engineers he's worked with over the years.

The event was held in the ballroom of the Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, Mass.

LATEST NEWS

Microsoft's Dynamics ERP to Gain New Services
Barnes & Noble's e-Reader Nook Sold Out Already
Memory Market Due for Big Shift in 2010
Microsoft: No 'Back Door' in Windows 7
Tech's H-1B Hiring Faces 'Employ America Act'