When Microsoft grabbed Groove Networks in March 2005, the Deal's headline read, "Ozzie joins Microsoft as CTO," and rightly so. The acquisition was more about getting Lotus Notes creator Ray Ozzie to relocate to Redmond, Wash. than incorporating Groove's technology into Microsoft offerings. A year later, Ozzie is making an impression on Microsoft.

Forbes has a story about recent changes in philosophy at the software behemoth, and the face behind these changes belongs to Ray Ozzie. Microsoft's bread and butter was being challenged by online software offerings from Google, Yahoo! and a gaggle of other companies. Ozzie's challenge: To bring Microsoft up to date and "webify" all of their offerings. According to the article, Ozzie's customer-up approach to development has made all the difference.

At the bottom of the story, seemingly an afterthought, is reference to Microsoft Live Drive, an online storage service Microsoft is planning to roll out. A leaked memo from Google in March spread the word about Google's plans for GDrive, a similar service. Today, TechCrunch speculates about who will be the first to market with the service. If Ozzie really has turned the culture of Microsoft on its head, it will be interesting to see the competition unfold in spaces where Microsoft and Google battle head to head. — Brian Ward

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