Michael J. Lyons

Recognized by Software Magazine as a "Top 100 Software Leader," Lyons has launched five entrepreneurial ventures in the software industry. Early in his career, he founded Catalyst Corporation, the industry's first software re-engineering firm, which was eventually sold to Peat Marwick in 1983, where he became a partner. Shortly thereafter, in 1988, he became president of Asyst Technologies, Inc., gaining notoriety for developing the first commercially viable repository technology. In the years to come, he has been involved in a number of other forward-thinking ventures.

In 1991, he founded Dynasty Technologies, Inc., the industry's first enterprise client/server development tool; and in 1997 he created ditto.com, the first visual search index on the Web. In creating this new generation of search, Lyons sought to achieve highly relevant results sets. While at Dynasty Technologies, Inc., he was quoted in a Chicago Tribune article, September 22, 1996, saying, "In 1990, it was clear to us that the (personal computer) had grown up enough that most of corporate America could be run from it. Instead of spending all of our money on hardware, we wanted to spend $2,000 or $3,000 on the computer and have everyone own a machine and interconnect."

He had spotted the trend and, as he put it, "built the tools that a professional programmer uses." Lyons conceptualized and his team designed programs so they could match any of the existing computerized systems. "IBM said we couldn't do the kind of research we did," he noted, "and fortunately I was too young and too stupid to pay any attention, so we just went out and did it." He predicted that "the biggest thing you will see is a concept called electronic commerce — it will affect huge segments of our economy." He drew a picture of the average consumer shopping on a PC by looking up catalogs for various companies on the Internet, searching for information, finding exactly what they wanted, comparing costs, and ordering through the computer-connected phone line.

Exercising his instincts to challenge fundamental rules and anticipate and forecast upcoming trends in technology, Lyons set out in 1997 to revolutionize "search" with the creation of ditto.com, the pioneer in visual search and visual paid placement. He has also served as a board member of a number of software companies, as well as the Chicago Software Association.

Lyons has also served as an Information Technology Association of America board member from 1990–1994, and taught on the topic of software maintenance in the Engineering Department at UCLA from 1980–1984.