Technology >> CEO Interviews >> October 22, 2002
JERRY FIDDLER, Chairman of Wind River Systems, Inc., co-founded
Wind River in 1981 with David Wilner, a colleague from Mr.
Fiddler's tenure at University of California's Lawrence Berkeley
Laboratory. Since establishing Wind River, Mr. Fiddler has taken
on whatever role was necessary, from chief and only programmer to
President and Chairman of the Board. Mr. Fiddler graduated from
the University of Illinois with a double major in Music and
Photography. When he saw a job listing for a resident composer at
the university, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to follow
his passion for music. In order to be eligible, however, he
needed a post-graduate degree. He chose to get an MS in Computer
Science because of his interest in computer-generated music. He
has led the company through its transition from a consultancy to
leadership in development software and services. This transition
has included a compound annual growth rate of 124% in its first
five years and a successful IPO in 1993. Today Wind River Systems
is the market share leader in embedded technology and continues
to innovate and define the market. While building an
international, multimillion dollar organization, Mr. Fiddler has
gained a reputation as an expert in the design and implementation
of real-time systems. He has published and presented numerous
papers and articles on embedded technology and the rise of
hidden, or embedded, computers in everyday life. He was the
keynote speaker at the 1998 Embedded Systems Conference in San
Jose, California, and the 1999 Embedded Systems Conference
Europe. Profile
TWST: Could you give us a brief introduction to Wind RiverSystems?
Mr. Fiddler: Wind River Systems is a supplier of software
solutions and development tools for embedded systems. An