Glenford Myers
Glenford Myers | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 12, 1946 United States |
| Occupation(s) | Computer scientist, entrepreneur, author |
| Known for | Founding RadiSys and IP Fabrics; invention of register scoreboarding |
| Notable work | The Art of Software Testing |
Glenford Myers (born December 12, 1946) is an American computer scientist, entrepreneur, and author known for establishing two technology firms, RadiSys and IP Fabrics. He has written eight textbooks in computer science and made notable contributions to microprocessor architecture. Among his patents is the pioneering invention related to "register scoreboarding" in microprocessor technology. Myers earned a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Clarkson University, a Master of Science in computer science from Syracuse University, and a Doctorate in computer science from the Polytechnic Institute of New York University.
IBM
Starting his career at IBM in 1968, Myers worked at the Poughkeepsie, New York facility. Initially involved with the System/360 mainframe projects, he later led a team at IBM Systems Research Institute in New York City responsible for developing "SWARD" (Software Oriented Architecture). This architecture incorporated features such as tagged storage, capability-based addressing, object organization, and a single-level store. The system was successfully implemented and operated by 1980.
During his tenure at IBM, Myers authored his first four books, including the widely acclaimed The Art of Software Testing, which remained continuously available for 26 years until its second edition was released in 2004. Additionally, he taught graduate-level computer science courses at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University. In recognition of his impact on software engineering, Myers was awarded the J.-D. Warnier Prize in 1988.
Intel
In early 1981, Myers was recruited by the then-emerging Intel from IBM to establish a new division aimed at competing with Motorola’s "clean" design of the 68000 processor against Intel’s more intricate 8086. This initiative, known internally as "P4," diminished in urgency following IBM's announcement of the IBM PC utilizing a variant of the 8086. Myers assumed the role of Manager of Microprocessor Product-Line Architecture, supervising projects that included advancing the 8086 and its successors to the 32-bit Intel 80386 (386) processor, where he played an influential role in early strategic decisions. His responsibilities also encompassed work on the unique Intel iAPX 432, the RISC-based Intel i860 vector processor, and the RISC-focused 80960 (i960). Furthermore, Myers chaired Intel’s Microprocessor Strategic Business Segment as part of long-term planning efforts.
In 1983, Myers relocated to Oregon to direct development of the i960 microprocessor, notable as Intel’s first chip designed for parallel instruction execution. Three years later, he co-authored a seminal paper with senior Intel executives detailing Intel’s microprocessor strategy for the upcoming decade. His contributions to the i960 project earned him finalist status for Discover Magazine's 1990 Technological Innovation Awards.
RadiSys
In 1987, Myers departed Intel alongside key i960 manager Dave Budde to establish RadiSys Corporation. Serving as CEO and Chairman until 2002, Myers led a team primarily composed of former Intel employees who initially worked without pay in exchange for equity stakes. Facing challenging venture capital conditions during its inception year, RadiSys operated on limited funds; during this period, Myers also returned briefly to Intel as a consultant on the design of the Intel 80486. After approximately one year, RadiSys secured $6.5 million in funding from Tektronix, State Farm Insurance, and Oregon state sources.
By 1992, RadiSys had grown to exceed $10 million in sales with a workforce of 61 employees and was ranked 90th among Inc. 500’s fastest-growing private companies. The company went public in 1995 under NASDAQ ticker RSYS and expanded aggressively through acquisitions including an Intel division, two IBM units, and various private enterprises.
By the year 2000, under Myers’ leadership, RadiSys reported revenues of $341 million with $33 million net income, maintained a market capitalization over $1 billion, and employed more than 1,150 staff members. The company increasingly concentrated on telecommunications markets with Nokia representing its largest client responsible for over one-fifth of total revenue. Following strategic disagreements with RadiSys’ board in 2002, Myers left to found IP Fabrics along with nine key managers and engineers from RadiSys.
IP Fabrics
In 2002, Myers established IP Fabrics alongside nine former colleagues from RadiSys, assuming the role of CEO. He successfully raised $8 million in venture funding from investors including Intel Capital, Ignition Partners, Northwest Venture Associates, and Frazier Technology Partners. The company initially concentrated on virtualization solutions for parallel network processors, beginning with Intel's IXP series. However, following Intel's withdrawal from this sector, IP Fabrics redirected its efforts toward developing communications interception technologies utilizing its proprietary network-processor software and hardware platforms. Within the United States, IP Fabrics delivers interception capabilities for voice over IP (VoIP) and Internet communications to law enforcement agencies and telecommunications providers to ensure adherence to the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). Additionally, the company offers interception tools capable of capturing instant messaging, social media interactions, email services, webmail, and various other data traffic types.
Myers also serves as chair of the Lawfully Authorized Electronic Surveillance subcommittee within the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS), which is responsible for creating wiretapping standards through collaboration among government entities, carriers, and equipment manufacturers.
Publications
Myers has contributed extensively to technical literature, authoring numerous papers and eight books focused on software reliability, computer architecture, and methodologies in software testing:
- Reliable Software Through Composite Design (1975)
- Software Reliability: Principles and Practices (1976)
- Composite/Structured Design (1978)
- Advances in Computer Architecture (1978; 2nd edition 1982)
- The Art of Software Testing (1979; 2nd edition 2004; 3rd edition 2012)
- Digital System Design with LSI Bit-Slice Logic (1980)
- The 80960 Microprocessor Architecture, co-authored with David Budde (1988)
His scholarly articles address subjects such as program testing techniques, evolving microprocessor architectures, security frameworks tailored for Intel network processing units, and sophisticated network monitoring methods. These include lawful interception approaches for high-speed handling of VoIP, data streams, email, instant messaging, and social networking communications.