“The common thread for everything I do is this idea of a Web-services architecture. What does that mean? It means taking components of software and systems and having them be self-describing, so that you can aim them, ask them what their capabilities are, and communicate with them using a standard protocol.”

American entrepreneur and philanthropist of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Gates co-founded Microsoft and became one of the world’s most influential figures in technology and business. He is known for his visionary leadership in software development and his later work through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, focusing on global health, education, and poverty alleviation.