The Spirit Of Innovation One Man's Journey. Episode 1: Innovation Starts With A Vision

John F Cruz, founder of ImageMind Software. 1993. Young visionary.

1993. Start the series of short stories how one man's journey gave many people their first full screen video experience on the Windows 95 personal computer.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, UNITED STATES, April 21, 2023/einpresswire.com / -- John F. Cruz gave many people their first experience to watch video on their new Windows 95 computer. We will explore in a series of short memorable stories his journey of where did his vision come from and how did it develop into so many first-to-market software innovations so quickly. Afterall, this was a time when most people were just learning about something called the Internet.

The year was 1993. We jump into the middle of Cruz's story just before he founded imagemind Software. Cruz had graduated from the University of Utah in 1981 having designed his own University degree through a new department giving students the freedom to follow their own academic vision. Cruz combined computer science and business management creating a degree he called Analysis of Computer Based Systems, a degree for designing software.

Cruz was providing automation consulting services to Utah State agencies under his company Digital Performance, a one-man shop. Cruz visited a classmate and also computer programmer, Clark Whitehead who was now managing the University's Administrative computer operations. During that visit, Whitehead's staff played a very small, very pixelated digital video clip about the size of a postage stamp. Cruz looked at the tech guys standing around him and said,“this is the future”. These were not just words, this was a decision

He shut down Digital Performance and focused his full attention on learning the inside of the Windows 95/NT operating system and the Advance BASIC programming language. Cruz experimented until he figured out the programming of his algorithm to play the very small digital video files full screen in smooth natural motion. And Cruz's algorithm could play these video files without customers having to buy a hardware accelerator board to plug into the PC. The software worked on off-the-shelf Windows 95/NT PCs. Cruz successfully written a full screen video player piece of code. But now what to do with it? That was the dilemma. Cruz went to the software stores and looked around and found his idea, his first product that could use his video player technology. His first product would capture the national trade magazines and soon Cruz had his first software product in stores. Look for Episode 2 of The spirit of innovation to find out what was Cruz's new product and how it eventually inspired Discovery Channel

Special note: Cruz's one-off Bachelors of University Studies degree called Analysis of Computer Based System (1981) captured the attention of the University of Utah, which began to develop a formal program called Management of Information Systems using Cruz's B.U.S. degree as their template. The MIS program (1987) became one of the most popular programs at the University of Utah and provided graduating students with one of the highest post-graduation salaries. Cruz's vision for his own career became the shared vision of many students.

For more innovation history visit

Benton Cruz
ImageMind

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